Invitation to submit a proposal for human resources information system (HRIS) and fully managed payroll service

Vanguard Learning Trust

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

TenderUpdate

11 Sep 2026 at 10:25

Tender

24 Aug 2026 at 09:23

Summary of the contracting process

Vanguard Learning Trust is procuring a cloud-based human resources information system combined with a fully managed payroll and pensions service for approximately 615 employees across six schools and the Trust’s central team. The service is intended to create a single employee-data record, reduce manual administration and support workforce planning, reporting and strategic oversight. The scope includes a general HR system of record, absence and attendance management, time and expenses, organisation structure, employee and manager self-service, people analytics, managed payroll and pensions, and solution hosting. The provider must complete submissions to HMRC, pension providers and other statutory bodies. The system must support UK employment, pensions and HMRC compliance, data security, GDPR compliance and UK-based hosting. Work will support schools and the central Trust team across England. Applicant tracking, onboarding, performance management and case management may be considered later but are not essential initially.

The process has reached tender: the Trust invited offers through a below-threshold open competition. It is one lot. Enquiries were due by 4 September 2026 at 12:00; offers were due by 14 September 2026 at 12:00. The contract is planned to run from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2031, with a possible extension until 31 March 2032. Its estimated value is £200,000 gross. Electronic submission is not allowed; responses are to be submitted to the Trust at Field End Junior School, Ruislip. Suppliers must provide a commercial proposal, deployment project plan and customer-support service-level agreement. Shortlisted suppliers must complete a data protection impact assessment. Essential requirements must all be met for shortlisting. Responses are scored from 0 to 4 and weighted against the stated specifications, covering requirements, service delivery, security and commercial information.

This opportunity suits established HR technology and payroll providers able to deliver an integrated cloud service at education-Trust scale. Strong candidates will combine reliable HR software with fully managed payroll and pensions operations, including accurate statutory submissions to HMRC, pension providers and other bodies. The service requires practical capability in employee and manager self-service, absence and attendance, time and expenses, people analytics, workforce reporting and organisational structures. Suppliers should be able to demonstrate secure UK-based hosting, GDPR-compliant data handling and arrangements for information security. The response must show how the solution can be deployed, supported through a clear service-level agreement and operated with minimal manual processing. Providers also need sufficient implementation and ongoing support capacity for six schools and a central team, together with experience of statutory compliance and handling data protection requirements. The Trust may later expand the service into recruitment, onboarding, performance and case management.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Invitation to submit a proposal for human resources information system (HRIS) and fully managed payroll service

Notice Description

Vanguard Learning Trust invites qualified suppliers to tender for the provision of a cloud-based human resources information system (HRIS) and a fully managed payroll service to support approximately 615 employees across 6 schools and a central Trust team. The solution must deliver secure, efficient HR and payroll processes, ensure statutory compliance with UK employment, pensions and HMRC regulations, and provide high-quality support to both Trust leaders and school-based staff. Objectives The Trust aims to procure a combined HRIS and payroll solution that: Provides a single source of truth for employee data across all schools and the Trust's central team. Reduces administrative workloads and manual processing. Ensures accurate, timely payroll with all third-party submissions completed by the provider, including HMRC, pension providers, and statutory bodies. Supports workforce planning, reporting, and strategic oversight at Trust level. Offers excellent employee and manager self-service. Ensures data security, GDPR compliance, and UK-based hosting. Scope of software and services The software will include: General HR system of record (SoR) Absence and attendance management functionality, which will link to occupational sickness scheme requirements Time and expenses (the functionality for employees to log additional hours and expenses, which would only be approved at managerial level) Organisation structure Employee Self Service Manager Self Service People Analytics A fully managed payroll and pension service The Trust would not be procuring the functionality below in the first instance but may consider doing at a later date. These are, therefore, 'desirable' rather than 'essential': Integrated applicant tracking and onboarding functionality Performance management and appraisal functionality Case management functionality The service provision will include: Fully managed payroll services Fully managed pensions services Solution hosting Requirements Our requirements (functional and non-functional) have been listed and are provided in an Excel sheet along with this document. Supplier Responses Suppliers are requested to complete the supplier response columns within the requirements document and to provide a commercial proposal using the template in the attached sheet. Additionally, please provide a high level project plan to demonstrate the timescales that your solution could be deployed in and a copy of your customer support service-level agreement (SLA). Finally, short-listed providers will be required to complete the Trust's data protection impact assessment (DPIA).

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The Trust could decide to extend a contract if any of the following circumstances apply: Undergoing onboarding of new academies or restructuring. Significant operational or technical disruption is caused. Transfer of supplier does not provide value for money. Emergency unforeseen circumstances.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ea20
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/086253-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security


CPV Codes

79631000 - Personnel and payroll services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£200,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£200,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
11 Sep 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
14 Sep 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 31 Mar 2031 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Vanguard Learning Trust
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
RUISLIP
Postcode
HA4 9PQ
Postcode Area
Harrow
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI7 Outer London - West and North West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI74 Harrow and Hillingdon
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)

Local Authority
Hillingdon
Electoral Ward
South Ruislip
Westminster Constituency
Uxbridge and South Ruislip

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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