---
title: "Schools Gigabit Broadband"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06e519"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e519"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e519.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e519.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "Department for Education"
published: "2026-08-14"
---

# Schools Gigabit Broadband

Buyer: Department for Education  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06e519

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## Summary

The Department for Education is planning Schools Gigabit Broadband Programme Phase 2, a national infrastructure programme to provide gigabit-capable broadband to approximately 800 schools across England. It targets schools where suitable gigabit connectivity is not currently available and where no commercial or publicly funded solution is expected by the end of 2030. The work is primarily broadband and wide-area network infrastructure, including network equipment, telecommunications and data transmission services, communications-system maintenance, and associated construction work. The intended outcome is reliable, high-speed digital connectivity that meets the Department for Education’s standards for schools. Delivery is expected across England, with the Department for Education as the buyer and programme lead.

This procurement is at planning stage and is being preceded by preliminary market engagement, not a call for competition or invitation to tender. The Department expects to use a single lot, currently marked as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. The indicative contract period is 1 March 2027 to 28 February 2030. The estimated value is £20 million excluding VAT, or £24 million including VAT. The buyer expects the next notice on 4 January 2027. Market engagement includes a Meet the Buyer webinar and question-and-answer session on 25 August 2026, with registration expected by 21 August 2026 at 17:00, followed by a questionnaire. Supplier feedback will inform programme design, lotting, commercial and pricing approaches, technical requirements, risks and delivery planning.

This planning activity is likely to suit broadband network operators, telecommunications providers, internet service providers, network infrastructure contractors, civil engineering and construction businesses, and firms providing communications-system maintenance. Relevant suppliers should be able to design, build, deploy, operate or maintain gigabit-capable connections across dispersed school sites, including locations that are not commercially attractive or already covered by planned public investment. Experience of wide-area networks, network equipment, data transmission services and school or public-sector infrastructure would be useful preparation. Businesses with complementary capabilities may consider partnership or supply-chain arrangements spanning connectivity, construction, installation, maintenance and ongoing service delivery. The buyer is seeking practical evidence about market capacity, delivery challenges, risks, mitigation, programme design, lotting and pricing.

## Notice

Introduction: School Gigabit Broadband Phase 2 The Department for Education (DfE) is seeking early engagement from interested organisations in relation to the Schools Gigabit Broadband Programme Phase 2. Please note that this notice is issued solely for the purposes of preliminary market engagement and information gathering. It does not constitute a call for competition, procurement, or invitation to tender. The Department reserves the right not to commence any formal procurement process or enter any contractual arrangements arising from this engagement. Accordingly, the Department will not be liable for any costs, expenditure, work, or effort incurred by any organisation in responding to or participating in activities associated with this notice. Background: Schools Gigabit Broadband Programme Phase 2 The Schools Gigabit Broadband Programme Phase 2 is a key DfE initiative that supports the Government's ambition to ensure that all schools in England can meet the required digital standards for broadband connectivity. The programme focuses on schools where suitable gigabit-capable connectivity is not currently available and where no commercial or publicly funded solution is expected to be delivered by the end of 2030. Between 2019 and 2022, the Department facilitated the delivery of gigabit connectivity to approximately 800 rural schools through the Rural Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) and Rural Gigabit Connectivity programmes, funded by Building Digital UK (BDUK) through a grant-based approach. Between 2023 and 2026, the Schools Gigabit Broadband Programme (Phase 1) connected a further 800 schools through a DfE-led procurement, partially funded by BDUK. Building on the programme's success to date, the Department plans to launch a further phase to connect approximately 800 schools across England that still require gigabit-capable broadband. This will help ensure that all schools have access to reliable, high-speed digital infrastructure that meets DfE standard.

