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CivTech 11 - Challenge 11.6 - How can technology reduce teacher workload?

Scottish Government

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

09 Sep 2026 at 01:00

OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

22 Jul 2025 at 01:00

OJEU - F2 - Contract Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Scottish Government procured innovation and development services through its CivTech programme to address teacher workload. The selected challenge focused on building a strong understanding of how workload affects teachers at different career stages, in primary and secondary school settings, and across roles such as principal teacher, department head and management. The intended outcome was the development of products that teachers and related professionals want to use and that make a measurable impact on reducing workload. This is a public-sector technology and research-led service requirement, covering software and digital services, research, education-related services and product development. Delivery is for the Scottish public sector, with the challenge focused on schools and teachers across Scotland. CivTech’s model involves collaborative development with the challenge sponsor and users, rather than a conventional off-the-shelf purchase.

The procurement is complete and was run by open procedure for one lot, with electronic submissions. The contract was awarded to Poteris on 2 September 2025 and signed on 4 August 2026. The awarded contract value is £598,363 excluding any other amounts. The estimated procurement value was £1,000,000. The contract period is 720 days, with an extension possible if required. Evaluation was based entirely on quality, with quality weighted at 100% and price at 0%; variants were not allowed. Thirty-seven bids were received, all from SMEs and all submitted electronically. Poteris is recorded as the successful supplier and subcontracting is involved. The contract is active, and electronic payment and ordering apply, with electronic invoicing permitted. Bids were required in English and had to remain valid for 180 days.

This award indicates demand for suppliers able to combine user research, education-sector insight, technology development and practical product delivery. A credible competitor would need to understand the day-to-day pressures faced by teachers, distinguish requirements across school phases, career stages and job roles, and turn that evidence into a solution that education professionals will adopt. The CivTech route suits innovative businesses, including SMEs, teams and organisations developing new products rather than simply supplying established software. Strong candidates would be able to work collaboratively with Scottish Government and public-sector users, test ideas with citizens and practitioners, and develop a commercially sustainable product beyond the immediate challenge. Experience of research-led discovery, co-production, agile development, service design, digital delivery and scaling products for wider markets would strengthen a future response. Capacity for intensive collaborative development and managed subcontracting may also be relevant.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

CivTech 11 - Challenge 11.6 - How can technology reduce teacher workload?

Notice Description

The workload, expectations and demands on teachers has increased. While we can pinpoint different factors contributing to increasing workloads, we don't know enough about how these manifest themselves for teachers, nor how they vary at different career stages, in different school contexts (high school, primary etc) or across different roles (principal teacher, department head, management etc). This Challenge seeks to reduce teacher workload by developing a strong understanding of the reality of teachers' different, varying experiences and so drive the development of products that teachers (and related professions) want to use and make a real impact on reducing workload.

Lot Information

Lot 1

CivTech's mission is to drive daring and innovation in the public sector by collaboratively solving Challenges that make people's lives better - and in doing so create generations of sustainable, high growth businesses. CivTech brings together public sector expertise and private sector innovation to solve real problems, develop new products, and deliver better, faster and easier services for everyone. Central to the approach is co-production with the citizen. Part of the Scottish Government's Digital Directorate, CivTech's approach is helping transform public sector engagement with tech and innovation, delivering significant benefits to public services, producing genuine uplifts for the Scottish economy - and along the way, making lives better. Across the country there are problems public sector organisations would like to solve and in the current environment the need for smart, efficient and effective products has never been greater. The Scottish Government is aware innovation is a good way to create them and is committed to ensuring a large part of its tech spend goes to innovative businesses - whatever stage they're at, or size they are.. This is where CivTech comes in. The CivTech Innovation Flow is designed to create products as quickly and effectively as possible, and uses a true Accelerator model at the heart of its Innovation Flow model. For you - whether you're an individual, team or company - it's an opportunity to take on a Challenge, solve it, and win contracts with a blue-chip public sector organisation. You'll build a product, and a business to take it as far as possible. Because here's the kicker: the Challenges we issue aren't 'single organisation' problems - most of the problems we are solving exist worldwide. In short: Open Challenges are set. Any organisation, team or individual can respond. Applications are assessed, and shortlisted proposals go into an Exploration Stage where they're developed further together with the Challenge Sponsor and the CivTech [for which participating applicants are paid]. The best go through to the Accelerator - a period of intensive work to create the solution, and through CivTech's unique business growth workshop system, a business capable of taking the product to the world. Please visit our website for information on CivTech and how to get involved https://www.civtech.scot/how-to-apply-civtech-11 https://www.civtech.scot/civtech-11-challenge-6-reducing-teaching-workload

Renewal: The contract can be extended if required

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-r6ebe6-0000804534
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=SEP564153
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

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

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

48190000 - Educational software package

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

72200000 - Software programming and consultancy services

72212190 - Educational software development services

80000000 - Education and training services

80100000 - Primary education services

80200000 - Secondary education services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£1,000,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£598,363 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Sep 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
2 Sep 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Scottish Government
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
EDINBURGH
Postcode
EH6 6QQ
Postcode Area
Edinburgh
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM1 East Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM13 City of Edinburgh
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
City of Edinburgh
Electoral Ward
Leith
Westminster Constituency
Edinburgh North and Leith

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Poteris

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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