Invitation to tender published for National Delivery Partner for new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network
The tender notice for procurement of a National Delivery Partner for the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network has now gone live, marking the next important step in the development of a new national approach to supporting schools with PE, physical activity and school sport.
The National Delivery Partner will be responsible for working with schools and local and regional partners to understand need, target support where it can have the greatest impact, and help address barriers to participation for children and young people who are currently less active.
The Partnerships Network will focus on reducing inequalities in access and participation and improving the quality and consistency of PE and school sport for all children. It will provide flexible local support, help schools to protect two hours of PE weekly, and strengthen school-to-club links through peer-to-peer learning and co-ordinated CPD, creating a more equitable, sustainable system for physical activity and sport in schools.
Partnership Network Outcomes
The tender notes the below as the core outcome aims for the Partnership Network:
-
Increase physical activity levels by reducing the proportion of pupils across Years 1-11 who are classed as "less active" by 2028; reducing the proportion of children and young people engaging in less than 30 minutes of physical activity per day and increasing the proportion of children and young people achieving 60 minutes of physical activity per day.
-
Reduce inequalities in access to and participation in sports and physical activity by reducing proportion of "less active" pupils across Years 1-11 with 2 or more inequalities characteristics by 2028. This includes children and young people with SEND, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, girls, pupils from Black, Asian and other ethnicities and other underrepresented groups.
-
Increase proportion of pupils (by end of Year 6) who can swim 25m unaided by 2028.
The specification describes an indicative total programme funding envelope of approximately £513 million, covering the management and operation of the Network, commissioned school-facing services and grant funding.
What happens next?
The Department for Education expects to announce the outcome of the procurement in late November 2026, with contract signature and mobilisation beginning in December. Early delivery and support for schools is expected to begin from April 2027.
During the transition, schools will continue to receive support as the current Primary PE and Sport Premium arrangements are phased out and the new Network is introduced. The Department for Education has now confirmed £150m of transitional PE and sport premium funding for primary schools in 2026/27, an increase on the £100m announced in May, to provide greater continuity and support a smoother transition.
Youth Sport Trust, the Association for Physical Education and the Active Partnerships National Organisation welcome the publication of the tender as an important step towards providing greater clarity about the future landscape of PE and School Sport. We remain committed to working collaboratively together and with sector partners to support a smooth transition and ensure the voices of schools, young people and the wider PE and school sport community continue to inform the development of this new approach.