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Return to Practice Test of Competence Preparation Programme

NHS England

This public procurement record has 6 releases in its history.

AwardUpdate

14 Oct 2026 at 11:50

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

14 Oct 2026 at 11:47

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

28 Aug 2026 at 11:55

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
TenderUpdate

02 Jul 2026 at 15:17

UK4 - Tender Notice
Tender

02 Jul 2026 at 15:05

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

22 Jun 2026 at 10:32

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Summary of the contracting process

NHS England procured the Return to Practice Test of Competence Preparation Programme, an education and training service for people returning to practice who need preparation for a test of competence. The programme is intended to support learners through the preparation required for that assessment. NHS England is the buyer, and NHS Professionals Limited was selected to deliver the service. The procurement was arranged as a single lot. The description identifies the programme but gives no further operational detail on its curriculum, delivery format or learner locations, so its relevance is clearest for providers with experience designing or delivering structured preparation and assessment training for health-sector returners.

The procurement is complete: NHS England awarded the contract to NHS Professionals Limited, and the contract was signed on 1 October 2026. The award date was 27 August 2026. The contract is valued at £4.8 million excluding VAT, with an initial term from 2 October 2026 to 30 September 2028 and optional extensions that could continue it until 31 March 2030. NHS England used an open procedure. The single-lot award was evaluated on technical quality (60%), commercial considerations (30%) and social value (10%). Two bids were received and two reached the final stage, including one from an SME. The award was recorded as pending in the award information, while the contract is recorded as active.

This award demonstrates NHS England’s demand for a substantial, learner-volume-based return-to-practice test preparation programme. A credible competitor for a future requirement would need to show strong technical capability in preparing health-sector returners for competence testing, alongside the capacity to serve the anticipated learner numbers. Technical quality carried the greatest evaluation weight, so evidence of an effective, well-designed programme would be central; commercial competitiveness and a convincing social-value offer also mattered. The single-lot structure indicates that the requirement was procured as one programme rather than separated into smaller packages. The contract’s potential extensions and the possibility of changes in scope or learner numbers make adaptable delivery capacity relevant. NHS Professionals Limited won against one other final-stage bidder.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Return to Practice Test of Competence Preparation Programme

Notice Description

Following an open procedure procurement process NHS England has awarded a contract to NHS Professionals for delivery of the Return to Practice Test of Competence Preparation Programme. The maximum end date of any agreement will be 31/3/2030. The initial term of the agreement will be for 2 years. The maximum value of any awarded agreement will be PS4,800,000 exc. VAT.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The contract may be extended up to 31/03/2030.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06b9c6
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/096926-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£4,800,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£4,800,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
£4,800,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£4,800,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
14 Oct 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
31 Jul 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
1 Jul 2026Expired
Award Date
27 Aug 20261 months ago
Contract Period
2 Oct 2026 - 30 Sep 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active, Pending
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS 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
LONDON
Postcode
SE1 8UG
Postcode Area
South East London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI45 Lambeth
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Lambeth
Electoral Ward
Waterloo & South Bank
Westminster Constituency
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

NHS PROFESSIONALS LIMITED

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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