Planning

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

Statutory Assessments Service

Birmingham City Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

10 Sep 2026 at 11:55

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Birmingham City Council intends to commission a statutory assessments service for schools across Birmingham. The service will support the Council in meeting its legal responsibilities for pupil attainment assessment, quality assurance, compliance monitoring and moderation. Its scope includes monitoring Key Stage 2 SATs through visits to selected schools during assessment week, reporting concerns or irregularities to the Standards and Testing Agency, and checking Key Stage 1 phonics assessments against national requirements. It will also coordinate Key Stage 2 writing moderation, including moderation visits, review of evidence, validation of teacher assessment judgements, confirmation of outcomes, and submission of decisions through national systems. This is an education and training service, covering primary and secondary education activity. The procurement comprises one planned lot and is intended for delivery across Birmingham schools.

This procurement is at the planning stage and the Council has announced an intention to procure; it is not an invitation to tender. The Council expects to publish the next notice on 5 October 2026. It is seeking supplier feedback through preliminary market engagement, with responses requested by 17 September 2026 via its e-tendering portal. The planned contract is expected to run from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2029. The estimated total value is £207,000 gross, including applicable taxes. The procedure and procurement method have not yet been settled in the published plans. The single lot is marked as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises. Suppliers should use the engagement stage to comment on the market and help inform the future procurement approach.

The work will suit organisations with established expertise in statutory school assessment, moderation and quality assurance, particularly those able to operate across a large group of primary schools. Relevant capability includes understanding Department for Education assessment requirements and national Assessment and Reporting Arrangements, monitoring SATs administration, checking phonics assessment compliance, and identifying and escalating irregularities to the Standards and Testing Agency. Providers should be able to recruit and manage suitably experienced assessors or moderators, organise school visits, evaluate evidence, validate teacher judgements against national standards and make consistent moderation decisions. Strong record-keeping, reporting and secure submission through national assessment systems will be important. The Council is explicitly considering small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises, so specialist organisations and capable delivery partnerships may be well placed to prepare.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Statutory Assessments Service

Notice Description

The Statutory Assessments Service is a statutory requirement that supports Birmingham City Council in discharging its legal responsibilities for the assessment and moderation of pupil attainment across Birmingham schools. The service provides quality assurance, compliance monitoring and moderation of national assessment processes, ensuring adherence to Department for Education requirements and maintaining the integrity, consistency and accuracy of assessment outcomes across the city. A core element of the service involves the monitoring of Key Stage 2 SATs. This includes undertaking visits to selected schools during SATs week to ensure that assessments are administered in accordance with the statutory Assessment and Reporting Arrangements (ARA). The service is responsible for identifying and reporting any concerns, irregularities or instances of non-compliance to the Standards and Testing Agency (STA). The service also delivers Key Stage 1 Phonics monitoring, carrying out compliance checks to ensure that schools are administering phonics assessments in line with national guidance and statutory requirements. Additionally, the service coordinates and delivers Key Stage 2 Writing Moderation across Birmingham schools. This includes organising moderation visits, validating teacher assessment judgements against national standards, reviewing evidence where there are concerns regarding the accuracy of assessments, and confirming final outcomes. The service is responsible for recording and submitting moderation decisions through the appropriate national systems, ensuring that teacher assessments are robust, consistent and reliable. The service plays a critical role in maintaining the integrity and consistency of statutory assessments across Birmingham and ensures that the Council meets its legal obligations as a Local Authority in relation to assessment, moderation and quality assurance.

Planning Information

Birmingham City Council would welcome your feedback and comments to help us understand the current supplier market and inform our future procurement approach. Please submit your response by 17th September 2026. If you are interested in participating in this market engagement exercise, please register online via the Council’s In-tend e-tendering portal https://in-tendhost.co.uk/birminghamcc We appreciate your time and input. Your feedback will be valuable in helpings us shape our requirements and ensure that our approach is informed by the capabilities and experience of the market.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f6a9
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085815-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

80000000 - Education and training services

80100000 - Primary education services

80200000 - Secondary education services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£207,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
10 Sep 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
5 Oct 20263 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Nov 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Birmingham City Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BIRMINGHAM
Postcode
B1 1BB
Postcode Area
Birmingham
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG3 West Midlands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG31 Birmingham
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Birmingham
Electoral Ward
Ladywood
Westminster Constituency
Birmingham Ladywood

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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.

Loading OCDS record...