Edvolve

The article is intended for School Leaders · Academy Trusts · Education Technology Professionals

The announcement forms part of the DfE's wider work to help schools and trusts make better use of their budgets, while addressing some of the challenges that can arise when selecting, managing and changing MIS providers. The new framework is intended to provide a clearer route for schools to procure MIS solutions, with particular attention being given to areas that have become increasingly important as education technology has evolved.

For schools, trusts and technology providers alike, it is an important development and one that will be worth watching as the framework takes shape.

What is the DfE looking to address?

The framework focuses on several areas that are familiar to anyone involved in selecting or managing school technology, including cloud-based MIS solutions, data ownership and portability, interoperability and APIs, transparent pricing, contract terms, and transition and exit arrangements. These are practical considerations rather than simply technical specifications.

Schools need to know where their data is held, how it can be accessed and transferred, how different systems can work together and what happens when a contract comes to an end. They also need clarity around pricing and contractual arrangements before committing to a platform that may become central to their day-to-day operations.

The DfE has also highlighted the importance of information flowing more effectively between schools, trusts, local authorities and national systems, with greater interoperability forming an important part of its wider ambitions for education data.

What will change from June 2027?

The DfE's current guidance indicates that the new MIS framework is expected to be established in June 2027, with schools moving towards using the framework for future MIS procurement.

For academy trusts, the position is now clearer, as the 2026 Academy Trust Handbook states that MIS contracts must be aligned with the DfE's MIS framework from September 2027 and that trusts must use the framework when awarding their next full-term MIS contract. Existing contracts are not expected to be broken simply to meet the new requirement, with transitional arrangements applying where contracts expire before September 2027.

For schools and trusts, that makes the coming year an important period for understanding what the framework will contain, which suppliers will be included and how the new procurement process will work in practice.

What could this mean for MIS providers?

The framework is also significant from the supplier side, as during its preliminary market engagement, the DfE specifically encouraged relevant organisations, including small and medium-sized enterprises, to participate. It also indicated that consideration would be given to consortia and collaborative bids, subject to the requirements of the eventual competitive procurement process.

That is encouraging for smaller and newer providers entering the MIS market, particularly because a framework can provide a recognised route to public sector buyers that may otherwise be more difficult for smaller companies to access. However, participation in the market engagement should not be confused with being accepted onto the future framework. The DfE made it clear that the preliminary engagement was intended to help refine its requirements and did not itself constitute the procurement process.

The eventual tender requirements, supplier selection process and framework structure will determine how accessible the opportunity is in practice. As with any public sector framework, suppliers will need to demonstrate that they can meet the required standards and provide the capability, security, support and contractual arrangements expected by the DfE. For smaller providers, the opportunity is therefore real, but so is the need to be prepared.

Could this create more choice?

That is one of the more interesting questions.

The DfE's intention is to create a more consistent and manageable procurement route, while giving schools access to approved MIS suppliers and addressing some of the contractual and data-related concerns that have surrounded the market. A well-designed framework could make it easier for schools to consider a wider range of suppliers rather than relying primarily on providers with the largest existing market presence.

At the same time, being included on a framework does not necessarily mean that smaller suppliers will suddenly have the same visibility or reach as established providers. Frameworks still require suppliers to meet defined requirements, while schools and trusts will continue to consider functionality, suitability, support, integration and value for money. The framework may therefore open the door to greater competition, but how open that door becomes will depend on how the framework is designed and how schools use it.

Interoperability matters

One of the areas we find particularly encouraging is the emphasis on interoperability. Schools rarely operate with one piece of technology and their MIS may need to work alongside communication tools, finance systems, learning platforms, safeguarding systems and other services used across the school or trust. The ability for systems to exchange information reliably and securely can therefore have a significant impact on the experience of both staff and school communities.

For technology providers, interoperability also means thinking beyond the boundaries of an individual product, where platforms need to be able to work within a wider education technology environment rather than expecting schools to organise that environment around one supplier.

This is an important principle for Edvolve. Our platform is designed with flexibility in mind, including the ability to work alongside other systems and services rather than treating the school technology environment as a closed ecosystem.

Will it make procurement easier?

It is too early to say, as the DfE has identified genuine challenges around MIS procurement, including the complexity of purchasing, contractual arrangements, data security and the process of moving between suppliers. The new framework is intended to provide a clearer purchasing route, reduce costs and legal risks, and make it easier for schools to manage the movement of data when changing systems.

There is also a practical question around how many suppliers will be available and how schools will compare them. A framework that provides greater choice could be valuable, but schools and trusts will still need to assess which solutions are appropriate for their particular circumstances. The MIS market includes organisations with very different requirements, from individual schools through to large multi-academy trusts, so a single procurement route will need to accommodate those differences. The framework can provide a route to procurement, but it cannot remove the need for schools to understand what they actually need from their MIS.

A positive step, with more to come

There is a lot to welcome in the direction the DfE is taking.

Greater transparency, clearer contract terms, better data portability and stronger interoperability are all positive developments for schools and for the wider education technology market. Making it easier for schools to understand their options and move between suppliers when their needs change could also encourage providers to remain focused on delivering value throughout the life of a contract.

For companies such as Edvolve, the opportunity is equally interesting. We are entering a market with established providers and well-known platforms, but also one that is changing as schools expect greater flexibility, better connectivity and clearer relationships with their technology suppliers.

The DfE's engagement with the supplier market, including its specific encouragement of SMEs, is a positive indication that a broad range of providers has a place in the conversation. Whether that translates into genuinely greater choice for schools will depend on the final framework and how it operates once schools begin using it.

The framework will not answer every question and it will take time to see how the procurement process works in practice. The detail of the framework, the suppliers included and the experience of schools using it will tell us much more. For now, it is a significant step in the development of school technology procurement and one that we will be following closely as Edvolve continues its own journey within the education technology sector.

Further reading

For the latest information on the DfE's MIS procurement requirements, schools and trusts should refer to the Department for Education's official guidance and the Academy Trust Handbook.

We have also found the wider sector commentary from WhichMIS and Schools Week useful in understanding the discussion around choice, procurement routes and the practical implications for schools.