SEND Reform Investments Evaluation - Market Engagement Information

The Department for Education is considering commissioning an independent evaluation of key SEND reform investments designed to strengthen inclusion in mainstream settings and improve support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The Department is exploring a single contract comprising three interconnected evaluation components: - An overarching SEND Reform Investments Evaluation - An evaluation of Experts at Hand (EaH) - An evaluation of the Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF)

The evaluation will assess the extent to which these investments are building workforce capability, inclusive practice, local system capacity and partnerships needed to support future phases of SEND reform. The overarching evaluation will synthesise evidence across a range of SEND reform programmes to understand whether the initial investment period is creating the conditions necessary for successful implementation of a reformed SEND system from 2029/30 onwards.

The Department is interested in engaging with potential suppliers to discuss the feasibility, design and delivery of evaluations of this scale and complexity. We anticipate suppliers will require expertise in mixed-methods research, large-scale programme evaluation, and research involving children and young people with SEND, families, education settings and local authorities.

Consortium and subcontracting arrangements may be appropriate where they bring together complementary expertise.

We welcome engagement from all interested suppliers, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs).

The project is anticipated to run from early 2027 to late 2029.

A maximum indicative budget of approximately £2.5 million is anticipated.

Procurement Route and Registration Requirements Should a procurement proceed, it is expected to be conducted through the Government Commercial Agency's RM6126 Research & Insights Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). Suppliers wishing to participate in any future call-off competition must ensure they are registered on RM6126 in sufficient time before the competition is launched. Information on DPS registration can be found via the RM6126 Supplier Registration Service. Any future competition is also expected to be managed through the Department for Education's Jaggaer e-tendering portal. Suppliers should ensure they are registered on Jaggaer in advance to receive procurement documents, submit clarification questions and submit tender responses. Information on Jaggaer registration can be found in the links

Additional information: Market Engagement Events We will be hosting two online market engagement webinars via Microsoft Teams. Both sessions will cover the same content and there is no requirement to attend both. - Monday 19 October 2026, 11:00 to 12:00 - Monday 19 October 2026, 14:00 to 15:00 The sessions will provide an overview of the proposed requirement and offer suppliers an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback to help inform the Department's approach. To attend, please register using the links provided in this notice. Joining instructions will be issued following registration. Please note: These sessions are for market engagement purposes only and are intended to gather supplier feedback and inform the Department's approach. They do not represent a guaranteed or confirmed procurement opportunity, invitation to tender or call for competition. Attendance at market engagement events will not be a pre-condition for participation in any future procurement. Anticipated call-off competition launch: November 2026 (indicative only and subject to change).