--- title: "Independent Special Education Provision and Out of School Tuition" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-04ef76" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04ef76" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04ef76.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04ef76.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "CAMBRIDGESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL" published: "2026-04-01" --- # Independent Special Education Provision and Out of School Tuition Buyer: CAMBRIDGESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04ef76 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04ef76) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04ef76.json) ## Summary Cambridgeshire County Council is planning a procurement process titled "Independent Special Education Provision and Out of School Tuition" aimed at recommissioning the Independent Special School and Out of School Tuition frameworks. The procurement falls under the services category, specifically social work and related services. As part of the planning stage, the Council has scheduled several focus groups running from April 2026 to February 2027, to engage with providers and refine the service specifications. The procurement is set in the UKH12 region, aligning with the light-touch regime and includes a framework agreement. Key milestones include provider benchmarking in April 2026 and the contract period beginning in September 2027 through to August 2032. This tender presents growth opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) specializing in special education, social work, and training services. The procurement process is above the threshold and features a framework agreement, making it an attractive opportunity for businesses seeking to expand their offerings in the field of special education. With several interactive forums and engagement sessions planned, prospective providers have a chance to collaborate closely with the Council, ensuring their services are aligned with the procurement objectives and the evolving needs of the local educational landscape. Businesses capable of joint commissioning and those committed to co-producing solutions with young people stand to gain significantly from this opportunity. ## Notice Cambridgeshire County Council is conducting preliminary market engagement in relation to the recommissioning of the Independent Special School (ISEP) and Out of School Tuition (OoST) frameworks. ### Planning Information Following a recent SEND Provider Forum, the Council is planning some focus groups between now and February 2027. Please see below an indicative timeline: • April 26 = Benchmarking with providers their experience with other LA's • May 26 = Sub-Lots • June 26 = Appetite for training opportunities • July 26 = Policies - What does good look like • September 26 = Service Specification • October 26 = Pricing Schedules • November 26 = Application/Bids/Themes • December 26 = Procurement - Platform Familiarisation • January 27 = Referral Processes If you have any feedback on the above, please contact Childrenscommissioningteam@cambridgeshire.gov.uk by the end of the day on the 7th April. Some of these meetings will take place online and others in person. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/030420-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Framework | | Procurement category | Services | | 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 | 1 Apr 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 1 Nov 2025 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 31 Aug 2027 - 31 Aug 2032 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £281,000,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planned | | Lots status | Planned | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | CAMBRIDGESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL | | Locality | ALCONBURY WEALD, HUNTINGDON | | Post town | Peterborough | | Postcode | PE28 4YE | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLH East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLH4 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | | ITL 3 | TLH42 Cambridgeshire CC | | Local authority | Huntingdonshire | | Electoral ward | The Stukeleys | | Westminster constituency | Huntingdon | | Delivery location | TLH1 East Anglia, TLH12 Cambridgeshire CC | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85300000 - Social work and related services ## Release History - 1 Apr 2026 at 13:40 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/030420-2026 - 28 Jan 2026 at 16:13 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/007731-2026 - 16 May 2025 at 10:33 - Planning - UK1 - Pipeline Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022135-2025 - 23 Apr 2025 at 15:52 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016630-2025 - 20 Mar 2025 at 09:24 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/010303-2025 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/030420-2026 1st April 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/007731-2026 28th January 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022135-2025 16th May 2025 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016630-2025 23rd April 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/010303-2025 20th March 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ## 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-h6vhtk-04ef76. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04ef76.json.