### Planning Information

Purpose of the Market Engagement Event 
The market engagement event aims to:
1. Provide an overview of the Schools Gigabit Broadband Programme Phase 2, including its objectives, scale, geographical demand profile, indicative procurement timetable, and potential technical and commercial requirements. 
2. Gather supplier insights on current market conditions, delivery challenges, risks, and potential mitigation strategies. 
3. Share and discuss data being developed jointly by DfE and BDUK and seek feedback to support its refinement before engagement with schools and Responsible Bodies. 
4. Obtain supplier feedback on programme design, including lotting approaches, commercial models and pricing approaches that best support the intended outcomes. 
5. Launch a questionnaire to seek further feedback from suppliers on the proposed programme. 
Relevant links:
Material: Education Estates Strategy: a decade of national renewal
Link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6989dec6d3f57710b50a9bd9/Education_estates_strategy_accessible_version.pdf
Material: DfE Digital Standards for Schools and Colleges
Link: 
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-digital-and-technology-standards-in-schools-and-colleges/broadband-internet-core-standard
 
Market engagement events:
To register for the events below, you will need to create a Jaggaer account via the following link:
Link: https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html
Once you have created an account, you will need to access our opportunity notice for Event SSQ_832 – School Gigabit Broadband Market Engagement. To do this, log in to Jaggaer and select the Published Opportunities tab, which can be found under the Sourcing drop-down menu. Our opportunity notice can be accessed via the following link:
Once you have accessed our opportunity notice, you will be able to register your intention to participate via Event SSQ_832 - School Gigabit Broadband, Market Engagement. Within this event, the DfE will broadcast invitations to our market engagement events. It is your responsibility to access these broadcasts and forward our invitations to the relevant colleagues within your organisation. 
1. Meet the Buyer event and Q&A session
The Department will be hosting a Webinar and Question & Answer Session via Microsoft Teams on the dates below:
25 August 2026, 11:00 till 12:00 (deadline to register 21 August 17:00)
During this event, DfE personnel involved in the project will outline our requirements, the indicative timeline and our procurement approach. The session will provide interested organisations with an opportunity to learn more about the SGB programme and ask questions to inform future planning and potential procurement activity. The DfE will send out our final invitation message on the 24th of August. It is your responsibility to access these messages and forward the invitations to your relevant colleagues.
2. Market Engagement Questionnaire
Following our market engagement Webinar and Question & Answer Session, the DfE will share a market engagement pack and questionnaire to attendees. Responses will be used to inform the programme design and procurement approach. 
Accordingly, the Department will not be liable for any bid costs, expenditure, work or effort incurred by any organisation acting on the basis of this Prior Information Notice.
All information included in this notice is indicative, subject to change, and is neither exhaustive nor binding. The Authority reserves the right to amend these details at its discretion at any time.
To ensure transparency and equal access to information, the Department intends to publish and share a summary of questions raised during the event, together with responses, with all potential suppliers.
All dates and times for this procurement will be in British Summer Time or Greenwich Mean Time, as applicable under the United Kingdom calendar.
About the buyer 
Address 
Department for Education 
Sanctuary Buildings 
Great Smith Street 
LONDON 
SW1P 3BT 
England 
Email 
EducationEstates.COMMERCIAL@education.gov.uk

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077889-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Works |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 14 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 4 Jan 2027 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Mar 2027 - 28 Feb 2030 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £20,000,000 |
| 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 |
| Postcode area | 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

- 32 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment
- 45 - Construction work
- 50 - Repair and maintenance services
- 64 - Postal and telecommunications services
- 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

### Codes

- 32000000 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment
- 32400000 - Networks
- 32420000 - Network equipment
- 32430000 - Wide area network
- 45000000 - Construction work
- 50334400 - Communications system maintenance services
- 64200000 - Telecommunications services
- 64210000 - Telephone and data transmission services
- 72720000 - Wide area network services

## Release History

- 14 Aug 2026 at 19:08 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077889-2026
- 14 Aug 2026 at 18:06 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077884-2026
- 14 Aug 2026 at 18:05 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077882-2026
- 14 Aug 2026 at 18:02 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077881-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077889-2026
  14th August 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077884-2026
  14th August 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077882-2026
  14th August 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077881-2026
  14th August 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6989dec6d3f57710b50a9bd9/Education_estates_strategy_accessible_version.pdf
- https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-digital-and-technology-standards-in-schools-and-colleges/broadband-internet-core-standard
- 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-06e519. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e519.json.