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Information
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Within each ordering round, schools choose their resources they wanted supplied for each
phase of learning. Schools can, and do, select and order resources from different suppliers
for each phase of learning. They can also make a different selection each ordering round.
Information on ordering is communicated on Tāhūrangi: Ordering Ministry-funded maths
resources
The initial 2024 procurement secured resources which had broad alignment to the new
curriculum required to be taught in 2025, and which could be delivered at the scale and pace
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needed. Further updates to the curriculum were made for the 2026 year, and curriculum
alignment guides for using those resources with the updated curriculum were released at the
end of 2025.
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To provide continued support for implementation of the new curriculum the Ministry issued
an open market RFP on 17 September 2025 to source up to four providers for Year 0 - 8
Maths Resources for students and teachers for 2027 – 2029.
There were seventeen RFP respondents. Following the RFP evaluation process, four
preferred suppliers were identified for 2027 to 2029:
• The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford (Oxford University
Press)
• Scholastic New Zealand Limited (PR1ME)
• Egmont Group Limited (Maths No Problem)
• 3P Learning NZ Limited (Mathletics)
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Three of the preferred suppliers above are current providers of Maths Resources until the
end of 2026 (Oxford University Press; PR1ME; Maths No Problem). 3P Learning NZ Limited
(Mathletics) is a new preferred supplier.
Procon Limited (trading as Edushop), an incumbent provider who supplies Numicon maths
resources, has not been selected as a preferred supplier for 2027 to 2029.They were one of
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seven invited to Stage Two of the RFP process, and after assessment against multiple
criteria were ranked seventh by the panel.
Communications timeline the
We are working at pace to complete contract negotiations with the four preferred suppliers
with a view to have fully executed contracts ready to commence from 20 February.
Unsuccessful respondents will be advised once contract negotiations with the preferred
suppliers are completed.
All unsuccessful respondents will be offered a debrief meeting that will be scheduled for late
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February once contracts with successful suppliers have been executed. We will offer Procon
Limited a debrief meeting immediately after they are notified of the RFP outcome.
Once contracts with successful suppliers have been finalised, the Ministry will provide
information to all primary and intermediate schools about the providers of Maths Resources
for 2027-2029. Key messages and reactive questions and answers are attached as
Appendix 1.
This initial communication will be followed by further information on Tāhūrangi when we have
confirmed the timing of ordering rounds for 2027. Information on each of the selected
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suppliers’ resources will be available, so schools can make informed choices to select
resources that meet their needs. Once supplier(s) are selected by a school, each school will
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be entitled to free PLD from the supplier, enabling them to confidently implement the
resources in their school.
As part of communications, the specific impacts on the 746 schools currently using Numicon
will be acknowledged and we will provide reassurance that these schools will be supported
to transition to another supplier. This will include our Curriculum Leads contacting each
impacted school to offer direct support to help them choose their Maths Resources.
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Risks
There is a risk that people will become aware that Procon/Numicon has been unsuccessful
ahead of planned communications to schools about the providers and resources that will be
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available for them to choose from in 2027-2029. The timeline of communication activities
seeks to minimise this risk, but we will have reactive messaging available if necessary.
We will be offering Procon Limited a debrief meeting immediately after they are notified of
the RFP outcome, this is intended to help mitigates risk that Procon, when informed of the
RFP outcomes, will escalate complaints to your office or use media and social media
channels to voice concerns, causing reputational damage to the Ministry.
We have both proactive and reactive communications about the process and transition plan.
The timeline we are working to is set out in the table below:
Immediate Sequence of Events
Date
Information
Preferred suppliers formally notified
11 Feb – 20
Feb
Unsuccessful respondents informed the RFP Outcome will be notified end
of February. Noting the end of January was the timeframe communicated
in the last holding email
Contract negotiations start, supplier contracts signed by 20 Feb
Unsuccessful RFP respondents notified as soon as possible following
23 Feb –
contract signing and offered an opportunity for a debrief
subject to
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All schools using Numicon will be called by a Curriculum Lead (on 23 Feb). contracts
With key messages about the change and support for transition.
successfully
signed 20
All primary and intermediate schools receive an email to advise them of the Feb
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change in 2027 for maths resources providers, emphasising content is
written for the new curriculum.
