Regenerative Schools Pilot - Innovation Lead

As part of the Regenerative Schools Programme, the Department intends to award two separate contracts for the Innovation Lead and Academic Adviser roles. These organisations will produce feasibility studies, research the building materials and techniques required to produce ultra-low-carbon school buildings and develop 6 standard designs. In March 2027, the Department plans to appoint a contractor to deliver the works, using the materials and methods specified by the Innovation Lead and Academic Adviser. This Contract Award Notice is for the Innovation Lead.

The Innovation Lead

The Innovation Lead will serve as the Department’s primary technical partner, guiding the programme from its earliest feasibility work through to the delivery of completed buildings. This work will include developing an understanding of each school site, identifying opportunities for nature-led retrofit, and delivering 6 standardised concept designs for new single and dual external classroom pods, ultra-low-carbon buildings that meet demanding embodied carbon targets. The Innovation Lead will explore and develop a range of regenerative material strategies, produce clear and accessible design material, and provide the technical direction needed to ensure that the Department’s ambitions for low embodied carbon, buildability and replicability are embedded from the outset.

As the programme moves from concept into development, the Innovation Lead will take on a client-side assurance role, overseeing the Contractor’s design under the Pre-Contract Services Agreement and ensuring alignment with carbon targets, safety standards, and the Department’s technical requirements. During the delivery phase, the Innovation Lead will provide project management and technical assurance, monitor the quality of off-site manufacture and on-site installation, support statutory compliance, and ensure that handover, commissioning, and early operation run smoothly. The Innovation Lead will also be responsible for producing technical guidance, case studies, and updated documentation so that learning from the programme can be scaled across the wider education estate.

Working with the Academic Adviser

The Innovation Lead and Academic Adviser are intended to operate in parallel, each with a distinct focus but with close coordination throughout. The Innovation Lead will ensure technical feasibility, safety, and low-carbon performance, while the Academic Adviser will ensure that the programme responds to the needs and experiences of the schools and communities involved. Together, the suppliers will provide the Department with the combined academic, social, and technical expertise required to develop a set of replicable, ultra-low-carbon solutions that are grounded in real-world school environments and capable of informing future national delivery.

The publication of this notice triggers the 8-working-day standstill period as defined in the Procurement Act 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, this standstill period ends on 1 October 2026.