Contracts Finder notice
Provision of Books and Reading Materials for Secondary School
Authority: Department for Education
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionAs part of the National Year of Reading, the Department for Education (DfE) is providing £ 5milllion to eligible secondary schools in England to purchase books and reading materials to encourage reading for pleasure and support literacy outcomes.
The contract has been awarded to A T Little & Sons Ltd T/A Browns Books for the provision of books, reading materials and associated services, including an online ordering platform, order fulfilment , delivery , spend management and management information reporting. Eligible schools will be able to purchase books and reading materials up to their allocated funding value.
This contract was awarded following a further competition under the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium (SUPC) Framework Agreement LIB4061SU, Lot 1
Published procurement details
- Procedure
- Call-off from a framework agreement
- Buyer reference
- tender_525575/1605309
- Category
- Services
- Tender status
- Complete
- Award status
- Active
- Suitable for SMEs
- Yes
- Suitable for voluntary, community and social enterprises
- No
- Tender deadline
- Procurement method
- Selective
- Additional classifications 1: Reference
- 22110000
- Additional classifications 1: Scheme
- CPV
- Additional classifications 1: Description
- Printed books
- Additional classifications 2: Reference
- 22113000
- Additional classifications 2: Scheme
- CPV
- Additional classifications 2: Description
- Library books
- Additional classifications 3: Reference
- 22114000
- Additional classifications 3: Scheme
- CPV
- Additional classifications 3: Description
- Dictionaries, maps, music books and other books
- Item 1: Delivery locations as published
North East, United Kingdom; North West, United Kingdom; Yorkshire and the Humber, United Kingdom; East Midlands, United Kingdom; West Midlands, United Kingdom; East of England, United Kingdom; London, United Kingdom; South East, United Kingdom; South West, United Kingdom
Key dates
Published dates- Award decision20 Aug 2026
- Contract starts20 Aug 2026
- Notice published2 Sept 2026
- Contract ends31 Mar 2027
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
- Department for EducationContracting authority
Suppliers named on the notice
- BROWNS BOOKSSupplier
- Voluntary, community or social enterprise
- No
- Business size
- SME
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
Source record
- Source
- Contracts Finder
- Notice language
- en
- Release reference
- ocds-b5fd17-b0b151d8-f17f-420f-8e03-02271ac7f888-2026-09-02T12:40:57+01:00
- Published
- 2 Sept 2026
- Latest update
- 2 Sept 2026
- Procedure reference
- ocds-b5fd17-b0b151d8-f17f-420f-8e03-02271ac7f888
- Contract reference
- ocds-b5fd17-b0b151d8-f17f-420f-8e03-02271ac7f888-1