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General Qualifications Logistics Service

Department for Education

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

10 Aug 2026 at 15:58

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Education is preparing to re-procure its General Qualifications Logistics Service, supporting the Standards and Testing Agency. The service provides a single secure route for examination officers at secondary and further education establishments across England to send completed examination scripts for marking. Activity takes place throughout the year, with the main peak during the annual summer examination series in May and June. The requirement is for courier and secure collection and delivery services for examination materials, aligned with Crown Commercial Service framework RM6354, Lot 3c. The work is delivered across England and is classified as courier services. It is intended for suppliers already registered on that framework lot.

This procurement is at the planning and preliminary market engagement stage; it is not an invitation to tender. The Department for Education expects to use the Crown Commercial Service Courier, Distribution, Storage and Specialist Solutions Framework, Lot 3c, for the future competition. One-to-one market engagement sessions are planned, with supplier engagement scheduled by 4 September 2026, and the next notice is currently expected on 28 September 2026. The anticipated initial contract period is 1 September 2027 to 31 August 2032, with renewal potential extending to 31 August 2034. The estimated value for the initial five years is between £40 million and £49 million, with a published upper value of £49 million. The single lot is identified as suitable for SMEs.

This will suit secure logistics, courier and specialist examination-materials providers with access to the relevant Crown Commercial Service framework lot. Suppliers should prepare for a nationwide service covering all months of the year, with sufficient operational capacity for a substantial annual surge during May and June. Relevant strengths are secure collection and delivery, reliable chain-of-custody controls, timed or coordinated distribution, nationwide coverage and the ability to handle sensitive completed examination scripts. The buyer is using the engagement to understand current market capability and best practice, and is seeking supplier views on service requirements, innovation, market developments, risks, challenges and dependencies. Participation is for information gathering only and will not form part of the later procurement evaluation or confer an advantage.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

General Qualifications Logistics Service

Notice Description

The Department for Education (DfE) is preparing to re-procure its General Qualifications Logistics Service. The Standards and Testing Agency (The Authority) is an executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE). The Authority is responsible for primary assessments and the General Qualifications Logistics Service (GQLS). The GQLS covers all secondary and further education establishments in England and provides a single means for Examination Officers to despatch packages of completed exam scripts for marking. There is activity in all months, but the major peak is the annual summer examination series which runs across May and June. We intend to utilise the Crown Commercial Service Courier, Distribution, Storage and Specialist Solutions Framework (RM6354), Lot 3c - Secure Collection and Delivery of Examination Test Papers and Materials. You are receiving this email because you are a registered supplier on this framework lot. Before launching the Invitation to Tender (ITT), we would like to engage with the market to gather supplier feedback and insights that will help us shape the procurement approach and ensure our requirements reflect current market capability and best practice. To support this activity, we are inviting suppliers to attend a one-to-one market engagement session with the DfE project team. These sessions will provide an opportunity to: * Understand DfE's high-level requirements and objectives * Provide feedback on the proposed service requirements. * Share views on market developments, innovation and opportunities. * Identify potential risks, challenges and dependencies. The engagement sessions are intended solely for information gathering and market research purposes. Participation in these sessions will not form part of any future procurement evaluation process and will not provide any supplier with an advantage in any subsequent competition. The estimated value of the contract for the initial 5 years is currently being determined and is anticipated to fall within the range of PS40 million to PS49 million.

Planning Information

We are inviting suppliers to attend a one-to-one market engagement session with the DfE project team. These sessions will provide an opportunity to: • Understand DfE's high-level requirements and objectives • Provide feedback on the proposed service requirements. • Share views on market developments, innovation and opportunities. • Identify potential risks, challenges and dependencies. The engagement sessions are intended solely for information gathering and market research purposes. Participation in these sessions will not form part of any future procurement evaluation process and will not provide any supplier with an advantage in any subsequent competition. Further information will be shared via Jaggaer to all the framework suppliers.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06e07d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/075872-2026
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
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

64 - Postal and telecommunications services

CPV Codes

64120000 - Courier services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£49,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
10 Aug 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
28 Sep 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Sep 2027 - 31 Aug 2032 Over 5 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
Department for Education
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
SW1P 3BT
Postcode Area
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

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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