Early Years Mobile Apps - Pilot Exercise

Early Years Mobile Apps - Pilot Exercise

The Department for Education (DFE) has launched an accreditation process to identify high quality mobile/tablet apps, in support of a priority to reduce by half the proportion of children who do not achieve at least expected levels across all goals in the 'communication & language' and 'literacy' areas of learning at the end of reception year by 2028. Details of the accreditation process can located at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-apps-pilot-home-learning-environment

The DfE is planning to undertake a pilot exercise that will provide disadvantaged 2-4 year olds within 12 Local Authority free access to two selected apps, for the purpose of testing the take-up, usage and impact of the apps. It is expected that the pilot exercise will commence early 2020.

The DfE intends to select the two apps through procurement competition. The current intention is to commence the competition in October. The competition will be delivered in accordance with Regulation 74 of the Public Procurement Regulation 2015 and CPV code 80110000-8 (Pre-school education services).

To ensure alignment between the accreditation process and the selection of the two pilot apps, the award of the accreditation Quality Mark will be an essential technical requirement for participation in competition to be selected as one of the two pilot apps. Suppliers should therefore refer to the accreditation process at the link above if they wish to participate in the pilot apps competition.

Further updates regarding the procurement competition will provided on Contracts Finder in due course.