Software Licensing for Academies and MATs
Managing software licensing across a multi-academy trust is rarely as simple as placing one larger school order. Schools may join the trust with different agreements, renewal dates, suppliers and user counts.
SAM UK can review the information held across your academies, identify the decisions needed at each renewal point and prepare a licensing quotation based on the trust's current structure and requirements.
How software licensing differs for a multi-academy trust
Multi-academy trusts do not usually start with a single, tidy view of their software estate. Individual schools may hold separate existing contracts, and those contracts often started before the school joined the trust.
- Renewal dates may not align across academies.
- Products and quantities may differ from one school to another.
- Some licences may be controlled centrally while others remain school-specific.
- Procurement responsibilities may sit at trust or academy level.
- A complete current-estate record is needed before consolidation decisions are made.
Common licensing problems as a trust grows
Not every trust encounters all of these. They are the situations we most often help MATs work through as academies are added or agreements come up for review.
- Mismatched renewal dates
Schools joining the trust arrive with agreements on their own annual cycle.
- Separate reseller relationships
Different academies may already work with different suppliers or resellers.
- Inconsistent Microsoft plans
Academies may sit on different Microsoft 365 Education plans or agreement types.
- Incomplete licence records
The trust may not yet hold a single, up-to-date view of licences held across all sites.
- Duplicated or overlapping subscriptions
Products purchased locally may overlap with services already available centrally.
- Schools joining mid-term
New academies may join during an existing contract term that cannot be changed immediately.
- Different procurement arrangements
Frameworks and buying routes historically used by each school may differ.
- Central vs local responsibility
Ownership of licence decisions may not be clearly assigned between trust and academy.
A practical approach to trust-wide licence consolidation
A structured licensing review — not a compliance audit — helps a trust understand its existing estate and plan changes at the right renewal points.
- Stage 1Record the current estate
Gather existing agreements, suppliers, products, quantities, tenants and renewal dates across every academy.
- Stage 2Confirm academy and trust requirements
Identify which services need to be standardised across the trust and which should remain school-specific.
- Stage 3Review contractual timings
Determine which agreements can be reviewed now and which should remain in place until their renewal date.
- Stage 4Compare purchasing routes
Consider Microsoft EES, CSP, OVS-ES or an applicable negotiated framework route where relevant to the trust's requirements.
- Stage 5Build a phased renewal plan
Set out the decisions and information required at each renewal point so consolidation happens at the right moment.
Example: a school joins a trust with a separate agreement
The joining school provides its current agreement and renewal date.
The trust records its users, products and current supplier alongside the existing central view.
The existing contract is reviewed before any change is proposed.
Options are compared for the next available renewal point.
The school may remain on its current arrangement temporarily while the trust prepares a phased approach.
Future alignment is considered without assuming an immediate forced migration.
This is a neutral illustration only. It does not represent a specific SAM UK customer, a guaranteed outcome or a specific saving. Contractual rights, product access and pricing depend on the applicable agreement.
Microsoft licensing options for academy trusts
The appropriate Microsoft route can depend on trust structure, total users, required products, existing commitments and procurement route. No single option is universally cheaper or more compliant.
Microsoft EES
Enrollment for Education Solutions may suit larger eligible education organisations. Suitability depends on current Microsoft criteria, trust structure and user counts. For the detailed EES comparison see our Microsoft EES page for UK schools.
Microsoft CSP
CSP is Microsoft's partner purchasing channel. Subscription term, billing frequency and commitment rules depend on the specific offer purchased. CSP may provide a different level of flexibility from an organisation-wide agreement, but it is not automatically month-to-month.
OVS-ES
Open Value Subscription for Education Solutions is a subscription route that may be relevant to smaller eligible organisations. Current availability and product scope must be confirmed.
Negotiated agreement or framework route
Where the trust uses an established procurement framework, a negotiated agreement or framework call-off may be relevant. Availability, supplier route and call-off process must be checked for each procurement.
Licensing beyond Microsoft
A trust-wide review may also need to consider software categories other than Microsoft:
- Adobe licensing
- Endpoint security
- Backup and recovery
- Other software used across academies
Product availability and the appropriate purchasing route are confirmed when requirements are reviewed.
Frameworks and procurement routes for MATs
Procurement frameworks provide one possible compliant purchasing route. Current examples relevant to trusts include education-sector software frameworks and Jisc/Chest agreements. The trust should follow its own procurement policy and applicable rules, and the correct process can depend on contract value and organisational status.
The Crescent Purchasing Consortium's Software Licenses & Associated Services for Academies and Schools 2026 framework began on 7 June 2026 and has a current end date of 6 June 2028, with an extended end date of 6 June 2029 shown by CPC. Its scope covers Microsoft, Adobe, Google for Education and Chrome OS, data security, backup and recovery, other off-the-shelf software and a multi-purpose lot. Whether the trust uses this or another route depends on its own procurement policy and requirements.
