National Poetry Recitation Competition 2022-2025

The purpose of this Prior Information Notice (PIN) is to notify the market of a forthcoming opportunity to bid for a National Poetry Recitation Competition for primary and secondary schools in England and also, to notify the market that we intend to host an engagement event on 31st January 2022 to share details about this opportunity and collect any feedback, thoughts and questions about the competition. The contract is due to commence in September 2022. The length of the contract will be three years, finishing in September 2025. Poetry forms an important part of the National Curriculum for English at all key stages, as well as the specifications for English Literature GCSE and A Level English Literature. The Government wants to encourage schools to improve pupils’ knowledge and enjoyment of poetry and engagement in poetry recitation and recall. This, in turn, will help the overarching objectives of the Department to provide all pupils with a world class education, ensuring a rigorous academic curriculum and one that builds character and resilience and supports good mental health. Many schools will already teach poetry recitation, as part of a structured, knowledge-rich curriculum. Increasing opportunities to benefit from cultural capital, through a knowledge-rich curriculum, is particularly important for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Since 2012, the Department has funded a National Poetry Recitation Competition, which helps to develop and support inspiring poetry teaching in schools and to motivate pupils and teachers to explore our rich literary heritage. Pupils in Key Stages 2, 3, 4 and 5 choose poems from the online anthology covering 1,000 years of poetry and recite these in school-based competitions. The Department for Education is seeking a lead provider, consortium or similar entity to deliver the National Poetry Recitation Competition in the academic years 2022/23, 23/24 and 24/25, according to the following objectives: • To encourage and facilitate the registration and participation of schools in the competition, particularly state schools with high levels of pupils receiving pupil-premium funding and free school meals. • To curate an anthology of poems with accompanying information and context. • To produce and signpost to further resources to support the wider teaching of poetry, with the aim of improving teacher knowledge and confidence in the teaching of poetry. Indicative Dates for Procurement: Subject to internal clearances, we intend to publish the Invitation to Tender in March 2022. Contract award will take place around June 2022 with contract commencement in September 2022. The Department is managing this Procurement based upon the ‘Open’ tendering procedure as defined by the Public Contracts Regulation 2015 (Regulation 27). If your organisation is interested in attending this engagement event you must do so via the Department's e-tendering portal - Jaggaer: http://education.app.jaggaer.com