The new academic year is underway and September is always a natural new beginning in education. New pupils arrive, priorities are refreshed and leadership teams look ahead to the year ahead.
But if your school or Multi-Academy Trust is considering changing an outsourced catering, cleaning or wider support services contract for September 2027, waiting until the new year to think about it could leave you with less time – and fewer options – than you realise.
The tender cycle starts much earlier than many schools expect.
September: the starting point, not the starting line
September is often the preferred time for a new outsourced contract to begin. It aligns with the academic year and provides a natural opportunity to introduce a new provider, service model or set of performance expectations with minimal disruption to pupils and staff.
But a successful September mobilisation depends on decisions made months earlier.
A well-run tender isn’t simply a case of writing a specification, sending it to suppliers and choosing a winner. It can involve reviewing the current contract and service performance, gathering accurate financial and operational data, understanding staffing and TUPE requirements, developing a clear specification, running a compliant procurement process, evaluating bids, securing approvals and allowing enough time for mobilisation.
That means the question shouldn’t be: When should we go out to tender?
It should be: When should we start preparing to go out to tender?
Working backwards from September
We generally recommend working backwards from the intended contract start date.
For a September start, March is the cut-off point for going to market. Ideally, a contract should be awarded by late May or early June at the latest, leaving sufficient time for mobilisation over the summer. That means the work to get to that point needs to begin well before March.
For schools and Trusts considering their options for September 2027, the autumn term is therefore an important planning window.
September – December: review and plan
This is the time to take stock.
Is your current contract delivering what was originally intended? Are service levels, costs and KPIs still appropriate? Has your school or Trust changed significantly since the contract was awarded?
For growing Trusts in particular, inherited contracts can create a complex picture, with different providers, pricing structures, contract end dates and service specifications across schools.
It’s also worth considering whether a tender is actually the right answer. In some cases, benchmarking or a structured contract review can identify opportunities to improve value and performance without immediately going to market.
January: move from review to action
By the spring term, schools and Trusts should have a clear view of their options.
If a September change is required, this is the point at which procurement planning should be well underway. The earlier you act, the more opportunity you have to properly define your requirements, engage with the market and build a process that focuses on the outcomes you want – rather than simply racing towards a contract expiry date.
March: go to market
For a September start, March is the critical deadline. Going to market by this point allows sufficient time for bidders to respond, proposals to be evaluated, governance and approvals to be completed and the successful provider to prepare for mobilisation.
Leave it much later and the pressure increases. A compressed tender process can reduce supplier engagement and competitive tension, while leaving less time for due diligence, evaluation and mobilisation. The risk is that schools end up extending an incumbent contract simply because there isn’t enough time to run the process properly.
The Inspire Multi Academy Trust acted early
The experience of The Inspire Multi Academy Trust (TIMAT) demonstrates the value of acting early. Facing the withdrawal of its existing local authority catering provider, the Trust brought its procurement process forward to get ahead of anticipated pressure on the regional catering market.
We released the tender to market in January 2026, helping the Trust secure strong supplier competition and sufficient time for mobilisation.
Don’t wait for the contract expiry date
One of the biggest mistakes schools and Trusts can make is treating the contract end date as the point at which procurement planning begins. By then, it may already be too late.
Instead, contract expiry should be the end point of a much longer strategic process. Although September 2027 might feel a long way away, for schools and Trusts considering a new outsourced contract, the tender cycle is already beginning.
If your school or MAT is planning a new contract for the next academic year, get in touch with us here and find out how we can support you through every stage of the tender process.
The Litmus team
