--- title: "Childcare Grant Payment Services" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-0225b3de-c452-477c-9482-dd068cebf117" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-0225b3de-c452-477c-9482-dd068cebf117" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-0225b3de-c452-477c-9482-dd068cebf117.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-0225b3de-c452-477c-9482-dd068cebf117.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "Student Loans Company" published: "2026-08-24" --- # Childcare Grant Payment Services Buyer: Student Loans Company Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-b5fd17-0225b3de-c452-477c-9482-dd068cebf117 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-0225b3de-c452-477c-9482-dd068cebf117) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-0225b3de-c452-477c-9482-dd068cebf117.json) ## Summary Student Loans Company procured third-party childcare grant payment services. The requirement is to process childcare grant payments directly to childcare providers through an online portal, covering financial transaction processing and clearing-house services. The work is delivered in the North East of England, with the buyer based in Darlington. This is a specialist financial administration and payment-services opportunity rather than a childcare provision contract: relevant suppliers are those able to manage grant payments, provider transactions and an online service used to administer the payment process. The procurement is classified as a service requirement and is identified under CPV 66172000 for financial transaction processing and clearing-house services. The buyer invited offers through an open procedure. The tender submission deadline was 1 June 2018 at 00:00. The original contract period ran from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2023, and the contract has since been extended to 31 March 2028. The stated total value is £3,600,000 including the published currency, GBP. The procurement is presented as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. The extension is intended to allow major Student Loans Company projects to clarify the future service specification before a replacement procurement is undertaken. The requirement was evaluated through the open tender process for the described payment service. This opportunity suits payment-service providers and financial administration specialists with the capability to process childcare grant payments accurately and directly to childcare providers. Suppliers should be able to operate or support a secure online portal, manage transaction flows and clearing-house functions, and provide reliable administration for a public-sector grant scheme. Experience handling payments involving multiple providers would be relevant, as would the operational capacity to maintain continuity across a sizeable service arrangement and respond to changes arising from major organisational projects. The procurement is identified as suitable for SMEs, so smaller firms with credible payment-processing capability, dependable technology and relevant public, financial or grant-administration experience may be well placed to compete. ## Notice Modification Notice Original description: Provision of 3rd Party Services to process the payment of Childcare Grants directly to Childcare providers through an online portal. Description of the modifications The contract has been extended through to 31st March 2028, this requires an additional value to be added. Description of the economic or technical reasons and the inconvenience or duplication of cost preventing a change of contractor: This extension is required because the output of major projects currently being undertaken in SLC will have a direct impact on the specification for these services, that impact is currently unknown. This makes it extremely difficulty to present a coherent set of requirements to the market for the procurement of a replacement service at this point in time. This position will be kept under review. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/7e2b279e-a1c0-43e0-8bc7-a3dcd69ad3e7 | | Notice type | Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 24 Aug 2026 | | Submission deadline | 1 Jun 2018 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 1 Jul 2018 - 30 Jun 2023 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £3,600,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | Student Loans Company | | Locality | DARLINGTON | | Postcode area | Darlington | | Postcode | DL1 1RW | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLC3 Tees Valley | | ITL 3 | TLC33 Darlington | | Local authority | Darlington | | Electoral ward | Red Hall & Lingfield | | Westminster constituency | Darlington | | Delivery location | TLC North East (England) | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 66 - Financial and insurance services ### Codes - 66172000 - Financial transaction processing and clearing-house services ## Release History - 24 Aug 2026 at 15:00 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/7e2b279e-a1c0-43e0-8bc7-a3dcd69ad3e7 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/7e2b279e-a1c0-43e0-8bc7-a3dcd69ad3e7 24th August 2026 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder - https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/respondToList.html?noticeId=1060821255 Please follow this link to view the notice. ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-0225b3de-c452-477c-9482-dd068cebf117. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-0225b3de-c452-477c-9482-dd068cebf117.json.