Tender

Provision of Simulated Patient Actors

UNIVERSITY OF LANCASTER

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

11 Mar 2026 at 13:12

Summary of the contracting process

Lancaster University is seeking tenders for the provision of Simulated Patient Actors to enhance the teaching and assessment processes at Lancaster Medical School. This procurement falls under the category of Education and Training Services and is aimed at supporting clinical simulations. The procurement follows an open procedure and is currently active, with the tender period closing on 15 April 2026 and the enquiry period ending on 10 April 2026. Businesses interested in submitting tenders can do so electronically via the Lancaster University e-tendering portal by the specified deadlines. The contract is valued at £660,000, with additional gross options considered, and will commence on 1 September 2026, possibly extending to 2031 if renewal options are exercised. The project will be executed across various regions in the United Kingdom.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for businesses specialising in actor services, particularly those with expertise in medical education contexts. Companies with experience in recruiting, training, and managing actors for simulated clinical scenarios will find this project highly relevant. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are deemed suitable, given the procurement's design to support varied contract requirements throughout the academic year. The assessment criteria emphasise quality service delivery, value for money, sustainability, and competitive pricing, offering considerable opportunities for businesses that excel in these areas. This tender is an ideal opportunity for suppliers to showcase their capability in delivering innovative and efficient educational services, further establishing their presence within the educational sector in the UK.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Provision of Simulated Patient Actors

Notice Description

Lancaster University is inviting tenders for the provision of Simulated Patient Actors to support teaching, training and assessment activities within Lancaster Medical School. The successful supplier will provide trained actors to participate in simulated clinical scenarios used in medical education, including teaching sessions and formal student assessments such as Objective Structured Clinical Examinations. Actors will be required to portray patients in a range of clinical situations and follow structured case briefs provided by the University. The contract will support the delivery of high-quality clinical simulation to enhance student learning and assessment within the Medical School.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: The University may require additional simulated patient actor sessions during the contract term depending on teaching, training and assessment requirements within Lancaster Medical School. The volume of services required may vary throughout the academic year and across contract years. Any additional services will be procured in accordance with the agreed pricing structure set out in the contract.

Renewal: The initial contract term will run for three (3) years from 1st September 2026 to 31st August 2029. The University may, at its discretion, extend the contract for up to two (2) additional periods of twelve (12) months each, subject to satisfactory supplier performance and continued service requirements. If both extension options are exercised, the contract may run until 31 August 2031.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06673c
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021763-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
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
£660,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£660,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
11 Mar 20263 days ago
Submission Deadline
15 Apr 20262 months to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Aug 2026 - 31 Aug 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
2031-03-01

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UNIVERSITY OF LANCASTER
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LANCASTER
Postcode
LA1 4YW
Post Town
Lancaster
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD4 Lancashire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD44 Lancaster and Wyre
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)

Local Authority
Lancaster
Electoral Ward
University
Westminster Constituency
Lancaster and Wyre

Further Information

Notice Documents

  • https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021763-2026
    11th March 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • https://in-tendhost.co.uk/lancaster/aspx/Home
    The procurement documents are available via the Lancaster University e-tendering portal In-Tend. Suppliers must register, access the tender documentation and submit their response electronically via: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/lancaster/aspx/Home Suppliers who are not already registered on the In-Tend portal will need to complete a registration before they can access the documents and participate in this procurement.

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.

