---
title: "Mandarin Programme (2027 onwards)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06a82e"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06a82e"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06a82e.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06a82e.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION"
published: "2026-05-28"
---

# Mandarin Programme (2027 onwards)

Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06a82e

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## Summary

The Department for Education in the United Kingdom is currently in the planning stage of a public procurement process titled "Mandarin Programme (2027 onwards)" focused on services related to education and training. The primary aim is to support the teaching of Mandarin in state-funded schools across England. While this is a preliminary engagement notice and not an open competition, interested organisations are invited to an online information session on 17 June 2026 from 14:00 to 15:00. Potential contracts are expected to start on 1 September 2027, concluding by 31 August 2030. This planning stage is a part of market engagement intended to refine the Department's requirements, with a critical milestone on 31 August 2026. The physical address of the buyer is Sanctuary Buildings, 20 Great Smith Street, London, UK.

This procurement process offers businesses specialising in education services the opportunity to influence a significant national programme. The potential contract presents avenues for SMEs and VCSEs to integrate innovative solutions into the state's educational framework. With its focus on enhancing the Mandarin proficiency in state-funded schools, businesses excelling in language education, curriculum development, or digital learning tools could find this engagement particularly aligned with their expertise. While not guaranteeing a formal competition, participation in the engagement process allows organisations to better understand the needs and dynamics of the Department for Education's tendering process.

## Notice

The Mandarin Excellence Programme runs until 31 August 2027, and the Department will be seeking to award a contract from 1 September 2027 for delivery of a programme to support the teaching of Mandarin in state-funded schools in England. Preliminary Market Engagement is being undertaken to inform and refine the Department's requirements as it considers options for a programme to support the teaching of Mandarin in state-funded schools in England. This engagement is intended to support the development of a programme that is deliverable, value for money, and responsive to the needs of the education sector, while encouraging innovation and effective competition within the supplier market. This is a zero-value notice for early market engagement and is not a call for competition. The Department for Education reserves the right not to enter a formal procurement process and not proceed with contract award.

### Planning Information

The purpose of this engagement notice is to notify organisations of the Department's intention to enable interested parties, including prospective bidders, to sign up for an online information session on:
Wednesday 17 June 2026, 14:00 – 15:00.
Information regarding this session will be available to those who register their interest on our e-tendering portal Jaggaer, https://education.app.jaggaer.com

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050531-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| 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 | 28 May 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 31 Aug 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 31 Aug 2027 - 31 Aug 2030 |
| 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 | Planning |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## 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 |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 80 - Education and training services

### Codes

- 80000000 - Education and training services

## Release History

- 28 May 2026 at 16:12 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050531-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050531-2026
  28th May 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://education.app.jaggaer.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-06a82e. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06a82e.json.