Department of Education seeks consultants for a Regenerative School Pilot project

The Department for Education has launched their search for an “academic assurance partner” to work with an innovation lead in the delivery of a £33m pilot of ultra-low-carbon schools – together they will research, develop and deliver six standard designs as part of the 10-year plan for the Education Estate. This will see the creation of a number of single and dual buildings for school sites, alongside interventions to support biodiversity and improvements to existing buildings.

As part of the Regenerative Schools Programme, the pilot scheme will test “new solutions, technologies and construction methods... prioritise regenerative approaches looking at a wide range of outcomes from energy storage to bio-based construction materials, such as timber and working closely with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on the Timber in Construction Road Map.” 

Following outreach and engagement in March 2026, DfE are now prepared to select the academic assurance partner to complement the innovation lead.

The Academic Assurance Partner will complement the Innovation Lead’s technical work by focusing on the social, educational, and behavioural dimensions of the programme, using "research capabilities and academic expertise related to ultra-low-carbon materials to advise the Department and Innovation Lead". The role begins with the creation of a school‑ready engagement toolkit and the delivery of inclusive engagement across the participating regions. 

As projects move into delivery and buildings begin to be used, the Academic Assurance Partner will lead a structured programme of post‑occupancy evaluation, bringing together qualitative and quantitative evidence to understand how the new and refurbished environments perform in practice. The partner will evaluate air quality, temperature, acoustics, educational impact and wellbeing. All findings should be identified in reports and case studies.

Submissions should be made via the DfE e-tendering portal (Jaggaer) only: education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html