Awarded contract

DE – CURRICULUM REFORM – IMPROVING LITERACY IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Details

Buyer: Department for Education
Supplier(s): RM Literacy Ltd
Value: £152,000
Duration: 3 years
Topic: Education and training services
Published: 9 February 2026
Source: uk:find_a_tender

Tender description

Literacy provision in Northern Ireland primary schools currently varies widely, with no system wide standardised approach to early reading instruction. Although the curriculum provides support and schools implement their own interventions, significant attainment gaps persist, particularly in Communication at Key Stage 2. This research project is designed to address these gaps by evaluating the impact of a structured synthetic phonics programme, Read Write Inc., across a stratified and representative sample of schools. The aim is to generate robust, generalisable evidence to inform the new literacy strategy and curriculum reform. This initiative forms a core component of the Department’s TransformED programme and directly supports the Minister’s priorities for raising literacy outcomes system wide. ## Contract award Title: DAC 84/25 – DE – CURRICULUM REFORM – IMPROVING LITERACY IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Timeline

Completed: Award published9 February 2026
Current notice
Completed: Award date9 February 2026
Next: Contract expiry date5 March 2029in 2 years

About the buyer

The Department for Education is a ministerial department responsible for children's services and education policy in England, procuring both for itself and its executive agencies. Requirements are advertised on the Find a Tender service, published through the department's Jaggaer etendering system. Suppliers awarded a contract must register on the Central Digital Platform. Framework purchases follow the matching Crown Commercial Service terms. Many contracts are let on standard government terms, such as Cabinet Office short-form or model services agreements. Schools and academy trusts buy separately, using framework options the department reviews and approves in advance.

Procurement spend from central entities makes up 66% of overall UK public spend.

Over the past 5 years, most of the Department for Education's contract awards have been in business services, construction work and education and training.

Relevant CPV codes

80000000 · Education and training services

Decision makers

Connect with the people behind this procurement.

Job title	Phone number	Work email
Head of Procurement	+44 •••• ••••••	••••••••@department-for-education.gov
Commercial Director	+44 •••• ••••••	••••••••@department-for-education.gov
Procurement Manager	+44 •••• ••••••	••••••••@department-for-education.gov
Category Lead	+44 •••• ••••••	••••••••@department-for-education.gov
Senior Buyer	+44 •••• ••••••	••••••••@department-for-education.gov
Contracts Manager	+44 •••• ••••••	••••••••@department-for-education.gov