Strengthening the Teaching of Primary School Mathematics in Malawi

Concepts

• foreign economic aid
• malawi programme
• early grade numeracy teaching
• malawi
• primary school mathematics
• the malawi government
• the national mathematics curriculum reform
• the strengthening the teaching of primary school mathematics
• school
• teaching

Location

United Kingdom: Malawi

Description

The Roll Out and Institutionalization of the National Mathematics Curriculum Reform (NMCR) is a core component of the Maziko a Maphunziro (Foundations of Learning) Programme, a programme that aims at strengthening the quality of foundational education in Malawi. The UK is providing funding to support the Malawi government to improve the quality of early grade numeracy teaching, so all children are supported to learn more effectively.

Total Quantity or Scope

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) seeks to extend the contract for the Strengthening the Teaching of Primary School Mathematics in Malawi programme by 3.5 months, extending the remaining term from 12 December 2025 to 31 March 2026, and to increase the current contract value from £31.4 million to £38.2 million.

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 75211200 - Foreign economic-aid-related services

Legal Justification

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) seeks to extend the contract for the Strengthening the Teaching of Primary School Mathematics in Malawi programme by 3.5 months, extending the remaining term from December 2025 to 31 March 2026, and to increase the current contract value from £31.4 million to £38.2 million. Due to recent reductions in the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, the scope and budget of the National Mathematics Curriculum Reform programme (NMCR) has been reduced to £6.8 million for FY25-26. The bulk of the remaining work for this year consists of completion of the printing and distribution of textbooks for Term 2 (thus due before January 2026), and the training of Standard 3 and 4 teachers, which has to take place in December 2025. A detailed closure and exit plan will also be implemented during the period to March 2026. In the circumstances, given the time necessary for any new supplier to commence operations in the country, following a procurement process, in order to supply these deliverables, it would not be realistically possible for a new supplier to meet these immovable deadlines. Any delay would significantly disrupt the planned schedule for training and textbook distribution, which has to be aligned with the school calendar. It has not been possible to commence a procurement process any earlier owing to the need to comply with the ODA spend reduction processes. In the event that budget is allocated for a second phase of this programme, a procurement will be run for a new contract. Given the immediacy of the need to complete these main remaining tasks, which are necessary but were not included in the original procurement, as well as wind down the contract by March 2026, a change of contractor is not technically or economically possible within these timescales and would cause significant inconvenience and substantial duplication of costs for FCDO. The proposed increase is within the 50% threshold permitted under Regulation 72(1)(b) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

Other Information

** PREVIEW NOTICE, please check Find a Tender for full details. ** The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) seeks to extend the contract for the Strengthening the Teaching of Primary School Mathematics in Malawi programme by 3.5 months, extending the remaining term from December 2025 to 31 March 2026, and to increase the current contract value from £31.4 million to £38.2 million. Due to recent reductions in the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, the scope and budget of the National Mathematics Curriculum Reform programme (NMCR) has been reduced to £6.8 million for FY25-26. The bulk of the remaining work for this year consists of completion of the printing and distribution of textbooks for Term 2 (thus due before January 2026), and the training of Standard 3 and 4 teachers, which has to take place in December 2025. A detailed closure and exit plan will also be implemented during the period to March 2026. In the circumstances, given the time necessary for any new supplier to commence operations in the country, following a procurement process, in order to supply these deliverables, it would not be realistically possible for a new supplier to meet these immovable deadlines. Any delay would significantly disrupt the planned schedule for training and textbook distribution, which has to be aligned with the school calendar. It has not been possible to commence a procurement process any earlier owing to the need to comply with the ODA spend reduction processes. In the event that budget is allocated for a second phase of this programme, a procurement will be run for a new contract. Given the immediacy of the need to complete these main remaining tasks, which are necessary but were not included in the original procurement, as well as wind down the contract by March 2026, a change of contractor is not technically or economically possible within these timescales and would cause significant inconvenience and substantial duplication of costs for FCDO. The proposed increase is within the 50% threshold permitted under Regulation 72(1)(b) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.