--- title: "AT1468 Alternative Education Provision - Primary, Secondary, 16+" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-061011" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-061011" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-061011.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-061011.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "LUTON COUNCIL" published: "2026-03-18" --- # AT1468 Alternative Education Provision - Primary, Secondary, 16+ Buyer: LUTON COUNCIL Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-061011 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-061011) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-061011.json) ## Summary Luton Council has initiated an open procurement process to acquire approved alternative education providers for primary, secondary, and 16+ learners. This initiative focuses on education services catering to students with various needs, including permanent school exclusion, medical constraints, or mental health issues. The procurement, titled "AT1468 Alternative Education Provision," covers industry categories such as Vocational, Therapeutic Provision, Core GCSE subjects, and more, within the UKH21 region. The tender is at the active stage with a deadline for tender submissions on 20 April 2026. A Meet the Buyer event is scheduled to occur on 10 February 2026 at Luton Central Library and an online session on 13 February 2026. This tender presents significant business growth opportunities for service providers who can deliver specialised education services. Suitable competitors include small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) capable of fulfilling diverse educational needs, such as vocational training, therapeutic interventions, and complex Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provisions. Providers must pass quality assurance standards and pricing requirements to join the framework, which aims to accept up to 100 participants. Successful participation could lead to inclusion in multiple lots, thereby increasing outreach potential within the educational sector. ## Notice Luton Council is looking to procure approved alternative education providers to meet the needs of learners who require educational provision to compliment, extend or replace their existing curriculum provision. Alternative provision may be in place for students who are at the point of permanent exclusion, have been excluded from school or unable to access educational provision in a school or further education provision on medical grounds, or due to mental health and anxiety conditions or complex learning disabilities. Providers must be able to provide either face-to-face provision or online tutorial. You must comply with the Quality Standards to be accepted onto the framework. The tender will be divided into Lots and sub-lots to meet various needs across the primary, secondary and 16+ age years to cover vocational, therapeutic, core GCSE subjects, one-to-one in person, online one-to-one and group learning and complex SEND, severe learning disabilities. This will be an open framework under the light touch regime. You must pass the quality questions to be accepted onto the open framework and meet the pricing requirements. ### Lot Information Vocational Vocational education services within the constructions trades, motor mechanics, hairdressing, barbering, beauty therapy, catering and hospitality for secondary and 16+ ages. Options: Lot 7 is a 'Miscellaneous' lot which means that if the Council have a need which cannot be met from the existing lots they can procure under lot 7. This may be for unique services to meet the needs of the child/young person in order to provide them with the relevant education in the manner they require. Anyone who is awarded a place on any lot will automatically become a member of lot 7. Therapeutic Provision Equine and animal therapy Provision for pupils of compulsory school age requiring therapeutic interventions (including equine and animal therapies) whose full needs cannot be met in school due to detrimental and dangerous behaviours and/or where they have been permanently excluded. Provision to be 1:1 or in small groups focusing on meeting a child/young person's social, emotional and mental health needs, barriers to education and re-engagement with learning underpinned by trauma-informed practice. Provisions are expected to support re-integration back into a suitable education setting. Options: As Lot 1 Alternative Education Centre (ACE) Core GCSE subjects On-site provision for pupils of compulsory school age to enable them to access subject specific tuition (to include core subjects to GCSE level). Education provided 1:1 or in small groups should be underpinned by trauma-informed practice and support re-integration back into the home school or an appropriate education setting. Options: See Lot 1 One to One In Person Tuition One to One in-person tuition (occasional group) One to one in person tuition for compulsory school aged pupils. Tuition must be available for core subjects and in a range of other national curriculum subjects to Key Stage 4 level. Tuition must be available outside of the home as well as in the pupil's home as required. Options: See Lot 1 Online One to One and Group Learning One to one and small group on-line tuition. One to one and small group on-line tuition is required for pupils of compulsory school age. Group tuition can include fixed groups and groups determined by the local authority. Options: See Lot 1 Complex SEND and Severe Learning Disabilities Provision is required for pupils of compulsory school age with complex SEND/severe learning disabilities. The majority of these pupils will have EHCPs or will be in the process of an EHC needs assessment and may be struggling to access full time education in mainstream or special school settings and may have been permanently excluded or who are at risk of exclusion. Provision will be expected to meet a range of cognitive, sensory and physical needs. Options: See Lot 1 Miscellaneous For any services in connection with alternative education provision which is not covered under Lots 1-6 and can be used to procure compliantly. Providers do not need to bid for Lot 7 you will automatically become a member if you are accepted for any Lot 1- 6. Options: This Lot will cover any additional requirements or specific needs which are not covered under Lots 1 - 6. directly in relation to providing alternative education services. ### Planning Information We will be hosting two Meet the Buyer sessions, one in person for the face-to-face provision and another online which will be for the online tuition providers. The in person event will take place at 2pm on the 10 February 2026 at the Luton Central Library, St George's Square, Luton LU1 2NG, the online event will take on Friday 13 February 2026 @ 2pm - you must register to attend either event by emailing Caroline.sturman@luton.gov.uk. You will not be admitted to the Library if you haven't registered and you will be sent the meeting invite for the online event upon registration ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024332-2026 | | Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Framework | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning, Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 18 Mar 2026 | | Submission deadline | 20 Apr 2026 | | Future notice date | 23 Feb 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 31 Aug 2026 - 31 Aug 2036 | | Recurrence | 2028-03-01 | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £24,200,000 | | Lots value | £17,800,000 | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Active | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | LUTON COUNCIL | | Locality | LUTON | | Post town | Luton | | Postcode | LU1 2BQ | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLH East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLH2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | | ITL 3 | TLH21 Luton | | Local authority | Luton | | Electoral ward | Central | | Westminster constituency | Luton South and South Bedfordshire | | Delivery location | TLH21 Luton | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 80 - Education and training services ### Codes - 80000000 - Education and training services ## Release History - 18 Mar 2026 at 08:28 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024332-2026 - 27 Jan 2026 at 16:19 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/007265-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024332-2026 18th March 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/007265-2026 27th January 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - http://www.luton.gov.uk - https://procontract.due-north.com - 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-061011. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-061011.json.