---
title: "Reception Early Language Monitoring and CSCOT Observation Programme"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078839"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078839"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078839.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078839.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Department for Education"
published: "2026-10-22"
---

# Reception Early Language Monitoring and CSCOT Observation Programme

Buyer: Department for Education  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078839

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[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078839.json)

## Summary

The Department for Education commissioned an integrated programme to monitor early language in Reception classes through the English Hubs programme. It uses the Communication Supporting Classroom Observation Tool (CSCOT) and covers coordinating classroom observations, training and quality-assuring observers, managing programme data, providing access to past and future CSCOT datasets, and delivering reporting and analysis. Programme governance and coordination are also included. The work is education and training services, delivered through classroom observations in schools participating in the English Hubs programme. The requirement brings together the observation activity and the supporting platform, data, training and analysis into one service.

The procurement is complete and the contract was awarded to I CAN Charity, trading as Speech and Language UK, by direct award. The award is valued at £534,427 excluding VAT (£641,312.40 including VAT). The contract period runs from 2 November 2026 to 31 March 2029, with an option to extend by up to 12 months, to 31 March 2030. Annual break clauses apply. The Department selected a direct award under the Procurement Act 2023, citing exclusive rights and technical reasons: its assessment found no alternative supplier able to provide the complete integrated service through a single model. The opportunity was presented as one lot, with suitability indicated for SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises. The published award records a pending status.

For suppliers considering comparable future work for the Department for Education, this award shows demand for a joined-up early-language monitoring service, rather than classroom observation alone. A credible provider would need to coordinate observations across schools, recruit and train observers, assure observation quality, and manage programme data securely and reliably. The key differentiators are the ability to operate or provide access to the CSCOT digital platform, maintain access to historical and future datasets, and deliver reporting and analytical functions alongside programme governance and national coordination. The Department’s rationale indicates that these elements were treated as an integrated requirement, with platform ownership and operation, datasets, training and accreditation arrangements, and coordination central to the selected supplier’s position. SMEs and social enterprises were considered suitable to participate, but the required breadth of capability favours suppliers able to deliver the full service model.

## Notice

The Department for Education intends to directly award a contract to Speech and Language UK for the provision of the Reception Early Language Monitoring and CSCOT Observation Programme. The requirement is for the provision of integrated services to support Reception early language monitoring within the English Hubs programme. The service will utilise the Communication Supporting Classroom Observation Tool (CSCOT) and include: * Access to the CSCOT digital platform * Delivery and coordination of CSCOT observations * Observer training and quality assurance * Data collection, storage and management * Access to historical and future CSCOT datasets * Reporting and analytical functionality * Programme governance and coordination arrangements Contract Arrangements: * Initial term: 3 years * Extension option: Up to 12 months * Break clauses: Annual break clauses * Maximum term: 4 years (3 + 1)

### Procurement Information

The Department has undertaken a market assessment and concluded that while alternative organisations may be capable of undertaking classroom observations, no alternative supplier was identified that could provide the Department's complete integrated requirement. Speech and Language UK is currently the only identified supplier able to combine ownership and operation of the digital CSCOT platform, access to historical and future datasets, reporting functionality, observer training and accreditation arrangements, and national programme coordination. The direct award is made pursuant to Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 on the grounds of exclusive rights and technical reasons, as no reasonable alternative supplier has been identified that can provide the Department's complete integrated requirement through a single service model.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099875-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 22 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 3 Sep 2026 |
| Contract period | 2 Nov 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £534,427 |
| 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 | 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 |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | ICAN CHARITY |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 80 - Education and training services

### Codes

- 80000000 - Education and training services

## Release History

- 22 Oct 2026 at 11:13 - AwardUpdate - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099875-2026
- 22 Oct 2026 at 11:07 - AwardUpdate - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099866-2026
- 15 Oct 2026 at 12:47 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097451-2026
- 15 Oct 2026 at 12:06 - AwardUpdate - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097421-2026
- 15 Oct 2026 at 10:37 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097329-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099875-2026
  22nd October 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099866-2026
  22nd October 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097451-2026
  15th October 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097421-2026
  15th October 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097329-2026
  15th October 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://speechandlanguage.org.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-078839. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078839.json.