How to win: Mandarin Programme (2027 onwards)

A services contract from Department for Education. Below: what it involves and how to write a winning bid for it.

Buyer

Department for Education

About this contract

The Mandarin Excellence Programme runs until 31 August 2027, and the Department will be seeking to award a contract from 1 September 2027 for delivery of a programme to support the teaching of Mandarin in state-funded schools in England. Preliminary Market Engagement is being undertaken to inform and refine the Department's requirements as it considers options for a programme to support the teaching of Mandarin in state-funded schools in England. This engagement is intended to support the development of a programme that is deliverable, value for money, and responsive to the needs of the education sector, while encouraging innovation and effective competition within the supplier market. This is a zero-value notice for early market engagement and is not a call for competition. The Department for Education reserves the right not to enter a formal procurement process and not proceed with contract award.

How to win contracts like this

✓Answer against the marking scheme, not the question text — Department for Education scores each response, so map your evidence to the published criteria and weightings.
✓Lead with evidenced capability and social value — for services work these usually outweigh price.
✓Show recent, comparable delivery: name similar services contracts you've delivered for public bodies, with measurable outcomes.
✓Start early: deadlines are tight and a strong bid takes iteration.

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