Award of Centre for Excellence in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) 2025

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) is awarding a contract for a Centre for Excellence in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) - Theme of 'People' following a competitive tender process. The Centre of Excellence will design and deliver CPD based on the theme for leaders, managers and practitioners who wish to put learners with SEND at the centre of their organisation, resulting in learners achieving the outcomes they aspire to.

The Centre will have national reach across England. Working closely with ETF and SEND Employer Spokes, this Centre for Excellence will design and deliver live online events, Communities of Practice sessions and complete Peer Reviews focused on developing a whole organisational approach to SEND.

This will result in learners achieving the outcomes they aspire to. Preparation for Adulthood is a key priority for the Centre.

It will offer a specialism in the theme of 'People' and will have equal parity, providing peer to peer support and sharing effective practice to the existing Centres of Excellence, Employer Spokes and the FE sector. The ETF took a sector led approach to recruit FE providers who have been graded 'Good' or 'Outstanding' from Ofsted and/ or Care Quality Commission (CQC) for SEND provision.

Following a thorough evaluation process, it was decided to award a contract for the theme of 'People' only. The theme of 'Careers' will not be awarded as originally anticipated.

In the interest of transparency and fairness, ETF are observing a voluntary standstill period ending on the 15th August 2025. During this period, ETF will not enter into the contract, allowing time for any potential concerns to be raised.

The award decision remains subject to the conclusion of this standstill period and no legal proceedings being initiated. ETF may consider a direct award contract for the theme of 'Careers' following the standstill period, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Procurement Act 2023, including any applicable direct award justifications under Schedule 5.