Shares in this small-cap education company have hit a fresh 12-month high on a lucrative contract win

A lucrative contract with the New Zealand Government has sent this company's shares sharply higher.

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Key points

  • Janison Education has signed a five-year agreement with the New Zealand Government.
  • The company will supply key assessment technology over that time.
  • The deal is among the most significant signed by the company to date.

Shares in Janison Education Group Ltd (ASX: JAN) were trading sharply higher on Thursday after the company announced a contract which was one of its "most significant international wins".

The company said it had struck a five-year national contract with the New Zealand Ministry of Education to deliver the Student Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting Tool (SMART), for which the company would be paid about $21 million.

As Janison said in a statement to the ASX:

This assignment is a major national initiative, supporting twice-yearly assessments for students in Years 3 to 10 across reading, writing, maths, pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau. SMART will play a central role in New Zealand's assessment … reporting and monitoring activity, delivering a bilingual approach to understanding student learning progress across Aotearoa. Work on the assignment commenced via a bridging contract in July 2025 and will continue under the newly executed five-year agreement. The world-class bilingual SMART will be delivered using Janison's secure and scalable online assessment platform, providing a long-term digital foundation for national assessment in New Zealand.

The $21 million would be the minimum contract revenues over the period, the company said, with year one revenue estimated at $3 million.

Validation of company's technology

Janison Chief Executive Officer Sujata Stead said that it was a great milestone for the company.

This agreement represents one of Janison's most significant international wins, demonstrating the relevance and scalability of our solutions beyond Australia. We're proud Janison has been selected to partner with the New Zealand Ministry of Education on such an important national initiative, and we look forward to supporting the Ministry in delivering a secure, scalable and culturally responsive assessment experience for learners across Aotearoa.

Janison shares were trading 16.7% higher on Thursday morning at 28 cents – a new 12-month high for the shares.

The share price has more than doubled from lows over the past 12 months of 13.7 cents.

In November, the company also announced a three-year contract, which was worth $719,000, with the Victorian Building and Plumbing Commission to deliver a digital assessment platform for building and plumbing accreditation applicants.

The company said that while the contract win was not material to the company, it validated its product suite for use in high-stakes testing.

Janison in August reported full-year revenue for FY25 of $47 million, up 9% over the previous corresponding period, and a net loss of $11.3 million, up from a loss of $8.1 million the previous year.

Janison was valued at $62.4 million at the close of trade on Wednesday.  

Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Janison Education Group. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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