Planning

Driver Training

DRIVER AND VEHICLE STANDARDS AGENCY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

29 Oct 2025 at 13:35

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process for driver training services, targeting industry categories such as education and training, and technical training services. This preliminary market engagement exercise will be conducted online, beginning with an initial engagement event on 10th November 2025, and a Request for Information (RFI) due by 19th November 2025. The procurement process involves a comprehensive training programme for new Driving Examiners, aimed at expanding examiner capacity while maintaining high standards of safety and professionalism. The total budget for this opportunity is £6,480,000, with the procurement spanning from June 2026 to May 2029, possibly extending to May 2030. The services will be provided across the United Kingdom as part of a central government initiative facilitated by the DVSA, located in Bristol, UK.

This tender presents lucrative opportunities for businesses specialising in blended learning models and innovative training solutions. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) are encouraged to participate. Suitable businesses would offer expertise in developing scalable, cost-effective training programmes that integrate in-car, classroom, online, and virtual formats. The engagement process is designed to uncover innovative solutions that support DVSA's strategic objectives, making this an ideal opportunity for businesses capable of delivering advanced training techniques and test procedural knowledge. The exercise aims to identify approaches that can add value, flexibility, and impact to DVSA's training programme, providing significant growth potential for the selected provider.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Driver Training

Notice Description

This is a Preliminary Market Engagement Exercise and does not constitute a tendering opportunity or a call for competition. DVSA is seeking market insight from potential providers to inform the future delivery model for training new Driving Examiners. The purpose of this engagement is to shape a forthcoming procurement strategy that supports onboarding for c. 400 new entrants per year while ensuring the continued delivery of high standards in safety, consistency, and professionalism. DVSA is initiating this market engagement to explore external delivery options for a comprehensive 7-week training programme for Driving Examiners. The programme is expected to be delivered through a blended learning model incorporating in-car, classroom, online, and virtual formats. This engagement seeks to identify innovative, scalable, and cost-effective solutions that can support DVSA's strategic objective of increasing examiner capacity while maintaining operational excellence. The training programme is designed to: * Equip examiners with advanced driving techniques * Ensure consistent application of test control procedures * Strengthen fault assessment and decision-making capabilities * Promote high standards of customer service and professionalism * Achieve our goal of high standards of road safety behaviour Training Programme Overview Week 1 - Infield Week * Welcome, safety briefings, admin setup * Eyesight checks, customer service fundamentals * Introduction to theory test, sat-nav SOP, route learning * Shadowing live driving tests * Completion of mandatory Civil Service Learning modules Week 2 - Virtual Training * Online sessions covering examiner responsibilities and DVSA standards * Deep dive into the DVSA Essential Skills manual * Shadowing live tests and virtual coffee morning with DVSA CEO Week 3 - Control Training (Part 1) * Practice test delivery, standard wordings, and safety checks * Use of Digital and Paper Test Reports (DTR/PTR) * Online modules: Speaking Challenge, Emergency Stop Week 4 - Control Training (Part 2) * Full test delivery from waiting room to conclusion * Route knowledge, feedback delivery, and customer service * Online modules: Debriefing Faults, Customer Service & Wordings Week 5 - Assessment Training (Part 1) * Fault identification and assessment * Eyesight failure procedures and customer care * Delivered in small groups at regional centres Week 6 - Assessment Training (Part 2) * Differentiating fault types (minor, serious, dangerous) * Verbal and physical interventions, test terminations Week 7 - Assessment & Consolidation * Full test simulations with complex scenarios * Final progress checks and readiness assessment As part of our strategic market engagement, we are exploring the most effective approach to delivering a comprehensive training solution. We are particularly interested in understanding how specialist providers can contribute to different components of the training offer to deliver enhanced value, flexibility, and impact. We welcome insights and proposals that demonstrate how your expertise could support our objectives and form part of a broader, high-performing solution. Please note this is a draft outline of the requirement and will be subject to amendment prior to any potential procurement exercise. The contract start date is an estimate and may be amended prior to any potential procurement exercise.

Planning Information

Key Dates Initial Engagement Event: Monday 10th November 2025 Request for Information (RFI): To be provided on Wednesday 12th November 2025 following the initial engagement event. Suppliers will need to respond to the RFI ahead of the 1:1 engagement events. 1:1 Engagement Events during week commencing 24th November : Exact date and time to be agreed with suppliers Initial Engagement Event The purpose of this market engagement event is to gage interest and understand the markets potential for any future opportunity, which is subject to both internal and external approvals. The market engagement event will follow this agenda: • Overview of the requirement from DVSA • Brief the market on our potential future opportunity • Set our topics we want to explore at future engagement events • Questions from suppliers How to Attend  The initial market engagement event will be taking place at 10am on Monday 10th November 2025 via Microsoft Teams.  If you wish to attend the initial market engagement event, please confirm your attendance and the email addresses of those attending (a maximum of 2 per supplier), by 16:00hrs on Thursday 6th November 2025. Request For Information (RFI) The RFI Questionnaire will be available to download on DfT’s Jaggaer eSourcing platform on Wednesday 12th November 2025 after the initial market engagement event. It is recommended you attend the initial market engagement event to fully understand the requirements before completing and submitting the RFI Questionnaire. The deadline to submit the RFI Questionnaire is Wednesday 19th November. Please submit your responses via DfT’s eSourcing Portal, Jaggaer. 1:1 Engagement Event Following the initial market engagement event and supplier responses to the RFI Questionnaire, DVSA will be offering interested suppliers to attend 1:1 engagement event to look further into topics identified within the initial engagement event, discuss your response to the RFI Questionnaire and obtain further feedback from the market. There will also be the opportunity to discuss directly with the subject matter experts within DVSA on particular areas of interest. This engagement will help DVSA shape any potential future requirement. These 1:1 events are likely to be carried out week commencing 24th November2025. Please note that to ensure transparency across all suppliers, a single structure for the sessions will be created and followed for all suppliers, and any new information will be shared openly. How to attend These sessions will be organised with the suppliers directly. To access the Market Engagement Instructions, and subsequent RFI Questionnaire, and respond, you will need to be registered as a supplier on Jaggaer. This is the link to access DfT’s Jaggaer eSourcing Portal: https://dft.app.jaggaer.com The opportunity is listed as a PQQ in Jaggaer, please search for the opportunity ‘Driver Training’ If you have any technical issues registering, contact Jaggaer‘s helpdesk: 0800 069 8630 help_uk@jaggaer.com Note that you will require a DUNS number (Dun and Bradstreet) to register. If you do not know your number, search for it via the following link: https://www.dnb.co.uk/duns-number/lookup.html If a DUNS number is not found, follow the guidance on how to acquire one.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05d643
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/069386-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
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

80500000 - Training services

80510000 - Specialist training services

80530000 - Vocational training services

80531000 - Industrial and technical training services

80531200 - Technical training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£5,400,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
29 Oct 20252 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
2 Feb 20263 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 May 2026 - 31 May 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DRIVER AND VEHICLE STANDARDS AGENCY
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
commercialenquiries@dvsa.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS5 0DA
Post Town
Bristol
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK51 Bristol, City of
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Bristol, City of
Electoral Ward
Lawrence Hill
Westminster Constituency
Bristol East

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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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