Tāhūrangi will be updated at the same time, with information included in
the school bulletin published 3 March
Curriculum Leads will follow up with schools that use Numicon to support
transition to an alternative maths resource option
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Response to specific questions
Were providers told that there would be another curriculum update that they would need to
align to when we procured
Due to the timing of the RFP process, the market was not initially told that updates to the
Year 0-8 Mathematics & Statistics curriculum were being made. However, following the 19
October 2025 release of the updated Year 0-10 Mathematics and Statistics curriculum an
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RFP addendum was posted to the market to advise respondents to submit responses
aligned with the gazetted NZC at the time the RFP opened. It also stated, preferred suppliers
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would be required to submit resources written to the new curriculum for approval ahead of
production (refer screenshot below)
Did we know during initial procurement that Numicon would not be able to update
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All providers have had to make updates to resources as part of aligning to the curriculum.
The outcome of the RFP reflects assessment across multiple criteria; of which curriculum
alignment was only one factor.
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Could more providers in the future lose the contract (i.e. not be an offering that schools can
choose) and if so when
Yes, it is a possibility following the conclusion of the proposed 2027-2029 contract term.
When schools were making initial decisions, did we tell them it was a two-year contract and
that there might be changes to the offering / what choices they had in the future
Information on Tāhūrangi has been clear that:
• the initial Maths Resources offering was for 2025 and 2026
• Maths Resources will continue to be funded beyond 2026
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• the Ministry would be following an open procurement process to determine Maths
Resource suppliers for 2027 and beyond that have been written specifically for the
delivery of the revised maths learning area and can be used to supplement and
support its implementation into NZ schools.
How many schools are affected by Numicon not being a choice going forward
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746 schools are current users of Numicon resources. The breakdown per learning phase is
as follows:
Learning Phase
Number of Schools
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Phase 1
716
Phase 2
345
Phase 3
183
The sum of the schools across the three learning phases is greater than 746, as some
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schools are counted multiple times i.e. if a school selected Numicon for phases 1, 2 and 3,
they are recorded in the table above 3 times.
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Appendix One: Draft Key Messages and Reactive Questions and Answers
Note that these messages and frequently asked questions will be finalised once contract
negotiations with preferred suppliers are complete.
Key Messages
•
To support schools with implementation of the revised Mathematics and Statistics
learning area, the Ministry will be continuing to provide schools with a choice of Ministry-
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funded Maths Resources in 2027 and beyond.
•
Resources available in 2025 and 2026 have had broad alignment to the revised learning
area, supported by curriculum alignment guides for 2026. Now that the curriculum is Act
confirmed we want to make sure all teachers and students have access to completely
aligned resources.
•
The Ministry has chosen suppliers who have demonstrated they can provide resources
that are completely aligned to the NZC from 2027.
•
Procon/Numicon could not meet this requirement and will not continue as a Ministry
funded supplier. Schools who have previously selected Numicon will be supported
directly by the Ministry to choose and transition to different resources for 2027. They can
keep the resources they have received.
•
The following quality resources written specifically for delivery of the NZC Mathematics
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and Statistics learning area will be available for the 2027 school year.
•
Oxford University Press (supplied by The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of
the University of Oxford)
•
PR1ME (supplied by Scholastic New Zealand Limited)
•
Maths No Problem (supplied by Egmont Group Limited)
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•
Mathletics (supplied by 3P Learning NZ Limited)
•
Mathletics is a new option available to schools within the Ministry-funded Maths
Resources.
