Leadership training providers have demanded an investigation after the government handed a contract for its academy trust chief executive training to the flagship National Institute of Teaching (NIoT). The Department for Education ditched a competitive tender to give the contract directly to the School-Led Development Trust (SLDT), which runs and was founded by four leading multi-academy trusts. Ministers promised to launch a programme to ensure trusts have enough 鈥渉ighly effective leaders鈥 as part of its 2022 schools white paper. While NIoT鈥檚 contract value has not yet been confirmed, the original tender was expected to be about 拢2.8 million. The first cohort of 25 participants will start in February next year 鈥 later than initially planned 鈥 with a second 50-strong cohort 鈥渇ollowing later鈥. Recruitment will begin in autumn. But three leadership training providers have written to the Competitions and Markets Authority warning their work 鈥渋s now at serious risk鈥. Contract awarded ‘without competitive tender’ Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the school leaders鈥 union ASCL, Alice Gregson, the executive director of Forum Strategy and Ann Palmer, the chief executive of Fig Tree International, said the case 鈥渕erits a review鈥. This was in 鈥渢he interests of competition law鈥 and 鈥渃ulture of transparency in the awarding of public contracts鈥, a letter sent to the watchdog and seen by Schools Week states. They point out the contract was awarded 鈥渨ithout competitive tender and will, we believe, result in the body being provided with significant government funding that will make it extremely challenging for other existing providers to compete on cost and therefore also quality鈥. The trust CEOs behind the National Institute of Teaching They claim the situation will 鈥渙ver time significantly hamper the ability of academy trust leaders to make a genuine choice that takes into account both cost and quality鈥 of various leadership schemes. 鈥淚f there is preferential treatment of one provider over others by government, it will be highly detrimental to the sector in the long run and to a culture of healthy choice and competition between providers that keeps academy trust leaders in the driving seat in terms of what they wish to access.鈥 The DfE ran a market engagement exercise for potential suppliers last year. But it will instead use the existing framework agreement for NIoT and contract the SLDT 鈥 founded by Star Academies, the Harris Federation, Outwood Grange Academies Trust and Oasis. DfE ‘confident’ it met legal requirements The DfE said this was part of NIoT鈥檚 鈥渙verall scope of requirements to deliver the golden thread of teacher and leadership development in the education sector鈥. Existing frameworks should also be used 鈥渨herever possible鈥 to help with costs. The department said it was 鈥渃onfident鈥 the decision was right and met 鈥渁ll legal requirements鈥. But Barton said school leaders 鈥渨ill suspect that there is a hidden agenda 鈥 to establish a group of government-approved system leaders鈥 through a 鈥渢op-down approach鈥. NIoT said training includds one-to-one coaching with a 鈥渟uccessful鈥 CEO, alongside 鈥渋mmersive learning鈥 such as shadowing. Its founding CEOs have an 鈥渋mpressive track record of nurturing future鈥 bosses, it added. An email from DfE, seen by Schools Week, also states there will 鈥渓ikely be sub-contracting opportunities鈥. Initial contract documents said roll-out would begin this September. But this was pushed back as market feedback advised more time would be required to design content, the DfE said. Melanie Renowden, the chief executive of NIoT, said it needed 鈥渢o develop the next generation of courageous, pioneering people who will respond to the new wave of challenges and opportunities that are coming the way of all our schools鈥. The government is also facing a high court challenge over its funding of curriculum quango Oak National Academy. Bodies representing publishers and ed tech firms say Oak 鈥減oses an existential risk to the future viability of the sector鈥.