Procurement of a Framework Agreement of Suppliers to provide Initial Teacher Training Early Career Framework (ITTECF) from September 2025

The Early Career Framework (ECF) reforms were rolled out nationally in September 2021 entitling all Early Career Teachers (ECTs) in England to access high quality professional development for the first two years of their career. All head teachers whose schools offer statutory induction are required to provide an induction training programme for their ECTs and schools can choose to offer provider-led or school-led training. From September 2025, the induction training programme for ECTs is expected to be based on the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF). The ITTECF sets out what both trainee teachers, and ECTs are entitled to learn about and learn how to do when they start their careers. Please refer to https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-and-early-career-framework. The Department (the "Authority") is seeking to appoint Supplier(s) to a framework agreement ("Framework Agreement”) to provide ITTECF-based training for ECTs and mentors from 2025. Successful tenderers in the Procurement will design and deliver a 2-year training programme for ECTs and a 1-year training programme for Mentors that choose to undertake their training with providers contracted to the Department. Suppliers will become part of the group of 'Lead Providers' that deliver a range of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) to new and existing teachers and leaders in the school sector. Suppliers to the Framework Agreement will deliver ITTECF-Based Training to ECTs and Mentors alongside the National Institute of Teaching who are contracted to the Department via their own framework agreement to deliver a range of teacher recruitment and development services. Subject to the procurement process, the Framework Agreement is anticipated to commence in Autumn/Winter 2024 and last for a duration of 4 years. The Department anticipates awarding a number of call-off contracts under the Framework Agreement with the first being for the set up and delivery of the 2025 Cohort which will commence no later than September 2025. All call off contracts are subject to the terms of the procurement and the Framework Agreement. Call-off contracts will last for a period of 40 (forty) months but subject to extension provisions to accommodate service delivery to non-standard inductions. The services that are the subject of this procurement are governed by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (the "Regulations") Chapter 3, Section 7 (Social and other specific services); the so called "Light Touch Regime". The Department is managing this Procurement as an open tendering procedure as set out and described in the Procurement Documents. The Department is only bound by the application of the Regulations to the extent that they are applicable to Schedule 3 services.