Download the GCA framework handbook
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Everything you need to know about hiring temporary, fixed-term and permanent staff through the GCA RM6376 framework, in one free guide.
Used by hundreds of schools, multi-academy trusts and local authorities across England, our handbook is a 21-page plain-English guide to the framework. We update it regularly to reflect the latest GCA guidance, including the September 2026 academy trust mandate and the published supplier fee caps.
What's inside the handbook
The handbook is structured as five short chapters you can read end-to-end or dip into:
Chapter 1: The framework, in plain terms
What RM6376 is, what changed when CCS became GCA, what it covers, and who can use it.
Chapter 2: The September 2026 mandate for academy trusts
What the 2026 Academy Trusts Handbook requires, what it means for trustees and CFOs, and what to do between now and September. With a board-level questions section trustees can take straight into a finance and resources meeting.
Chapter 3: Capped supplier fees and what they actually cover
The £45 per day teacher cap and £38 per day support staff cap, broken down. How to read them in the context of your current supply spend. What's inside the supplier's fee, what's not, and how to ask for an open-book breakdown.
Chapter 4: How to use the framework day-to-day
Step by step: signing in, finding suppliers, signing the short order form, booking workers, managing invoices. The temp-to-perm route, nominated workers, and what happens if something goes wrong.
Chapter 5: Readiness checklist for academy trusts
A six-step plan trust CFOs and operations leads can run through to make sure they're ready by September 2026. Audit, supplier check, spend mapping, route selection, operational setup, reporting framework.
Why this handbook is worth your time
Most schools and trusts come to the framework with the same handful of questions. We've collected the answers, including the awkward bits, into one place, written in plain English with no procurement jargon and no sales pitch. The handbook will:
> Save you 2–3 hours of reading official GCA documentation
> Give you a defensible answer for trustees on framework compliance
> Help you compare your current supply spend against framework standards
> Give you a clear next step, whether that's using us, using someone else, or simply staying informed
What happens after you submit
> You'll receive an email with the handbook attached as a PDF.
> Over the next 4 weeks, we'll send some emails covering specific aspects of the framework, the September mandate, the award routes, and a final 'book a call if useful' message.
> Each email has a clear unsubscribe link. We won't add you to any other lists.
Other ways to get to grips with the framework
If a 21-page handbook isn't quite what you're after, we have other options:
> Read our blog series, short, searchable explainers covering specific aspects of the framework
> Book a 15-minute call, sometimes a 15-minute conversation answers what 21 pages can't
> Email us at gca@engage-education.com if you have a specific question, we'll respond within one working day
About this framework
Engage Education has been named as a supplier on Government Commercial Agency's (GCA) RM6376 Supply Teachers and Education Recruitment framework, Lot 1: Teachers and Education Recruitment. The framework runs from 30 April 2026 to 29 April 2029.Government Commercial Agency (GCA) is the UK's central commercial and procurement organisation, connecting public and private sectors to achieve the best outcomes for the UK and its citizens. GCA uses its commercial expertise to create a simpler procurement experience that redirects valuable resources into essential public services, creating value for the nation. GCA replaced Crown Commercial Service (CCS) on 1 April 2026.