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•
More information about each of the successful supplier’s resources, including how they
support teaching and learning across the curriculum, will be available on Tāhūrangi later
in Term 1 2026, alongside details about the ordering process for 2027.
•
As they do now, schools will be able to choose which of the Ministry-funded suppliers
they use, including having the flexibility to choose different suppliers for different phases
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of learning and/or in each ordering cycle.
•
The Ministry has well-established processes for schools changing suppliers, so schools
will not experience a gap in resources as they transition to a different supplier.
•
Resources ordered for 2027 will be delivered in 2026, ensuring schools are fully
resourced and ready for Term 1 2027, with no gap in materials.
•
Once a school selects a supplier for 2027, there will be free professional learning and
development (PLD) provided by that supplier, to support confident and effective
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implementation.
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Reactive Questions and Answers
Why has Procon/Numicon not been selected for 2027-2029? • The selection of all suppliers was guided by the need for clarity and confidence in
providers being able to design, produce, and supply student and teacher resources that
are written for the updated Mathematics and Statistics Learning Area by year level as
outlined in the Procurement Request for Proposal.
• The four selected suppliers demonstrated strong performance across all these areas.
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Our school selected Numicon for 2026, what does this mean for us now? • Schools may continue to use Numicon resources they already have; however currentAct
student books will be out of date from the end of 2026.
• From the start of 2027 Numicon will no longer be supplied or funded through the
Ministry, and schools will need to select an alternative Ministry-funded supplier.
• Ministry curriculum leads will be in touch with impacted schools to offer direct support to
help them to understand the options and select a maths resources supplier.
• Resources ordered for 2027 will be delivered in 2026, ensuring schools are fully
resourced and ready for Term 1 2027, with no gap in materials.
• Once a school selects a supplier for 2027, there will be free professional learning and
development (PLD) provided by that supplier, to support confident and effective
implementation.
• If you have any questions about this change, please contact the Maths Resource Team
at [email address] or your school's curriculum lead.
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Will manipulatives continue to be available as a Ministry-funded maths resource?
• The focus of the Ministry-funded maths resources for 2027-2029 is on the alignment to
the New Zealand curriculum. The new Resources provide structured opportunities for
repeated practice, tasks aligned with lesson progressions, space for students to record
their work and develop independence. Workbooks are a critical resource to help
students embed learning and mastery.
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• The Ministry continues to encourage the use of manipulatives in classrooms as one
approach to teaching. Lists of easy to access materials and video demonstrations of
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using materials to support teaching and learning Maths at each phase are available on
Tāhūrangi:
•
Materials to support teaching maths - Phase 1-3
•
Using materials in years 0-8 maths teaching – Video library
Can schools continue to use Numicon resources? • Yes, schools can continue to use Numicon resources they have already received,
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however, these will not be supplied/resupplied or funded by the Ministry from 2027.
• Schools may choose to purchase additional Numicon resources independently if they
wish, however these will not be funded by the Ministry.
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• Oxford University Press
• Scholastic PR1ME
Information about each supplier’s resources, including how they support teaching
and learning across the curriculum, will be available on Tāhūrangi in Term 2 2026,
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alongside details about the ordering process for 2027.
Resources ordered for 2027 will be delivered in 2026, ensuring schools are fully
resourced and ready for Term 1 2027, with no gap in materials.
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Support for transition and ongoing practice
Once a school selects a supplier for 2027, there will be free professional learning and
development (PLD) provided by that supplier, to support confident and effective
implementation.
All Ministry-funded Maths resources are designed to be supplementary supports as
schools implement the updated Mathematics and Statistics learning area into their
own planning and programmes over the next few years.
They complement the curriculum and its scope and sequence, helping underpin
teaching and learning while schools develop and refine their own Mathematics and
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Statistics programmes.
If you have any questions about what this change means for your school, please
contact the Maths Resource Team at
[email address] or your
school's curriculum lead.
Nga mihi,
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The Maths Resources Team
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