---
title: "Independent non-maintained specialist school Autism Spectrum condition placements"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-064e89"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-064e89"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-064e89.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-064e89.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NOTTINGHAM CITY COUNCIL"
published: "2026-02-12"
---

# Independent non-maintained specialist school Autism Spectrum condition placements

Buyer: NOTTINGHAM CITY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-064e89

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## Summary

Nottingham City Council has initiated a procurement process for "Independent non-maintained specialist school Autism Spectrum condition placements," aimed at securing up to 30 annual special school placements tailored for Autism Spectrum Condition SEND. These placements are scheduled to run from September 2026 to August 2031. The procurement falls under the education and training services category and utilises a direct award method due to technical reasons that necessitate an absence of competition. With the process having reached the award stage, Autism East Midlands has been identified as the sole supplier capable of meeting the specific requirements for specialist education services. The contract period begins on 1st September 2026 and ends on 31st August 2031, with a pending award valued at £11,700,000 GBP. The procurement is classified under public authority - sub-central government, highlighting the necessity and urgency for these specialist school placements.

This procurement offers significant opportunities for large-scale businesses specialising in education and training services, particularly those able to deliver bespoke solutions for Autism Spectrum Condition SEND placements. The unique nature of the direct award, driven by technical requirements and urgency, underscores the importance of establishing expert partnerships with local authorities and essential service providers like Autism East Midlands. Businesses capable of innovating within the specialist education sector and those with expertise in providing high-quality educational solutions will find potential growth opportunities. Such partnerships can lead to long-term collaborations with local councils, enhancing their reputation and presence in the competitive education industry across the United Kingdom.

## Notice

Up to 30 annual Autism Spectrum Condition SEND non-maintained special school placements during the period September 2026 to August 2031.

### Procurement Information

In order to address the sufficiency risk relating to specialist school places for pupils transitioning from mainstream primary education from September 2026. Justification for a direct award is due to the absence of competition for technical reasons, and that there is no reasonable alternative option to secure the education services required. This provider is identified to be the only school able to meet the specific educational needs of the cohort in question, offering specialist secondary education places within Nottingham City.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012688-2026 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 12 Feb 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 12 Feb 2026 |
| Contract period | 31 Aug 2026 - 31 Aug 2031 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £11,700,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NOTTINGHAM CITY COUNCIL |
| Locality | NOTTINGHAM |
| Post town | Nottingham |
| Postcode | NG2 3NG |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLF East Midlands (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLF1 Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire |
| ITL 3 | TLF14 Nottingham |
| Local authority | Nottingham |
| Electoral ward | Castle |
| Westminster constituency | Nottingham East |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | AUTISM EAST MIDLANDS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 80 - Education and training services

### Codes

- 80000000 - Education and training services

## Release History

- 12 Feb 2026 at 09:33 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012688-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012688-2026
  12th February 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/
- 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-064e89. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-064e89.json.