SMART PROCUREMENT STRATEGIES
Procurement with purpose: what the Procurement Act 2023 means for SEND provision
MICHELLE WALKER, Director of Procurement at YPO, shares her insights. Procurement Act 2023.
Understanding procurement and using it effectively has never been more important than in the context of SEND provision, where there is a need for real value.
A
year into operating under the Procurement Act 2023, schools and multi-academy trusts are beginning to see what this translates to in day-to-day practice. For many leaders, the focus has rightly been less about the minutiae of legal terminology and more about how procurement can support better outcomes for pupils.
The pressures related to SEND provision are clear and well-documented. Demand continues to rise, needs are becoming more complex, and budgets remain tight. Schools are commissioning everything from speech and language therapy and occupational therapy to specialist transport, assistive technology, alternative provision and building adaptations. To add further potential complexity, at the time of writing (pre-publication of the long- awaited government education white paper), the responsibilities for SEND purchasing could still change, meaning brand new requirements and remits for schools and MATs. Procurement law cannot solve structural challenges, but a better understanding of it can help shape how schools access services, structure spending and secure value for money.
Better procurement won’t solve every challenge across education, but it can make it easier to commission the right support. As the government progresses SEND reform and educators face difficult budget decisions, it’s important for the sector to understand the potential benefits and challenges posed by the
32
www.education-today.co.uk
A broader understanding of value One of the most important shifts under the Procurement Act 2023 is the emphasis on delivering value for money, while also maximising public benefit and transparency. For educators purchasing for SEND provision, this social value factor matters.
For example, when a MAT is commissioning peripatetic speech and language therapists across several schools, or putting in place a contract for one-to-one specialist support assistants through an agency, the cheapest option may not always be the best one. Quality, safeguarding culture, supervision arrangements, and staff continuity can have a direct impact on pupil progress and wellbeing. The Act allows contracting authorities to reflect outcome-linked quality factors like this in their evaluation models, provided they are clearly connected to the service being procured. That gives schools and trusts greater confidence to weigh factors such as mobilisation speed, staff qualifications, clinical supervision structures, incident reporting procedures or accessibility features when awarding contracts.
Value in SEND is not just about price per hour. It is about the impact of that hour.
March 2026
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
