Why Contract Visibility is Becoming Essential for MATs

Introduction

As MATs continue to grow, managing contracts across multiple schools is becoming increasingly complex.

From catering and cleaning to IT support and energy providers, trusts are handling more suppliers and agreements than ever before.

At the same time, financial scrutiny across education continues to increase.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-handbook

The hidden problem

Many schools still manage contracts using:

• Spreadsheets 

• Shared drives 

• Individual staff knowledge 

This creates serious risks:

• Missed renewal dates 

• Unexpected cost increases 

• Limited visibility across schools 

Why visibility matters

Without central oversight, leadership teams struggle to answer key questions:

• Which contracts are expiring soon? 

• Are suppliers performing well? 

• Are schools paying different prices for the same services? 

A smarter approach

More MATs are now moving towards:

• Centralised contract registers 

• Automated renewal reminders 

• Trust-wide supplier management 

Final thought

Contracts shouldn’t live in filing cabinets or forgotten spreadsheets.

The trusts with the strongest visibility will be best positioned to save money and reduce risk.