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-06673c-2026-03-11T13:12:36Z",
    "date": "2026-03-11T13:12:36Z",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06673c",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-RC000657",
            "name": "UNIVERSITY OF LANCASTER",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-COH",
                "id": "RC000657"
            },
            "additionalIdentifiers": [
                {
                    "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                    "id": "PHYT-3516-XDZY"
                }
            ],
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Bailrigg",
                "locality": "Lancaster",
                "postalCode": "LA1 4YW",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKD44"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "tenders@lancaster.ac.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "http://https//www.lancaster.ac.uk",
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-COH-RC000657",
        "name": "UNIVERSITY OF LANCASTER"
    },
    "planning": {
        "noEngagementNoticeRationale": "Prior to commencing the procurement, the contracting authority undertook limited informal market engagement with two suppliers to better understand the market and inform the development of the specification and procurement approach. This engagement did not constitute a formal preliminary market engagement exercise and therefore a preliminary market engagement notice was not published."
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "SP/25/1450",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Provision of Simulated Patient Actors",
        "description": "Lancaster University is inviting tenders for the provision of Simulated Patient Actors to support teaching, training and assessment activities within Lancaster Medical School. The successful supplier will provide trained actors to participate in simulated clinical scenarios used in medical education, including teaching sessions and formal student assessments such as Objective Structured Clinical Examinations. Actors will be required to portray patients in a range of clinical situations and follow structured case briefs provided by the University. The contract will support the delivery of high-quality clinical simulation to enhance student learning and assessment within the Medical School.",
        "status": "active",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "80000000",
                        "description": "Education and training services"
                    }
                ],
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UKC",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKD",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKE",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKF",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKG",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKH",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKI",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKJ",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKK",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amountGross": 792000,
            "amount": 660000,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "procurementMethod": "open",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Open procedure",
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "specialRegime": [
            "lightTouch"
        ],
        "aboveThreshold": true,
        "submissionMethodDetails": "Tenders must be submitted electronically via the Lancaster University e-tendering portal (In-Tend) https://in-tendhost.co.uk/lancaster/aspx/Home",
        "submissionTerms": {
            "electronicSubmissionPolicy": "allowed",
            "languages": [
                "en"
            ]
        },
        "tenderPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2026-04-15T15:00:00+01:00"
        },
        "enquiryPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2026-04-10T12:00:00+01:00"
        },
        "awardPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2026-05-13T23:59:59+01:00"
        },
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "active",
                "value": {
                    "amountGross": 792000,
                    "amount": 660000,
                    "currency": "GBP"
                },
                "awardCriteria": {
                    "criteria": [
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Service Delivery",
                            "description": "Assessment of supplier's proposed approach to delivering simulated patient actor services, including recruitment, training, management of actors, reliability of service delivery and ability to meet the requirements of Lancaster Medical School teaching and assessment activities.",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 25,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Value for Money",
                            "description": "Assessment of how the supplier will deliver value for money across the contract, including efficient service delivery, resource management and the ability to support the University's teaching and assessment requirements effectively.",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 10,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Sustainability",
                            "description": "Assessment of the supplier's approach to sustainability, including environmental considerations, responsible operational practices and any initiatives that support social value or reduced environmental impact in the delivery of the service.",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 10,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Scenario Based Questions",
                            "description": "Assessment of responses to scenario based questions designed to evaluate the supplier's ability to respond to practical service delivery situations, including actor coordination, reliability, and the ability to support clinical teaching and assessment environments.",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 25,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "price",
                            "name": "Price",
                            "description": "Evaluation of the supplier's completed pricing schedule.",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 30,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        }
                    ]
                },
                "selectionCriteria": {
                    "criteria": [
                        {
                            "type": "economic",
                            "description": "Suppliers must demonstrate that they have the appropriate legal and financial standing to deliver the contract. Lancaster University will use financial stability using information provided in the tender submission, such as turnover and financial accounts, to ensure the supplier has sufficient economic capacity to perform the contract. Further details of the financial requirements and evaluation approach are set out in the procurement documents available via the Lancaster University e-tendering portal (In-Tend)."
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "technical",
                            "description": "Suppliers must demonstrate relevant experience and technical capability in providing simulated patient actors to support healthcare education, clinical training, or assessment environments. This may include evidence of the ability to recruit, train and manage actors to portray clinical scenarios, and to deliver services reliably in an educational or professional training setting. Full details of the technical and professional capability requirements are provided in the procurement documents."
                        }
                    ]
                },
                "suitability": {
                    "sme": true
                },
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2026-09-01T00:00:00+01:00",
                    "endDate": "2029-08-31T23:59:59+01:00",
                    "maxExtentDate": "2031-07-31T23:59:59+01:00"
                },
                "hasRenewal": true,
                "renewal": {
                    "description": "The initial contract term will run for three (3) years from 1st September 2026 to 31st August 2029. The University may, at its discretion, extend the contract for up to two (2) additional periods of twelve (12) months each, subject to satisfactory supplier performance and continued service requirements. If both extension options are exercised, the contract may run until 31 August 2031."
                },
                "hasOptions": true,
                "options": {
                    "description": "The University may require additional simulated patient actor sessions during the contract term depending on teaching, training and assessment requirements within Lancaster Medical School. The volume of services required may vary throughout the academic year and across contract years. Any additional services will be procured in accordance with the agreed pricing structure set out in the contract."
                }
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "conflictOfInterest",
                "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
                "description": "Not published"
            },
            {
                "id": "L-1",
                "documentType": "technicalSpecifications",
                "url": "https://in-tendhost.co.uk/lancaster/aspx/Home"
            },
            {
                "id": "L-2",
                "documentType": "biddingDocuments",
                "description": "The procurement documents are available via the Lancaster University e-tendering portal In-Tend. Suppliers must register, access the tender documentation and submit their response electronically via: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/lancaster/aspx/Home Suppliers who are not already registered on the In-Tend portal will need to complete a registration before they can access the documents and participate in this procurement.",
                "url": "https://in-tendhost.co.uk/lancaster/aspx/Home"
            },
            {
                "id": "021763-2026",
                "documentType": "tenderNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK4",
                "description": "Tender notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021763-2026",
                "datePublished": "2026-03-11T13:12:36Z",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ],
        "hasRecurrence": true,
        "recurrence": {
            "dates": [
                {
                    "startDate": "2031-03-01T23:59:59Z"
                }
            ]
        }
    },
    "language": "en"
}