The government is set to restart a £7 million procurement that aims to tackle antisemitism in schools, colleges and universities.
Officials are once again searching for organisations to train education staff and provide learning resources for students on the understanding of antisemitism after halting the competition in March.
The Department for Education told FE Week the pause was due to “stakeholder concerns”, namely that smaller Jewish or Holocaust education groups claimed the format and style of the procurement favoured larger organisations for various technical reasons.
The tender has now been made more inclusive for all types of organisations to bid, the DfE said.
DfE claimed the pause had nothing to do with a judicial review that was launched in the High Court around the same time as the pause by Jewish-led international organisation Diaspora Alliance, which is challenging the DfE’s use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism in the tender.
DfE will hold an engagement event for the refreshed tender with interested parties on October 15, with a view to publish a new procurement in November.
Scholarships and education resources
Former chancellor Jeremy Hunt revealed in the 2023 autumn statement that the government would dedicate £7 million over three years to tackling antisemitism in schools, colleges and universities.
The DfE confirmed the scheme will go ahead today on the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks in Israel.
The contract, which will last between 2025 to 2028, will look to award one or more suppliers.
One lot will offer two scholarships teaching antisemitism in-depth: one for school and college teachers and staff, and another to university administration and students’ union staff.
The second lot will procure education and training resources for universities and the third lot will provide schools and college staff online learning resources on the Department for Education’s Educate Against Hate portal.
DfE said today that £500,000 of the total funding has been awarded to the University Jewish Chaplaincy for welfare support for Jewish students in universities.
The department said it also plans to launch an innovation fund that will offer “opportunities to support work at all levels of education on tackling antisemitic misinformation on social media”, alongside Becky Francis’ curriculum and assessment review.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said in an op-ed for the Telegraph today: “It is completely unacceptable for Jewish students to feel they cannot fully participate in university life out of fear for their safety. All students, regardless of race or religion, should be free to focus on their studies rather than worry about their safety.” Diaspora Alliance was approached for comment about its judicial review.
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