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Office for Students: Contract for Fit and Proper (FPP) checks

Office for Students

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

30 Jun 2026 at 12:59

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Tender

31 Jul 2025 at 14:05

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Office for Students, a central government authority based in Bristol, has awarded a contract to Certn (UK) Ltd for conducting Fit and Proper (FPP) checks on key individuals from higher education providers in England. The contract, under the legal basis of UKPGA 2023/54, is part of the ongoing registration process for educational providers. Initiated as an open procurement method, this contract amounts to a gross value of £130,320, and includes a possibility of renewal up to June 2031. The procurement process was concluded with the award status marked as complete as of 30th June 2026, and the contract was signed on 8th June 2026. The services fall under the business services category, encompassing legal, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing, and security services, with the location focus in the United Kingdom's Southern region (UKK1).

This tender presents significant growth opportunities for businesses operating in the business services sector, especially those specialising in law, consulting, and security. SMEs, like Certn (UK) Ltd, are well-suited for such contracts, given the procurement's preference for open competition below threshold levels. Companies with expertise in due diligence and compliance checks can particularly benefit from participating in similar tenders. The lengthy contract period, which may extend up to 2031, offers stable, long-term financial prospects for businesses equipped to deliver comprehensive background assessments. This opportunity is ideal for firms seeking to expand their governmental client portfolio and fortify their service offerings in regulatory compliance.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Office for Students: Contract for Fit and Proper (FPP) checks

Notice Description

When providers of higher education in England apply to register with the Office for Students, the registration team conduct FPP checks on key individuals as part of the initial registration process and on an ongoing basis as part of the ongoing conditions of registration. The supplier is expected to provide a way of enabling the OfS to check whether key individuals at each provider applying to register with the OfS are fit and proper. The checks may be conducted on individuals the OfS consider relevant and would include roles such as (but not limited to) the accountable officer, the Chair of the governing body or the company secretary. The type of checks to be conducted may vary between individuals and could include any or all of the following: *Current disqualification as a director *Current disqualification as a charity trustee or trustee for a charity *Undischarged bankrupt *Unspent criminal conviction *Adverse findings in relevant civil procedure *Adverse findings in disciplinary hearings *Adverse findings in the education sector *Adverse findings for use of public funds *Previously being refused licence to trade *Guilty under s.199 ECTA [2023] *Criminal Offence in relation to tax *Insolvency or liquidation *Previous bankruptcy *Previous removal as Trustee of Charity or Charity Trustee

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: 2 years extension until 31 October 2029 and then a further 1 year until 31 October 2030

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-056a3b
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/061225-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£96,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
£96,000 Under £100K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£108,600 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Jun 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
26 Aug 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
8 Jun 20262 months ago
Contract Period
10 Jun 2026 - 9 Jun 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Office for Students
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS34 8SR
Postcode Area
Bristol
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire
Delivery Location
TLK1 Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol/Bath area
Local Authority
South Gloucestershire
Electoral Ward
Stoke Gifford
Westminster Constituency
Filton and Bradley Stoke

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Certn (UK) Ltd

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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