Early Years (EY) Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Provision of Phase 2 Materials and Training

Value range: Up to £27,600,000 inclusive of VAT.

Following the EY SEND CPD Market Engagement in March 2026, the Department launches this deliverable in response to commitments in the 'Every child achieving and thriving' white paper which detailed a series of reforms of the SEND system, including the need for high-quality SEND CPD and the Best Start in Life strategy which commits to making inclusive practice standard practice in the early years.

The Department is looking to procure the development and delivery of a package of new, national, comprehensive continuous professional development (CPD) for all Early Years Practitioners (EYPs) on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) training materials. Phased delivery of this new training package should start from September 2027

The training should be specific to SEND in early years only, specifically ages 0-4.

It should be available and applicable to all early years practitioners, regardless of qualification level or setting type (Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVIs), school-based nurseries, childminders etc.) and meet government accessibility standards.

This procurement will be phase 2 of a programme to improve SEND capability and inclusive practice in EY settings. Phase 1 is being procured for separately and will be in place from September 2026.

The supplier will provide Phase 2 of the programme that will include:

• A suite of online modules, available to all EYPs and accessible for professionals in the wider EY sector (Best Start Inclusion Practitioners (BSIPs) within Best Start Family Hubs (BSFH), health visitors, Reception teachers, etc.);
• Interactive, online webinars centred on the online modules, designed to enhance learning and embed inclusive practice, available to all EYPs with some webinars targeted at specific groups (e.g. childminders, leaders);
• A face to face local support offer to share best practice and strengthen local networks.