Who sells to schools, nurseries and colleges?
Education organisations buy almost everything: furniture, books and stationery, IT and software, catering, cleaning, energy, minibuses, sports kit, repairs and building work, training, and staff. A school is part classroom, part building site, part kitchen and part small business, so a wide range of suppliers has a reason to call.
The buyers behave very differently from each other. A primary school with a few hundred pupils runs a modest budget through a business manager. A group of academies may pool buying across all its sites. A nursery is usually a small business whose owner pays the invoice. A college runs estates, finance and curriculum teams much like a mid-sized company.
Whatever you sell, the first job is to work out which of these you are dealing with. The second is to arrive with a reason that is about their pupils, children or learners, and an honest answer to the safeguarding questions that every education buyer asks.
Why are schools, nurseries and colleges hard to sell to?
Public money comes with rules. The Department for Education points state schools towards approved buying options, which come with checked suppliers and agreed terms, and offers free training on the Procurement Act 2023. A school that could buy your product directly may still have to compare it with, or buy it through, a route that already exists.
Then there is the matter of who is allowed to say yes. Academy trusts must follow the Academy trust handbook as a condition of their funding, and trust boards set their own limits on who can spend what. A head who likes your idea may still need the business manager, and the business manager may need the governors or trustees.
Settings manage supplier visits around pupils, staff and the working day. Arrange contact and site access through the appropriate office or manager. Ask what checks or supervision apply to the work you propose, and provide the information requested before booking delivery, installation or a demonstration on site.
Spending is agreed centrally
- You approach the trust
- Central finance or operations lead
- Approved route or trust tender
- Schools in the trust buy
A school can ask for you, but the trust usually decides the supplier.
The business manager runs it
- You approach the school
- Business manager checks the rules
- Head or governors approve
- Order placed
Bigger purchases may need governor sign-off; ask what the school's limit is.
The owner decides
- You approach the nursery
- Owner or manager
- Short trial or quote
- Order placed
Small settings move quickly, and chains route it through head office.
How is the education sector put together?
In England, state-funded schools come in several forms. Community, foundation and voluntary schools are funded through the local authority. Academies and free schools are run by not-for-profit academy trusts, independent of the local authority, and a trust can run one school or many. Ofsted inspects them, and the trust's trustees are responsible for how each academy performs.
Independent schools charge fees. Inspection arrangements described here apply to England; other UK nations have separate systems. Most that belong to a recognised association are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, which the Secretary of State approves; others are inspected by Ofsted. The Independent Schools Council is an umbrella for the associations of heads, governors and bursars, and a bursar is the finance and operations lead you will often meet there.
In England, many nurseries, pre-schools and childminders register with Ofsted, while some childminders register with a childminder agency; exemptions also exist. Other UK nations have their own arrangements. Settings range from individual practitioners to nursery chains. Check the setting’s registration and ownership when researching who might buy your product.
Colleges form a third group. Further education, sixth form and specialist colleges have their own bodies, such as the Association of Colleges, which also accepts suppliers as affiliates. Much of this sector is made up of companies, charities and trusts, and some of it is individuals, so check the legal form before you write.
Counts as a corporate subscriber
You can send a relevant business email without asking first, as long as you say who you are and give an easy way to opt out.
Counts as an individual
A cold marketing email needs their consent first. Partnerships in Scotland are the exception: they count as corporate subscribers.
Does the list include limited companies and sole traders?
Yes, both, though they sit in different places. Academy trusts are not-for-profit companies, and many private nurseries, tutoring centres and training providers are ordinary limited companies. These have directors and a registered address you can check. State-maintained schools run by a local authority are not companies at all, so the book holds them as schools, with contacts we have found, not as a director list.
Sole traders are common in early years and teaching. A childminder registered with Ofsted is treated as an individual registered person, and an independent tutor is often a one-person business. They have one decision maker, the person you would speak to, and they may trade under a name that is not their own. Each record shows the legal form we hold, so you can tell which kind you are looking at.
If you want only one kind, filter for it. A supplier of a nursery management system may want chains and larger companies, while a supplier of learning materials may do better with childminders and tutors. Sole traders are not on a public register, so treat the list as a strong start, not a full census.
What happens if you approach the wrong person?