Chest provides access to Jisc-negotiated software agreements, including Microsoft agreements. For detailed EES questions see our Microsoft EES page for UK schools.
SAM UK's role and the applicable procurement route are confirmed for each specific engagement. This page does not provide legal advice or publish procurement thresholds — those depend on the trust's status, estimated contract value, internal policy, funding requirements and applicable procurement rules.
We are preparing a separate guide to software procurement frameworks for schools and MATs.
What we need to review your trust's licensing
Not every field is mandatory. Send what you have and we will confirm what else is needed to prepare an appropriate quote.
- Trust name
- Number of academies
- Academy names or types
- Approximate total staff and student counts
- Current software products
- Existing agreement types
- Current suppliers or resellers
- Renewal dates
- Whether licences are managed centrally or locally
- Whether schools use separate Microsoft tenants
- Existing procurement framework, if any
- Expected academy conversions or new schools
- Priorities for standardisation
One licensing conversation across the trust
A trust-wide review normally works better with one named contact holding the information from every academy in a single place. That keeps the picture consistent as agreements come up for review.
Recommendations are based on the trust's current agreements and renewal timing. Where information sits with a current supplier or framework body, SAM UK will identify what still needs vendor or framework confirmation before a quote is finalised.
- One named SAM UK contact for the review.
- Information gathered across schools considered together, not one by one.
- Recommendations based on current agreements and renewal timing.
- Existing agreement details can be sent to us before a quote is requested.
- Any information needing vendor or framework confirmation is flagged clearly.
Software licensing FAQs for academies and MATs
Can a MAT bring all its schools under one software agreement?
Not automatically. Existing agreements have their own terms and renewal dates, and moving licences between schools, tenants or agreements depends on the contractual position of each. A trust normally consolidates in phases as agreements come up for renewal.
What happens when a school joins with an existing contract?
The incoming school usually keeps its current agreement until a natural review point. The trust records the products, quantities, supplier and renewal date, and considers alignment at the next available renewal rather than immediate migration.
Do all academy renewal dates need to be aligned immediately?
No. Aligning renewal dates can help long-term management, but it is not always possible or economically sensible to do at once. A phased plan across renewal points is usually more practical.
Should Microsoft licences be managed centrally or by each school?
It depends on the trust's operating model, tenant arrangements and internal responsibilities. Some trusts centralise procurement while individual academies retain day-to-day administration; others keep both at school level. A trust-wide review makes the current position explicit before any change is proposed.
Is EES always the right option for a large MAT?
Not necessarily. Standalone Microsoft EES is generally designed for larger eligible education organisations, but the appropriate route also depends on trust structure, required products, existing commitments and procurement route. EES, CSP, OVS-ES or a negotiated framework route may each be relevant depending on circumstances.
Can a MAT use CSP instead of EES?
CSP is Microsoft's partner purchasing channel and can be used by Microsoft-verified education customers. Term, billing frequency and commitment rules depend on the specific CSP offer, so CSP is not automatically month-to-month. Whether CSP or EES is the better fit for a trust needs comparing against current requirements.
Does our MAT have to use a procurement framework?
Not automatically. A procurement framework is one compliant purchasing route. The right process depends on the trust's status, estimated contract value, internal procurement policy and applicable procurement rules. We do not provide legal advice on individual purchases.
Can we appoint a supplier directly?
Whether direct award is permissible depends on the trust's own procurement policy and applicable rules. A framework, mini-competition or full tender may be required depending on the circumstances. Trusts normally check this with their internal finance or procurement lead.
What information is needed for a trust-wide licensing review?
Typically the trust name, number and names of academies, approximate staff and student counts, current software products, agreement types, current suppliers, renewal dates, whether licences are managed centrally or locally, tenant arrangements and any existing procurement framework used.
Can SAM UK review agreements supplied by another reseller?
Yes. Send us the current agreement details, quantities and renewal date and we will review the relevant options with you before renewal.
Can Adobe and security licensing be reviewed alongside Microsoft?
A trust-wide review can consider Adobe licensing, endpoint security, backup and recovery, and other software used across academies. Product availability and the appropriate purchasing route are confirmed when requirements are reviewed.
Is this page intended for standalone schools?
No. This page is written for multi-academy trusts and academies operating across multiple sites. Standalone institutions are covered on our Microsoft EES page for UK schools.
Sources and review
Licensing programmes, procurement frameworks and agreement terms can change. This page was reviewed against current Microsoft, Department for Education, CPC and Jisc guidance on 23 July 2026. Current availability and purchasing routes are confirmed when a quote is prepared.
Request a trust-wide licensing review
Send us your academies' current agreements, renewal dates and approximate user numbers. We will review the information provided and confirm what is needed to prepare an appropriate licensing quote.