---
title: "Early Years: Accredited Level 3 training for Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs)"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-1f513d02-fa33-46bf-a47e-f3da4bc0ac19"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-1f513d02-fa33-46bf-a47e-f3da4bc0ac19"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-1f513d02-fa33-46bf-a47e-f3da4bc0ac19.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-1f513d02-fa33-46bf-a47e-f3da4bc0ac19.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION"
published: "2025-05-28"
---

# Early Years: Accredited Level 3 training for Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs)

Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-1f513d02-fa33-46bf-a47e-f3da4bc0ac19

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## Summary

The Department for Education has completed the procurement process for providing accredited Level 3 training for Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in early years settings. This initiative aims to train a minimum of 1,000 SENCOs across various regions in England, including the North East, North West, and London, among others. The procurement followed an open procedure, with an overall contract value of £945,453 GBP. The contract was awarded to Best Practice Network Ltd on 30th April 2025, with the contract period extending from 30th April 2025 to 31st March 2026. This project falls under the Education and Training Services category and plays a critical role in the early identification and support of children with special educational needs.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for growth for businesses specialising in educational training services, particularly those with expertise in special educational needs. With a focus on delivering high-quality training to SENCOs, companies with experience in educational programme development, teacher training, and special needs education are well-suited to participate. Additionally, the contract's emphasis on expanding accessibility across multiple regions in England makes it suitable for businesses capable of operating at scale, such as SMEs and voluntary, community, and social enterprises. The initiative is designed to enhance the skills of the Early Years workforce, helping to address challenges within the SEND system and improve outcomes for children with special needs, thereby providing a positive impact on the community and a growth avenue for participating businesses.

## Notice

This contract is to deliver training to a minimum of 1,000 early years (EY) Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) resulting in an accredited Level 3 EY SENCO qualification. The training will be for SENCOs working in group-based and childminder settings. The training will be available across England. Early identification of SEND is essential. As set out in statutory guidance SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years, (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25) ("the code of practice"), it is particularly important in the early years that there is no delay in making any necessary special educational provision. Early action to address identified needs is critical to preparing children for school, and to the future progress and improved outcomes that are essential in helping children to prepare for adult life. Providing high quality special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) training for the Early Years workforce is therefore essential to address challenges within the current EY SEND system, including maximising access to entitlement places and delivering quality care and early intervention for children with SEND whilst in settings. SENCOs play a fundamental role in this. The primary objective for any future training would be to increase the number of level 3 qualified SENCOs available to children in group-based and childminder settings, who have the knowledge and skills to properly fulfil the role of a SENCO, as described in the Code of Practice. The role of the SENCO involves: - ensuring all educators in the setting understand their responsibilities to children with SEND and the setting's approach to identifying and meeting SEN - advising and supporting colleagues - ensuring parents are closely involved throughout and that their insights inform action taken by the setting, and - liaising with professionals or agencies beyond the setting.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/611a7ddd-d34d-4d48-820f-ddb87887334b |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure (above threshold) |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 28 May 2025 |
| Submission deadline | 12 Mar 2025 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 29 Apr 2025 |
| Contract period | 29 Apr 2025 - 31 Mar 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £945,453 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £945,453 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1P 3BT |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | BEST PRACTICE NETWORK |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 80 - Education and training services

### Codes

- 80000000 - Education and training services

## Release History

- 28 May 2025 at 14:55 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/611a7ddd-d34d-4d48-820f-ddb87887334b
- 10 Feb 2025 at 12:03 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/aaa9a19e-ad36-4bb2-b681-1ef02667f1e1

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/611a7ddd-d34d-4d48-820f-ddb87887334b
  28th May 2025 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/aaa9a19e-ad36-4bb2-b681-1ef02667f1e1
  10th February 2025 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder
- https://education.app.jaggaer.com/
  Link to DfE's e-Tendering Portal (Jaggaer)
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/fb6faf0d-5dc0-4b79-b19c-b7347f6f0d0c
  n/a

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25

## Provenance

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