--- title: "Tender for a concession agreement to provide Secure English Language Testing services" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0438ca" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0438ca" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0438ca.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0438ca.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "HOME OFFICE" published: "2024-02-09" --- # Tender for a concession agreement to provide Secure English Language Testing services Buyer: HOME OFFICE Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0438ca [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0438ca) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0438ca.json) ## Summary The Home Office has issued a tender for a concession agreement to provide Secure English Language Testing services. This procurement process is currently in the active stage and involves two lots: one for the UK and another for the Rest of the World (ROW). The total value of the procurement is £727 million. The tender period ends on April 19, 2024, with the bid opening scheduled for the same day. The duration of the concession agreement is 36 months, with potential extensions. Businesses in the services sector, particularly those providing general personnel services for the government and education and training services, would find this opportunity suitable. Participating in this tender could create growth opportunities for businesses offering language courses and personnel services. The Home Office, the buying organisation, based in London, United Kingdom, seeks operators to become approved providers for Secure English Language Tests. The procurement method is an open procedure covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). Interested suppliers must adhere to the suitability criteria outlined in the ITT instruction to the bidder pack on the Home Office's eSourcing tool. The tender specifically targets suppliers with expertise in conducting language tests under secure conditions. The award criteria for this tender is split into two lots - UK and ROW, encompassing different test volumes and geographies. ## Notice The Home Office seeks to award concession Agreements for operators to become approved providers in the UK (Lot 1) and the Rest of the World (Lot 2) ("ROW") of a Secure English Language Test (SELT), aligned to the Council of Europe Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). These tests will be used to prove English language abilities for UK visa or citizenship applications that require an applicant to prove their knowledge of English. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prove-your-english-language-abilities-with-a-secure-english-language-test-selt ### Lot Information UK Lot The Secretary of State for the Home Department, acting through the Home Office's UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), is the Authority which seeks to award concession Agreements for operators to become approved providers in the UK (Lot 1) of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) aligned to the Council of Europe Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Home Office immigration policy establishes an English language requirement that customers may be required to evidence for UK visa or citizenship applications. The SELT assesses a customer's competency in speaking and listening and dependent on the route of entry, reading and writing English, between levels A1 to C1 of the CERF. Tests are taken under UKVI-prescribed secure conditions where secure relates to: 1. Processes to verify the identity of the customer; 2. Ensuring that it is only the validated customer who takes the test and does so under exam conditions with an appropriately trained invigilator to eliminate the ability to cheat; 3. Ensuring results are not released until the provider has completed additional verification checks to ensure that collusion and fraud have not taken place; and 4. Ongoing audits, both internal and via external independent auditors, of the physical test points, processes and delivery systems in order to ensure that the security and integrity protocols are being strictly adhered to. Approximately 133,000 2-facet (speaking and listening) and 30,000 4-facet (reading, writing, speaking and listening) tests were taken in the UK in the period April 2022 to March 2023 inclusive. The Authority plans to award a maximum of two UK concession Agreements but reserves the right to award to fewer. Additional information on the service can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prove-your-english-language-abilities-with-a-secure-english-language-test-selt Renewal: The concession Agreement will run for 36 months with an option to extend for a further 12 months and a further 12 months after that Rest of the World ("ROW") The Secretary of State for the Home Department, acting through the Home Office's UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), is the Authority which seeks to award concession Agreements for operators to become approved providers in the Rest of the World excluding the UK (Lot 2) of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) aligned to the Council of Europe Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Home Office immigration policy establishes an English language requirement that customers may be required to evidence for UK visa or citizenship applications. The SELT assesses a customer's competency in speaking and listening and dependent on the route of entry, reading and writing English, between levels A1 to C1 of the CERF. Tests are taken under UKVI-prescribed secure conditions where secure relates to: 1. Processes to verify the identity of the customer; 2. Ensuring that it is only the validated customer who takes the test and does so under exam conditions with an appropriately trained invigilator to eliminate the ability to cheat; 3. Ensuring results are not released until the provider has completed additional verification checks to ensure that collusion and fraud have not taken place; and 4. Ongoing audits, both internal and via external independent auditors, of the physical test points, processes and delivery systems in order to ensure that the security and integrity protocols are being strictly adhered to. Approximately 58,000 2-facet (speaking and listening) and 495,000 4-facet (reading, writing, speaking and listening) tests were taken across 143 countries (excluding the UK) in the period April 2022 to March 2023 inclusive. For this tender the requirement spans 144 countries. Only the top 90% by volume for the period April 2022 to March 2023 are sown in the NUTS code field. The Authority plans to award a maximum of four ROW concession Agreements but reserves the right to award to fewer. Additional information on the service can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prove-your-english-language-abilities-with-a-secure-english-language-test-selt Renewal: The concession Agreement will run for 36 months with an option to extend for a further 12 months and a further 12 months after that ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/004412-2024 | | Notice type | Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 9 Feb 2024 | | Submission deadline | 19 Apr 2024 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | £727,000,000 | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Active | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | HOME OFFICE | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | Not specified | | Postcode | N/A | | Country | Not specified | | ITL 1 | Not specified | | ITL 2 | Not specified | | ITL 3 | Not specified | | Local authority | Not specified | | Electoral ward | Not specified | | Westminster constituency | Not specified | | 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), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England), TLN Northern Ireland | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 75 - Administration, defence and social security services - 80 - Education and training services ### Codes - 75131100 - General personnel services for the government - 80000000 - Education and training services - 80580000 - Provision of language courses ## Release History - 9 Feb 2024 at 12:11 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/004412-2024 ## Notice URLs - http://www.gov.uk/home-office - https://homeoffice.app.jaggaer.com - https://homeoffice.app.jaggaer.com/ - https://homeoffice.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prove-your-english-language-abilities-with-a-secure-english-language-test-selt ## 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-h6vhtk-0438ca. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0438ca.json.