---
title: "Payroll Services for Spencer Academies Trust"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078577"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078577"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078577.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078577.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "Spencer Academies Trust"
published: "2026-10-12"
---

# Payroll Services for Spencer Academies Trust

Buyer: Spencer Academies Trust  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078577

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[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078577.json)

## Summary

The Spencer Academies Trust plans to procure a fully managed payroll service for the Trust and its academies, covering around 3,000 employees. The service is expected to process monthly payroll, statutory deductions and payments, HMRC submissions and year-end work. It will also cover administration of Teachers’ Pension Scheme and Local Government Pension Scheme contributions, reporting, compliance support, employee and manager self-service, system maintenance, legislative updates and transition support. The buyer is based in Nottingham, and the service is for the Trust and its academies in the United Kingdom. This is a payroll management services requirement, combining routine payroll operations with pension administration, reporting and ongoing technical and compliance support.

This procurement is at the planning and preliminary market engagement stage; there is no invitation to tender yet. The Trust expects to publish a tender notice on 16 October 2026 and plans to use a Competitive Flexible Procedure. Its proposed process has a participation stage shortlisting up to five suppliers, an invitation to tender for those shortlisted, then a further shortlisting to up to two suppliers, followed by demonstrations and presentations. The buyer intends to award one contract to the supplier offering the most advantageous tender. The estimated value is £1,116,000 excluding VAT (£1,339,200 including VAT). The planned contract runs from 1 September 2027 to 31 August 2030, with a possible extension to 31 August 2032. Suppliers were invited to submit engagement comments and questions by 15 October 2026.

This requirement is likely to suit payroll providers able to deliver a secure, accurate managed service at the scale of approximately 3,000 employees across a multi-academy trust. Relevant strengths include monthly payroll processing, statutory and tax compliance, HMRC submissions, year-end processing, and administration of both teachers’ and local government pension schemes. Providers should be able to support employee and manager self-service, deliver management reporting, maintain systems and apply legislative changes, and manage service transition. The Trust is seeking a suitably qualified and experienced provider, so evidence of delivering compliant payroll services and handling complex public-sector payroll and pension requirements will be relevant preparation. The planned competition includes supplier demonstrations and presentations, and the buyer’s stated award basis is the most advantageous tender. SMEs are identified as suitable for the requirement.

## Notice

Spencer Academies Trust is seeking to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced provider to deliver a fully managed payroll service for the Trust and its academies. The contract will include the processing of monthly payroll for all employees, statutory deductions and payments, HMRC submissions, year-end processing, pension administration including Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) and Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), reporting, compliance support, and access to employee and manager self-service facilities. The successful provider will be required to deliver an accurate, secure and compliant payroll service for approximately 3,000 employees across the Trust, ensuring adherence to all relevant employment, payroll, tax and pension legislation. The service will include ongoing support, system maintenance, legislative updates, management reporting and transition services as required.

### Planning Information

Spencer Academies Trust is undertaking preliminary market engagement in advance of commencing a Competitive Flexible Procedure for the procurement of Payroll and Associated Services.
The purpose of this engagement is to inform the final specification, procurement strategy, evaluation methodology and contract requirements. Interested suppliers are invited to review the information provided and submit comments, observations and clarification questions to assist the Trust in refining its requirements.
Expressions of interest and clarification questions should be submitted by email via the Trust's tendering address no later than 15 October 2026. - Tenders@spencertrust.org.uk
Following completion of the preliminary market engagement, the Trust intends to publish a Tender Notice on 16 October 2026. The proposed procurement will include:
A participation stage, with up to five suppliers shortlisted.
An invitation to tender stage for shortlisted suppliers.
A further shortlisting exercise to identify up to two suppliers.
Supplier demonstrations and presentations.
Award of a single contract to the supplier submitting the Most Advantageous Tender.
No supplier will receive any advantage through participation in this engagement process, and all relevant information arising from the engagement will be made available to all bidders as part of the procurement process.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095999-2026 |
| 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 |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 12 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 17 Oct 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Sep 2027 - 1 Sep 2030 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £1,116,000 |
| 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 | Spencer Academies Trust |
| Locality | NOTTINGHAM |
| Postcode area | Nottingham |
| Postcode | NG9 6RZ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLF East Midlands (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLF1 Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire |
| ITL 3 | TLF16 South Nottinghamshire |
| Local authority | Broxtowe |
| Electoral ward | Toton & Chilwell Meadows |
| Westminster constituency | Broxtowe |
| Delivery location | TLF East Midlands (England) |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

### Codes

- 79211110 - Payroll management services

## Release History

- 12 Oct 2026 at 11:38 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095999-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095999-2026
  12th October 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- 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-078577. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078577.json.