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How to win school and academy trust contracts

Schools, academy trusts and colleges buy cleaning, catering, building works, grounds maintenance, IT and transport, often from local firms. Here is how they buy, and what makes a small firm's bid stand out.

The short version: school tenders are busy (a median of five bids, and only about one in eight gets two or fewer), so a generic bid rarely wins. Trusts are now told to look at the Department for Education's own frameworks first. Smaller jobs often go by quotes, and every firm on site has to fit the school's safeguarding rules.

1. Where school contracts are advertised

Academy trusts are contracting authorities under the Procurement Act, so their larger contracts appear on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder like any other public body's. Colleges, dioceses' education trusts and local authority schools advertise there too. Every school and college tender open now is listed here, of any size, because many aren't marked as suitable for small firms.

Multi-academy trusts often tender for several schools at once, sometimes split into lots by school or area. A lot for one or two schools near you can be a better fit than the whole trust.

2. Trusts must consider the DfE's frameworks first

The Academy Trust Handbook in force from 1 October 2026 asks trusts to consider the Department for Education's recommended frameworks and buying services (the "Get help buying for schools" service) before buying another way, and to record their reasons if they don't use them. For some categories, such as energy and agency supply staff, the push is stronger still. If your trade is covered by one of those frameworks, getting onto it when it reopens may matter more than any single school tender.

3. Smaller jobs go by quotes

Below the Procurement Act thresholds, each trust follows its own procurement policy: typically a single quote for small purchases, three quotes for mid-sized ones, and a formal tender above a set value. The bands vary from trust to trust. Many trusts publish their procurement policy on their website, and the business manager is usually the person who asks for quotes. Being known to them before the work comes up is worth a lot.

4. School tenders are busy

Across 299 school and college open competitions with awards published June to October 2026, the median drew five bids, and only 12% drew two or fewer (against 26% across the public sector). Expect competition, especially for cleaning and catering. The figures and the method.

5. Safeguarding and timing come first

Safeguarding. Schools must check that contractors working on site are safe to be around children. Say how your staff are vetted (DBS checks where needed), supervised and identified on site.
Working around the school day. Building and maintenance work is often planned for holidays, and cleaning happens early or late. Show that your programme fits the term dates.
Local evidence. Previous work in schools, nurseries or similar settings counts for a lot. Name it, with a reference if you can.
Social value. Trusts increasingly score it. Local jobs, work experience and apprenticeships fit schools well. How to answer social value questions.

Watch the stages. Academy trust tenders often run in stages, with a questionnaire well before the final deadline. How the stages work, and why the documents matter more than the notice.

Found a school tender that might suit you? Send me the link. I'll tell you what it asks for, who holds the work now and whether it's worth your time. It's free. How bid help works.

Email [email protected] · School tenders open now · Go/no-go checklist

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change: always read the tender documents, the trust's procurement policy and the current Academy Trust Handbook.