Hardware - Education & Pupil Devices

The contract relates to the provision of laptops and tablets in order to meet Department for Education's requirement for disadvantaged children across England to receive devices as part of an initiative to make remote education and social care services accessible for pupils staying at home during the coronavirus outbreak. Devices will be ordered for children who are preparing for exams (Year 10), who are care leavers, and who receive support from a social worker.

Additional information: The COVID-19 outbreak has given rise to an urgent need for the supply of the services described above. The urgency arises out of the specific and unique prevailing circumstances in relation to, and caused by, the outbreak, including the need to secure the delivery of access to educational resources and communication with social workers and carers as soon as possible given the impact of the extended lockdown period and closure of schools on certain groups of vulnerable and disadvantaged young people.

This does not give the Department for Education sufficient time to comply with the time limits for the open or restricted procedures or competitive procedures with negotiation for this procurement. Accordingly, the Department for Education used the negotiated procedure without prior publication permitted under the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (regulation 32(2)(c)) in respect of this procurement.