---
title: "Longitudinal Study of Pupils with SEND"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-3cb814ee-a255-4745-bd6c-a9e9d4786b5b"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-3cb814ee-a255-4745-bd6c-a9e9d4786b5b"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-3cb814ee-a255-4745-bd6c-a9e9d4786b5b.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-3cb814ee-a255-4745-bd6c-a9e9d4786b5b.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION"
published: "2025-11-11"
---

# Longitudinal Study of Pupils with SEND

Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-3cb814ee-a255-4745-bd6c-a9e9d4786b5b

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## Summary

The Department for Education in the United Kingdom is currently in the planning stage of a new tender titled "Longitudinal Study of Pupils with SEND." This initiative focuses on researching the experiences and outcomes of young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across England. The procurement, classified under research and development consultancy services within the CPV category, anticipates beginning in the summer of 2026 and concluding in spring 2030, with a maximum budget of approximately £14.5 million. Key milestones include an engagement end date by 30th November 2025, and market engagement events are scheduled for 27th November and 1st December 2025. The project aims to collect data from three distinct cohorts, starting with pupils aged 4-5 in 2027 and extending up to those aged 15-16 in 2029, using a mixed-mode approach to ensure inclusivity and comprehensive engagement.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for businesses with expertise in longitudinal research and inclusive methodologies, particularly those focusing on SEND. With a significant budget and requirements for a high level of expertise, this project is ideal for organisations or consortiums experienced in conducting large-scale studies involving young people and SEND populations. Such businesses could benefit immensely by contributing valuable insights that could shape future education policies. Additionally, the tender is open to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), making it accessible to a diverse range of competitors aiming to expand their portfolios in educational research and development services.

## Notice

Longitudinal Study of Pupils with SEND - Market engagement information The Department for Education is interested in launching a new cohort study that aims to provide high quality, longitudinal evidence on the experiences and outcomes of young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England. This would build on lessons from the previously commissioned 'SEND Futures Discovery Phase' study - which tested the feasibility of conducting a longitudinal study of pupils with SEND and their parents. Reports for this study can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-futures-longitudinal-study-discovery-phase The study would follow up to 3 cohorts of pupils with SEND, with particular focus on how experiences and outcomes differ by: SEN type, education setting type and SEN provision type. Data from large samples of young people and parents across a range of SEN types and age groups would help generate valuable information for policymaking. The following cohorts and timelines are anticipated: * Cohort 1 - starting around age 4-5 (reception) following annually from 2027 * Cohort 2 - starting around age 10-11 (year 6) following annually from 2028 * Cohort 3 - starting around age 15-16 (year 11) following annually from 2029 A mixed mode approach is anticipated, to ensure accessibility and inclusion of a range of participants. Face-to-face fieldwork will be particularly important to ensure engagement and face-to-face fieldwork for all waves should be expected for some participants. For cohort 1, data would be collected from the parents of sampled pupils at every wave. Pupil data collection will start at an appropriate child age. Teacher reports may be collected at one or more waves. For cohort 2, data would be collected from sampled pupils and parents at every wave. Teacher reports may be collected at one or more waves. A suitable team for this project would have a wealth of expertise and experience spanning longitudinal studies and complex sampling. Experience and expertise of inclusive research with children and young people with a range of special educational needs and disabilities would be of equal importance. Consortium bids would be encouraged to enable the formation of well-integrated teams with both longitudinal and SEND expertise that can deliver high quality fieldwork to agreed timelines. The project would likely initially run from Summer 2026 - Spring 2030. A maximum budget of approximately PS14.5M is anticipated . Additional information: We will be hosting 2 market engagement events where we will share an overview of the project followed by a discussion. Both sessions will cover the same content. Sessions will be hosted online, via Microsoft Teams on: * Thursday 27th November at 12:00 - 13:00 * Monday 1st December at 14:00 - 15:00 If you would like to attend, please email SEND.longitudinal@education.gov.uk letting us know your name, organisation and which date you wish to attend. Please note: This session is for market engagement only and is intended as an early-stage discussion to gauge interest and gather feedback. It does not represent a guaranteed or confirmed procurement opportunity.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dcf9b043-8ae0-412a-9306-131a43cefdec |
| Notice type | Planned Procurement Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Not specified |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 11 Nov 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 30 Nov 2025 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Planning |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION |
| Locality | MANCHESTER |
| Post town | Manchester |
| Postcode | M1 2WD |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLD3 Greater Manchester |
| ITL 3 | TLD33 Manchester |
| Local authority | Manchester |
| Electoral ward | Piccadilly |
| Westminster constituency | Manchester Central |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England) |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
- 73210000 - Research consultancy services
- 73220000 - Development consultancy services

## Release History

- 11 Nov 2025 at 12:10 - Planning - Planned Procurement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dcf9b043-8ae0-412a-9306-131a43cefdec

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dcf9b043-8ae0-412a-9306-131a43cefdec
  11th November 2025 - Early engagement notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/38bff00a-dc51-4241-9024-28e5f399303b

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-futures-longitudinal-study-discovery-phase

## 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-b5fd17-3cb814ee-a255-4745-bd6c-a9e9d4786b5b. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-3cb814ee-a255-4745-bd6c-a9e9d4786b5b.json.