A headteacher may support an idea while a trust negotiates the contract centrally. If you miss that buying route or an approval date, a quote can wait for another meeting or budget cycle. Ask about approval limits, purchasing arrangements and the intended delivery date before preparing a proposal.
Furniture delivery and installation can disrupt rooms that are in use. Ask which spaces need to stay available, when staff can accept deliveries and whether removal of old furniture is included. These details help the setting compare the full cost and plan the work around teaching or childcare.
Pitching a school that buys through its trust
If a trust sets the supplier, a single school can champion you but rarely order alone. Find who handles the trust's buying first.
Ignoring safeguarding on arrival
If your staff will be on site, expect questions about checks and ID. Say what you do before they ask.
Emailing a sole trader without consent
A tutor or childminder may be a sole trader or run a company. Confirm the legal form and applicable marketing rules.
Who decides what a school, nursery or college buys?
The right person depends on what you sell and how the organisation is built. For something the whole organisation uses, such as software, energy or a contract, start with finance or operations. For something a classroom or nursery room uses, the practitioner's view matters, but the budget sits with someone else.
In the UK book, an academy trust or a nursery company shows its directors and officers from the register, with the main contact marked where we can tell. A school's business manager is often an employee, not a director, so use the register as your way in and ask who looks after buying.
School business manager
- What they care about
- Staying within budget, using the right buying route and keeping the paperwork in order.
- Open with
- Show you can be bought through a route they already use, and ask about their process.
Headteacher
- What they care about
- Pupil outcomes, safety and staff workload, with little time for sales calls.
- Open with
- A short note on what changes for pupils or teachers, then point them to the business manager.
Trust finance or operations lead
- What they care about
- Value across all schools, contract compliance and the board's approval limits.
- Open with
- A trust-wide offer, with terms that suit their tendering policy.
Governor or trustee
- What they care about
- Value for public money and whether a large spend was properly compared.
- Open with
- Rarely first contact. Help the business manager show the board why your offer is good value.
Bursar
- What they care about
- Fees, running costs and the estate, in a school that is funded by parents, not by the state.
- Open with
- A practical saving or improvement, as they buy for themselves.
Nursery owner or manager
- What they care about
- Staff ratios, safety, inspection outcomes and the cost of each place.
- Open with
- A clear benefit for the rooms, and an easy first order. Chains usually refer you to head office.
How do you find schools, nurseries and colleges in the UK?
The book keeps these in separate categories, so start with the one that fits. Pick Schools for primary, secondary and special schools, Nurseries and Childcare for day nurseries, pre-schools and childminders, and Universities and Colleges for further and higher education. Then add the postcode areas you serve.
For academy trusts in England, check the registered company and the trust’s own procurement information. For nurseries, look at ownership and the contact details available. A director appointment can help update that research but does not establish a purchasing need. Searching and filters are free on every plan before you reveal contacts.
SIC codes help when you want a particular kind of setting. Education businesses register under codes such as 85100 for pre-primary education, 85200 for primary education, 85310 for general secondary education, 85410 for post-secondary education below degree level, and 88910 for child day-care activities. Many state schools are not registered companies, so a sector search finds more than a code does.
Choose a category and your area. Searching is free on every plan.
What should you say to a school, nursery or college?
Describe the product and the kind of setting you supply, then ask how that category is purchased. For classroom furniture, find out whether the school buys locally, through its trust or using a framework. A relevant first question gives the business manager a straightforward way to explain the process.
If the setting has announced a refit, ask which decisions are still open. State a framework listing only when you genuinely hold it, with enough detail for the buyer to check. Explain delivery, installation and any site visits clearly so the setting can assess access and safeguarding requirements.
If staff describe furniture that is difficult to move or rooms that take too long to reset, ask when that causes difficulty. Explore the effect on room use and staff time. Then ask what a workable arrangement would need to improve, and how the setting would assess a sample before ordering.
How they buy
Ask whether they buy this through a framework or compare quotes, so you learn the route.
A published refurbishment plan
Use the setting’s own announcement to ask about specifications, approval dates and delivery. A new trustee alone does not show spending plans.
Proof from nearby
If a school or nursery near them uses you, say so and offer to share what changed.
Hello Priya,
We supply classroom furniture to schools and academy trusts.
