Notice Information
Notice Title
Invitation to Tender for Item Writing Service Framework for Standards and Testing Agency
Notice Description
The Department of Education, the Standards and Testing Agency (STA), is inviting potential suppliers to submit their bids for the new 2025-2029 Item Writing Services Framework.
Lot Information
Lot 1
The Department of Education, the Standards and Testing Agency (STA), is inviting potential suppliers to submit their bids for the new 2025-2029 Item Writing Services Framework. As part of the test development process, the STA, on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE), is seeking to appoint suppliers experienced in item writing to support the development of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests. We require a number of suppliers who are capable of understanding the relevant programmes of study, test frameworks, and curricula for particular tests, and developing high-quality test items with accompanying mark schemes and/or coding frames. Successful suppliers will be added to the Item Writing Framework 2025-2029 and will have the opportunity to bid for each call-off from the framework between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2029. Once an organisation has been accepted onto the framework, they will bid for item writing services contracts. An Invitation to Tender (ITT) will be disseminated to all those on the framework for all work. Each call-off from this framework will provide detailed requirements, including the subject and content domain areas, item types, mark range, difficulty range, and other desired properties. The core requirements for the Item Writing Services Framework include the delivery of the following services in order to support the development of high-quality, accessible, and inclusive items suitable for DfE assessments: Key Stages 1 and 2 English grammar, punctuation, and spelling, English reading, and mathematics. * Item writing * Informal item trialling * Reviewing, refining and amending items * Item classification * Design (items and texts) * Text searching / sourcing (English reading) * Reviewing texts (English reading) * Text selection (English reading)/Context selection (science) * Text trialling (English reading) * Informal item and text trialling (English reading) * Printing to meet handover or trialling requirements * Developing mark schemes * Developing coding frames * Administration/ organisation of various elements The initial framework term will be four years (September 2025 - August 2029). There is an option to extend the framework term for up to 12 months, until August 2030.
Options: One optional extension of up 12 months
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-04dd9b
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/004513-2025
- Current Stage
- Tender
- All Stages
- Planning, Tender
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- Planning Notice
- Procurement Type
- Framework
- Procurement Category
- Services
- Procurement Method
- Selective
- Procurement Method Details
- Competitive procedure with negotiation
- Tender Suitability
- Not specified
- 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
- £2,500,000 £1M-£10M
- Lots Value
- £2,500,000 £1M-£10M
- Awards Value
- Not specified
- Contracts Value
- Not specified
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 11 Feb 20251 years ago
- Submission Deadline
- 30 Apr 2025Expired
- Future Notice Date
- Not specified
- Award Date
- Not specified
- Contract Period
- 31 Aug 2025 - 31 Aug 2029 4-5 years
- Recurrence
- Not specified
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Active
- Lots Status
- Active
- Awards Status
- Not Specified
- Contracts Status
- Not Specified
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION
- Contact Name
- Not specified
- Contact Email
- tenderstd.sta@education.gov.uk
- Contact Phone
- +44 8700012345
Buyer Location
- Locality
- LONDON
- Postcode
- SW1P 3BT
- Post Town
- South West London
- Country
- England
-
- Major Region (ITL 1)
- TLI London
- Basic Region (ITL 2)
- TLI3 Inner London - West
- Small Region (ITL 3)
- TLI35 Westminster and City of London
- Delivery Location
- Not specified
-
- Local Authority
- Westminster
- Electoral Ward
- St James's
- Westminster Constituency
- Cities of London and Westminster
Further Information
Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
View full OCDS Record for this contracting process
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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