Early Career Framework and National Professional Qualifications Framework 2022

The Department for Education (DfE) is seeking to appoint Providers to a national (England) multi-lot Framework Agreement relating to the National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) and Early Career Framework (ECF).

Delivering on the commitments set out in the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy, the Department is creating a world-class teacher development system by transforming the training and support teachers and school leaders receive at every stage of their career.

Early Career Framework

The Department is fully funding the national roll-out of the ECF reforms from September 2021, giving all early career teachers access to a two-year package of structured training and support linked to the best available research evidence. Making sure new teachers receive excellent support at the start of their careers and embedding the early career reforms nationwide are vital elements of the Department's education recovery strategy.

Procuring an additional ECF lead provider via Lot 1 will expand the choice of high-quality early career teacher training programmes available to schools in their local area and will ensure the market remains sustainable and resilient so future early career teachers will continue to be able to access this high-quality support.

National Professional Qualifications

Beyond the first few years of teaching, our priority is to help all teachers and school leaders to continuously develop their expertise throughout their careers so every child in every classroom in every school gets the best start in life. We have replaced the existing Middle Leadership National Professional Qualification (NPQ) with three new specialist NPQs to best address the broad range of responsibilities of current and aspiring middle leaders. The new suite of specialist NPQs (Lot 2), which will be available for teachers and leaders from November 2021, consist of NPQs in Leading Teaching, Leading Behaviour and Culture, and Leading Teacher Development. The suite of reformed NPQs also includes refreshed school leadership programmes covering the knowledge and skills that school leaders need for the future. The frameworks for these qualifications can be found at the link below.

As part of the Government's education recovery plan the Department have developed additional NPQs to ensure teachers and leaders have access to best possible training and support. These additional NPQs (Lot 3) consist of qualifications in Leading Early Years education and in Leading Literacy. In addition, we will continue to consult with sector representatives to ensure that the suite of NPQs remain responsive to the needs of teachers and leaders and have included a mechanism to launch further NPQs via Lot 4 of the Framework Agreement.

Additional information: The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 apply to this procurement (the "Regulations"). The Authority is using the Open Procedure in accordance with Regulation 27 of the Regulations. Services of the nature of those covered by this procurement are designated as "Schedule 3" Services (the Social and Other Specific Services) under the Regulations and as such are not subject to the full requirements of the Regulations. The Authority is only bound by the application of the Regulations to the extent that they are applicable to Schedule 3 services. The procurement is covered by Regulations 74 to 76 (the Light Touch Regime).

The procurement will be made up of 4 lots covering ECF and NPQ services:

- Lot 1 Early Career Framework - a single provider to design and deliver a Full Induction Programme for the national rollout of the ECF, as launched in 2021, from September 2022. - Lot 2 reformed suite of NPQs - multiple providers to design and deliver the six reformed NPQs launched in 2021, from September 2022. - Lot 3 NPQ for Early Years Leadership and NPQ for Leading Literacy - additional NPQs for the reformed suite - multiple providers to design and deliver the new, additional NPQs from September 2022. - Lot 4 Future Services - to design and deliver new and additional Services, including additions to the suite of NPQs to strengthen leadership across the sector, improve capacity and support teacher development objectives.

Educational establishments that meet with the criteria listed below will be entitled (but not obliged) to access the framework at any time during the Contract Period.

Academy 16 to 19 sponsor led Academy 16-19 converter Academy alternative provision converter Academy alternative provision sponsor led Academy converter Academy special converter Academy special sponsor led Academy sponsor led City technology college Community school Community special school Foundation school Foundation special school Free schools Free schools 16 to 19 Free schools alternative provision Free schools special Further education Local authority Local authority nursery school Non-maintained special school Pupil referral unit Secure units Service children's education Sixth form colleges/ sixth form centres Special post 16 institution Studio schools University technical college Voluntary aided school Voluntary controlled school British schools overseas Higher education institutions Independent schools Welsh establishment Offshore schools Other independent school Other independent special school Institution funded by other Government Department Other international schools*

Further information, including the ECF and NPQ service requirements, can be found within the tender documents available at https://education.app.jaggaer.com/