Tender

Functional Skills Virtual Assessments for Upskilled NHS Staff

HEALTH EDUCATION ENGLAND

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

09 Apr 2021 at 09:21

Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process, initiated by Health Education England, is for the contract titled "Functional Skills Virtual Assessments for Upskilled NHS Staff." This project falls within the education and training services industry category and is aimed at addressing the challenges faced by approximately 15,000 NHS apprentices struggling with functional skills assessments. The tender is currently in the active stage, with a submission deadline of 10th May 2021. The contract will commence on 12th July 2021 and continue until 31st March 2022. The estimated value of the contract is £150,000, with a minimum value set at £50,000. The procurement method is open, inviting all interested suppliers to participate.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in education and training services, particularly those with capabilities in remote invigilation and digital assessment methodologies. Providers that can offer scalable solutions catering to various organisations, from large NHS Trusts to smaller care homes, will be well-positioned to compete. This project not only aims to fulfil a crucial need in the healthcare sector but also encourages innovative approaches to functional skills assessments, supporting business growth in a post-Covid-19 environment.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Functional Skills Virtual Assessments for Upskilled NHS Staff

Notice Description

Following on from the context set out within the tender documentation and based on current projections, the national Talent for Care team estimates that approximately 15,000 NHS apprentices may be struggling with functional skills. It must be noted, however, that this is an estimation, and the actual figure may be higher. When we extend the lens to also include social care, the number may reach double this. We have heard from employers in every region of England that they are still struggling to access exam provision - particularly "exam-only" provision, where the learner has not studied with the college or provider who would assess them. This is further exacerbated by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic because some providers are not meeting the challenge of providing Covid-safe assessments. This results in learners reaching a competence of level 2 in terms of knowledge but lacking the evidence to prove it, and therefore are unable to progress to positions where it is a requirement. We hope to be able to provide access to exams for at least 5,000 learners during this contract, but the exact number depends on employer uptake. The winning provider must be able to provide to at least double number this if that situation arises. We are looking to procure the most competitive national solution to the above problem i.e. the most Covid-19 safe and if/where applicable 100% digitally secure functional skills' assessments for the cost outlined. The winning assessment provider must be able to offer remote invigilation and meet the requirements of employers from across England (from Penzance to Penrith) and from across the entire health and social care sector. This means large-scale employers i.e. NHS Trusts where they may be cohorts of learners to GP surgeries and care homes where there is likely to be only 1 or 2, and everything in between these two examples. The number of learners (employees) with each employer will vary according to the local skills, mix and need. Capacity to support this must be outlined in the tender response. We believe that by procuring at this scale we can achieve a level of competitive pricing that is not possible for individual employers and that we can achieve greater national coverage.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-8d6fed96-cb16-4bc1-9c40-a4f68e4f5954
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/02f7eaf4-7a3a-4fbd-b9c8-be19ccf0f28a
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£150,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Apr 20214 years ago
Submission Deadline
10 May 2021Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
11 Jul 2021 - 31 Mar 2022 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
HEALTH EDUCATION ENGLAND
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LEEDS
Postcode
LS1 4PL
Post Town
Leeds
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE4 West Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE42 Leeds
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)
Local Authority
Leeds
Electoral Ward
Little London & Woodhouse
Westminster Constituency
Leeds Central and Headingley

Further Information

Notice Documents

Notice URLs

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

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