--- title: "Functional Skills Virtual Assessments for Upskilled NHS Staff" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-8d6fed96-cb16-4bc1-9c40-a4f68e4f5954" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-8d6fed96-cb16-4bc1-9c40-a4f68e4f5954" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8d6fed96-cb16-4bc1-9c40-a4f68e4f5954.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8d6fed96-cb16-4bc1-9c40-a4f68e4f5954.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "HEALTH EDUCATION ENGLAND" published: "2021-04-09" --- # Functional Skills Virtual Assessments for Upskilled NHS Staff Buyer: HEALTH EDUCATION ENGLAND Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-b5fd17-8d6fed96-cb16-4bc1-9c40-a4f68e4f5954 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-8d6fed96-cb16-4bc1-9c40-a4f68e4f5954) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8d6fed96-cb16-4bc1-9c40-a4f68e4f5954.json) ## Summary The procurement process, initiated by Health Education England, is for the contract titled "Functional Skills Virtual Assessments for Upskilled NHS Staff." This project falls within the education and training services industry category and is aimed at addressing the challenges faced by approximately 15,000 NHS apprentices struggling with functional skills assessments. The tender is currently in the active stage, with a submission deadline of 10th May 2021. The contract will commence on 12th July 2021 and continue until 31st March 2022. The estimated value of the contract is £150,000, with a minimum value set at £50,000. The procurement method is open, inviting all interested suppliers to participate. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in education and training services, particularly those with capabilities in remote invigilation and digital assessment methodologies. Providers that can offer scalable solutions catering to various organisations, from large NHS Trusts to smaller care homes, will be well-positioned to compete. This project not only aims to fulfil a crucial need in the healthcare sector but also encourages innovative approaches to functional skills assessments, supporting business growth in a post-Covid-19 environment. ## Notice Following on from the context set out within the tender documentation and based on current projections, the national Talent for Care team estimates that approximately 15,000 NHS apprentices may be struggling with functional skills. It must be noted, however, that this is an estimation, and the actual figure may be higher. When we extend the lens to also include social care, the number may reach double this. We have heard from employers in every region of England that they are still struggling to access exam provision - particularly "exam-only" provision, where the learner has not studied with the college or provider who would assess them. This is further exacerbated by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic because some providers are not meeting the challenge of providing Covid-safe assessments. This results in learners reaching a competence of level 2 in terms of knowledge but lacking the evidence to prove it, and therefore are unable to progress to positions where it is a requirement. We hope to be able to provide access to exams for at least 5,000 learners during this contract, but the exact number depends on employer uptake. The winning provider must be able to provide to at least double number this if that situation arises. We are looking to procure the most competitive national solution to the above problem i.e. the most Covid-19 safe and if/where applicable 100% digitally secure functional skills' assessments for the cost outlined. The winning assessment provider must be able to offer remote invigilation and meet the requirements of employers from across England (from Penzance to Penrith) and from across the entire health and social care sector. This means large-scale employers i.e. NHS Trusts where they may be cohorts of learners to GP surgeries and care homes where there is likely to be only 1 or 2, and everything in between these two examples. The number of learners (employees) with each employer will vary according to the local skills, mix and need. Capacity to support this must be outlined in the tender response. We believe that by procuring at this scale we can achieve a level of competitive pricing that is not possible for individual employers and that we can achieve greater national coverage. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/02f7eaf4-7a3a-4fbd-b9c8-be19ccf0f28a | | Notice type | Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 9 Apr 2021 | | Submission deadline | 10 May 2021 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 11 Jul 2021 - 31 Mar 2022 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £150,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | HEALTH EDUCATION ENGLAND | | Locality | LEEDS | | Post town | Leeds | | Postcode | LS1 4PL | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLE Yorkshire and The Humber | | ITL 2 | TLE4 West Yorkshire | | ITL 3 | TLE42 Leeds | | Local authority | Leeds | | Electoral ward | Little London & Woodhouse | | Westminster constituency | Leeds Central and Headingley | | Delivery location | TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England) | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 80 - Education and training services ### Codes - 80000000 - Education and training services ## Release History - 9 Apr 2021 at 09:21 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/02f7eaf4-7a3a-4fbd-b9c8-be19ccf0f28a ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/02f7eaf4-7a3a-4fbd-b9c8-be19ccf0f28a 9th April 2021 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder - https://procontract.due-north.com/Opportunities/Index?p=40bb618e-0a24-e611-8114-000c29c9ba21&v=2 Further information relating to this project can be found at HEE's e-tendering portal at the link below. All clarification questions and submission bids must be received via this portal only. Registration is free of charge. ## Notice URLs - https://hee.nhs.uk/ ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-8d6fed96-cb16-4bc1-9c40-a4f68e4f5954. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8d6fed96-cb16-4bc1-9c40-a4f68e4f5954.json.