"NSN is ideally placed to carry out this work for an initial period," Bell said. "As we are not aware there are any other organisations primarily specialising in this kind of support."
He went on to argue that "it is not uncommon" for government to enter into grant agreements without tendering for services first.
"Under the previous administration, 84 grants were entered into in this way in the financial year 2010-11, and I remain perfectly comfortable with this procedure," Bell explained.
It is also the case that grants were awarded for significantly larger amounts than that which has been awarded to the NSN, such as for example, a grant for £13.8m to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT)."
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