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Implementing and Testing a Single Unique Identifier for Children within school MIS - Alpha

Department for Education

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

27 Oct 2026 at 10:56

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Planning

23 Oct 2026 at 14:11

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Education plans an Alpha trial of a single unique identifier for children in schools, appointing up to two suppliers of school management information systems (MIS). The work is to integrate participating MIS platforms with the Department’s Get an Identifier service, enabling authorised access to NHS numbers and GP details held by NHS England’s Personal Demographics Service. Suppliers will work with selected schools to design, develop, implement and test the integration in live systems, and support onboarding and operation. Up to 10 schools are expected to participate. The services cover software development, implementation, configuration and consultancy. Delivery is across the United Kingdom.

This is at the planning stage: the Department has signalled its intention to procure, but has not invited tenders or committed to awarding a contract. It expects to use an open competitive procedure. A further notice is expected on 9 November 2026; this is the buyer’s planned publication date, not a bid deadline. The planned contract is from 24 December 2026 to 31 March 2027, with a possible extension to 30 September 2027. The stated total value is £300,000 excluding VAT (£360,000 including VAT); funding is capped at £150,000 excluding VAT per supplier, with up to two suppliers envisaged. There is one lot. The scope, timetable, value and approach may change before tender publication.

The work is suited to established school MIS providers able to integrate their platforms with a Department-hosted service and support implementation in live school environments. A key eligibility condition is an active contractual relationship with schools as their core MIS supplier, including processing pupil demographic data for those schools under that contract; suppliers that do not meet it will be excluded. Participants will need to support schools through recruitment, onboarding and testing, resolve defects, and undertake NHS England onboarding, security and assurance activities. The Department is seeking evidence on feasibility, delivery complexity, supplier readiness, operational impact, user value, costs and scalability. Suppliers should be prepared to gather and report technical, operational and user evidence, including costs, timescales, data quality, match and error rates, technical barriers, and indicative plans for possible wider rollout.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Implementing and Testing a Single Unique Identifier for Children within school MIS - Alpha

Notice Description

The Department for Education intends to undertake a competitive procurement to appoint up to two school Management Information System suppliers to participate in the Alpha phase of the Single Unique Identifier programme. The Alpha will test the integration of participating suppliers' Management Information System platforms with the Department for Education-hosted Get an Identifier service. This will enable authorised access to retrieve NHS numbers and GP details obtained through NHS England's Personal Demographics Service. Each supplier will be expected to support the recruitment and participation of existing school customers, with up to 10 schools participating across the Alpha. Suppliers will work with selected schools to plan, develop, implement, onboard, test and support the required capability within live school Management Information System environments. The required services are expected to include: * designing and developing the required system integration; * completing relevant NHS England onboarding, security and assurance activities; * supporting participating schools through onboarding and testing; * resolving defects and supporting operation during the Alpha; * collecting technical, operational and user evidence; * reporting on implementation effort, costs, timescales, data quality, match rates, error rates and technical barriers; and * producing indicative roadmaps, costs, assumptions and implementation considerations for any potential future national rollout. The Alpha is intended to generate evidence on technical feasibility, implementation complexity, supplier readiness, operational impact, user value, costs and scalability. The findings will inform future decisions concerning any subsequent Beta phase or wider national implementation. The Department expects to appoint up to two suppliers, with funding of up to PS150,000 excluding VAT available per supplier. This pipeline notice provides advance information only. It does not commence a procurement process and does not constitute a commitment by the Department for Education to award a contract. The scope, dates, value and procurement approach may be amended before publication of a tender notice. Essential eligibility criterion: Suppliers must have an active contractual relationship with schools as their core MIS supplier and must process pupil demographic data on behalf of those schools under that contract. Suppliers that do not meet this requirement will be excluded from the procurement.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078f1c
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/101402-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

72262000 - Software development services

72263000 - Software implementation services

72265000 - Software configuration services

72266000 - Software consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£300,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
27 Oct 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
9 Nov 20262 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
24 Dec 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Department for Education
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 3BT
Postcode Area
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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