Edtech Compass chalks up $64 million WA schools contract in deal with TechnologyOne

School management software scaleup Compass has won the tender to supply more than 800 of Western Australia’s Public Schools with its technology – a project it will deliver in partnership with ASX-listed TechnologyOne.

The deal, which is worth more than $9 million annually over seven years, with an option for extension, will see Compass expand to support more than 3000 schools, and 4 million-plus users.

It’s understood that the two local tech companies outbid several international rivals to win the contract.

Compass cofounder and CEO John de la Motte said the tender process was rigorous and run over several years by the department.

“We’re thrilled Western Australia’s Department of Education has chosen local technology providers to power its public schools. After running one of the most stringent tender processes we’ve ever been involved in, including detailed analysis from independent subject matter experts, Compass has been awarded the contract for all four school management categories,” he said.

“Supporting local technology jobs is a key tenement of Compass, an ed-tech company that is built in Australia in consultation with teachers from right across the country.”

The Victorian-headquartered Compass launched in Western Australia in 2019 and prior to this deal is used by 150+ schools in the state.

According to the tech company, WA’s Education Department broke the tender up into four categories including school administration, student administration, timetabling and finance – three of which were awarded to Compass. The finance part of the solution will be delivered by Compass in partnership with TechnologyOne.

TechnologyOne CEO Ed Chung said his company will support the billing, finance, accounting, budgeting and management reporting function for the Department and the schools it serves, providing real-time insights across cash flows and performance to drive efficiency, streamline processes, and save time and money.

“Our solution empowers more than 1.4 million students globally across K-12 and higher education, partnering with Catholic Education, and some of the world’s leading universities. TechnologyOne is also trusted by one in four public sector organisations across Australia and New Zealand,” he said.