---
title: "Centre of Excellence - Sector Capability, Capacity and Skills"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05287d"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05287d"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05287d.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05287d.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION"
published: "2025-09-19"
---

# Centre of Excellence - Sector Capability, Capacity and Skills

Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05287d

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## Summary

The Department for Education (DfE) in the United Kingdom successfully completed the procurement process for the "Centre of Excellence - Sector Capability, Capacity and Skills" project. The award was made on 19th September 2025 to Social Finance Limited, a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME), under an open procedure procurement method. The project aims to support local authorities in enhancing their data and digital maturity concerning children's social care services. The contract, valued at £783,377 gross, commenced on 18th September 2025 and is set to complete by 30th June 2026, with a possible extension until September 2026. Key project activities include developing tools and resources, facilitating innovation, optimising digital systems, and providing expert support in multi-agency information sharing.

This procurement provides expansive opportunities for businesses specialising in educational services, particularly those with expertise in data management and digital solutions within the public sector. It is an ideal opportunity for SMEs seeking to engage in projects that drive digital transformation in social care services. Companies with capabilities in developing data-driven tools and training programmes, especially those able to offer collaborative solutions and consultancy to uplift sector-wide digital skills and system integration, will find fertile ground for substantial growth and partnership. The project also emphasises the development of career and skills opportunities in local authorities, attracting innovative solutions and services from businesses attuned to professional development and education technology.

## Notice

The Department for Education (the department) are looking for a provider to scope, test and begin delivering a support offer (Centre of Excellence) to help local authorities (LAs) improve their data and digital maturity with respect to children's social care (CSC) services. The incoming government has prioritised 'Multi Agency Information Sharing' (MAIS)as a key focus in their manifesto. To help ready the sector for MAIS technical solutions and get the foundations of data and digital knowledge and confident leadership across all LAs in place, the department will provide a support offer to help LAs improve their data and digital maturity with respect to CSC services. This includes the sector's ability to secure, use and share data; and to deliver user-centred case management systems (CMS). The department wants to understand what and how support could be offered for maximum impact, and to begin delivering the support offer. To deliver this work, it is recognised that the successful bidder will need to work closely with the department and those working in data and digital roles related to CSC in LAs. The supplier will: * work with the department and LAs to co-develop a vision and action plans for a data and digitally mature sector * provide expertise on CSC data and digital, including hands-on support with specific LAs * help LAs optimise how they customise and procure their digital CMS * develop tools and resources that meet the needs of users * plan research to provide a more detailed picture of CSC data quality, identifying where to focus improvements * facilitate knowledge sharing, innovation, and collaboration between LAs, to share guidance, best practice and ideas - creating spaces where LAs can learn from each other both about what works and what does not, and how to utilise future technologies * plan help with career and skills development to grow capability and capacity - training programmes and guidance that support continuous professional development, upskilling (including potentially around the use of AI), and those joining the profession; with shorter data/digital skills training/courses as well as longer ones (e.g. apprenticeships) to make building a data or digital career within LAs more achievable and attractive A Prior Information Notice for this procurement was published in February 2025 under PCR15. The links to these notices can be found here: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003474-2025 https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/fd848d6e-7db7-4312-9121-fb26dce7be2d

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: This contract includes and optional 3 month extension. This is at the authority's descretion.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058049-2025 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 19 Sep 2025 |
| Submission deadline | 30 Jun 2025 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 13 Jul 2025 |
| Contract period | 17 Sep 2025 - 30 Jun 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £833,333 |
| Lots value | £833,333 |
| Awards value | £652,813 |
| Contracts value | £652,814 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## 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 | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | SOCIAL FINANCE |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 80 - Education and training services

### Codes

- 80000000 - Education and training services

## Release History

- 19 Sep 2025 at 10:27 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058049-2025
- 22 Jul 2025 at 14:31 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/042098-2025
- 29 May 2025 at 13:28 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028479-2025
- 29 May 2025 at 07:41 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028310-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058049-2025
  19th September 2025 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/042098-2025
  22nd July 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028479-2025
  29th May 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028310-2025
  29th May 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html
- https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.htmlAlltendersmustbesubmittedviaJaggaerabove.Interestedbidderscancreateanaccountiftheydon'talreadyhaveone.
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/fd848d6e-7db7-4312-9121-fb26dce7be2d
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003474-2025
- 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-05287d. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05287d.json.