Buying
How to buy broadband for a school in England
DfE tells schools to use DfE-approved buying options. Here is how Get help buying for schools works, which connectivity frameworks it lists (and when they expire), what happened to Crown Commercial Service, and where regional broadband consortia fit in.
On this page
At a glance
- DfE’s advice is to use DfE-approved buying options, through its free Get help buying for schools service.
- Connectivity frameworks listed there include YPO’s network connectivity framework (to 17 March 2027) and CPC’s communications framework (to 15 December 2026). Always check the current expiry date.
- Crown Commercial Service became the Government Commercial Agency (GCA) on 1 April 2026. Existing frameworks and call-offs remain valid.
- Regional broadband consortia and local authorities can connect schools to Jisc’s Janet network.
DfE’s guidance Buying for schools tells schools to use “DfE-approved buying options” to get value for money and stay compliant. It points to the Get help buying for schools service and to DfE’s guidance on finding the right route to buy. (That page doesn’t give procurement threshold figures, so check your own finance policy, your trust’s scheme of delegation or your local authority’s rules too.)
Get help buying for schools
Get help buying for schools is a free DfE service. DfE says its approved buying options give you compliance with procurement law, suppliers that have been checked by the framework provider, and terms and conditions agreed in advance. You can also ask the service’s buying experts for help through a short form on its website.
Frameworks for connectivity
These are the DfE-approved frameworks in the service’s “ICT and business systems” category that relate to connectivity and networks, with expiry dates as shown on 25 October 2026:
| Framework | Provider | Expires | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Network connectivity and telecommunication solutions | YPO | 17 March 2027 | Network connectivity, telecoms, Wi-Fi, phone systems |
| Communications solutions | CPC | 15 December 2026 | Telecommunications supplies, services and solutions |
| ICT network, storage and service solutions | CPC | 31 July 2029 | Networking equipment, cloud, storage |
| ICT managed services and consultancy | Procurement Services | 30 April 2027 | Managed services and consultancy, including cyber |
| Cyber security services 3 (DPS) | GCA | 13 February 2029 | Cyber security products |
The service lists no framework specifically for web filtering in this category.
Crown Commercial Service is now GCA
On 1 April 2026 Crown Commercial Service (CCS) was combined with several Cabinet Office commercial teams to form the Government Commercial Agency (GCA). GCA says “the legality of any CCS framework or agreement will not change” and that existing contracts and call-offs remain valid. Old CCS agreement links now redirect to GCA’s website.
GCA’s Network Services 3 agreement (RM6116) runs until 17 July 2027 (lots 1c and 1d end on 22 May 2027). It says UK public sector organisations can use it for network solutions and communication services, with lots for inter-site connectivity (WAN), connectivity within a site (LAN), analogue telephony and digital communication services. It doesn’t say in so many words whether schools can use it, so check with GCA or Get help buying for schools first.
Regional broadband consortia and Janet
Regional broadband consortia (RBCs) were set up from 2000 to pool schools’ demand for broadband in each region. Jisc, which runs the Janet network for education and research, gets DfE funding to support Janet services for schools in England. That lets RBCs or local authorities connect schools to Janet services, including a Janet IP connection, 500 Gb/s of resilient internet transit, direct peering with major content providers, security monitoring, foundation DDoS mitigation, a DNS resolver, and eduroam and govroam. The RBC or local authority pays the cost of connecting to a Janet core location. Jisc refers to “the seven RBCs in England”.
One example: LGfL describes itself as a not-for-profit charitable trust. It says it offers dedicated symmetrical fibre from 10 Mbps to 10 Gbps, DfE-compliant filtering and monitoring, firewalls and DDoS protection, and serves schools and trusts nationwide, not only in London.
Before you buy
- Put the current contract and its end date in your contracts register — DfE’s digital leadership standard asks for one.
- Check the offer against the broadband standard and your filtering and monitoring duties.
- Use the provider checklist and our questions to ask suppliers.
- Browse the supplier directory — but follow your own procurement route.
Sources
Checked 25 October 2026. We wrote this guide from these sources, in our own words:
- DfE: Buying for schools (gov.uk)
- Get help buying for schools: Network connectivity and telecommunication solutions (get-help-buying-for-schools.education.gov.uk)
- Get help buying for schools: IT category (get-help-buying-for-schools.education.gov.uk)
- Government Commercial Agency: Crown Commercial Service (gca.gov.uk)
- GCA: Network Services 3 (RM6116) (gca.gov.uk)
- Jisc: Janet IP connection (jisc.ac.uk)
- LGfL (lgfl.net)
- DfE: Digital leadership and governance core standard (gov.uk)
Broadband for Schools is an independent guide. We are not a broker, a reseller or a supplier, and we are not connected to the Department for Education, any local authority or any provider. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.