When a classroom is refitted, how does Brindlecote choose a supplier? Does the trust handle that centrally?
I can send product specifications, delivery options and the details of any purchasing routes available for our range.
Sam
Standalone school, trust or independent nursery: what changes?
The same product needs a different approach depending on who is buying. This is how three kinds of buyer usually differ. Every organisation sets its own limits, so treat it as a starting point and ask.
| Standalone school | Multi-academy trust or nursery chain | Independent nursery | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who decides | The head and business manager, with governors for larger spend | A central finance or operations team, within board limits | The owner or manager |
| Where the budget sits | In the school, often with a set limit | Pooled or set at trust or head office level | In the business, paid from fees and funded places |
| Likely buying route | Approved frameworks, local quotes or the local authority's arrangements | A trust tender, an approved framework or a central contract | Direct, from a supplier or wholesaler |
| How long it can take | Tied to term dates and committee meetings | Longer, with a formal process | Often quick if the need is clear |
| What they will ask for | Prices, references and safeguarding answers | Terms, compliance and the same checks | Price, reliability and ease of ordering |
| Best first contact | The business manager | The central finance or operations lead | The owner or nursery manager |
Before you approach any school, nursery or college
- Whether you can be bought through a DfE-approved framework, and which one
- A clear statement of whether your staff will be on site
- The checks and supervision appropriate to the work, agreed with the setting; DBS eligibility depends on the role
- Your data protection answers, if you handle pupil or child information
- Insurance and references from other schools or settings
- Delivery and installation outside school hours, if relevant
- Prices that fit a budget set a year ahead
- A short case study from a similar setting
Questions people ask about selling to schools, nurseries and colleges
Is there a database of UK schools, nurseries and colleges?
Yes. The UK book holds schools, nurseries and childcare, and colleges as separate categories, from single settings to groups of academies and nurseries. Search it free by area, and reveal only the contacts you want.
Who buys for a school?
In a standalone school it is usually the business manager, with the head and sometimes the governors approving larger spend. In a multi-academy trust, central finance or operations staff often agree the supplier within limits the board sets.
How do schools buy from suppliers?
State schools in England are pointed to the Department for Education's Get help buying for schools service, which lists approved buying options with checked suppliers and agreed terms. Each school still decides what it needs and whether a route fits.
What is a DfE-approved framework?
It is a pre-approved supplier list with agreed terms, put together by a provider such as a buying consortium after a tender. The Department for Education publishes the approved list. Being on one can make a school's purchase simpler.
Do suppliers need a DBS check to work in a school?
It depends on the work. Statutory guidance for schools says contractors who work where they may have contact with children need appropriate checks, and a school will tell you what it needs. Ask each school before you book any on-site work.
Who inspects schools and nurseries?
Ofsted inspects state-funded schools, further education colleges and early years settings in England. The Independent Schools Inspectorate inspects schools in recognised independent school associations. Both look at safeguarding as well as teaching.
Can I email schools without consent?
Check the operator’s legal form. Companies, incorporated charities and other corporate bodies can generally receive marketing email without PECR consent, with identification and an opt-out. Charity status alone does not establish this. Sole traders and unincorporated bodies usually need consent for a new cold email; data protection rules also apply.
Can I get a list of schools, nurseries and colleges that are sole traders?
Yes. Childminders and independent tutors are often sole traders, and the book includes the ones we hold. Each record shows its legal form, so filter by category and form, then check the rules for emailing individuals.
Who decides in a nursery?
In an independent nursery it is usually the owner or manager. In a chain, central buyers at head office usually set suppliers, and the manager of each setting orders within that range. Ask which applies before you pitch.
Can I find education providers near my depot or office?
Yes. Filter by town, postcode area or region to build a list around your delivery routes or sales territory, then save the search so you can run it again.
Do I pay to search?
No. Search and filters are free on every plan. Your allowance is only used when you reveal a new contact, and one you have already revealed never counts again.
Can I put these contacts into my CRM?
Yes. Export the contacts you reveal as a CSV for any CRM, or work them in the Adapt Leads CRM with email, LinkedIn and calls in one place.
Sources for this guide
For marketing rules, see the ICO’s business-to-business marketing guidance. Sector codes can be checked in the Companies House SIC list.