---
title: "Electronic Marking System"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000757449"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000757449"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000757449.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000757449.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "SCOTTISH QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY"
published: "2024-10-11"
---

# Electronic Marking System

Buyer: SCOTTISH QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000757449

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000757449)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000757449.json)

## Summary

```html

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has completed the procurement process for extending its current Electronic Marking System. The contracting authority, SQA, is located in Dalkeith, Midlothian, and the delivery locations include their offices at the Optima Building in Glasgow and their Dalkeith headquarters. This process falls under the Education industry category and has been conducted under a limited procurement method without prior publication of a call for competition. The decision was driven by ongoing organisational changes and the need to maintain continuous service delivery. The contract, initially set to expire in February 2025, has now been extended to February 2027 to align with the upcoming operational changes recommended by the Hayward Review and the broader Education Reform programme.

This contract extension provides significant opportunities for businesses involved in educational technology, specifically those offering electronic marking systems and associated services. Firms specialising in seamless integration and maintaining high-quality digital assessment tools may find this opportunity particularly beneficial. Larger companies like RM Education Ltd, which has been awarded this contract, demonstrate that the tender favours those with established, scalable solutions. However, smaller enterprises with innovative marking solutions could also play a vital role as the SQA plans to issue a Prior Information Notice in 2024 to engage the market further. This proactive market engagement aids in fostering growth for businesses seeking collaboration and expansion within the education sector.

```

## Notice

Extension to current Electronic Marking System

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Extension to SQA's current Electronic Marking System contract, required to their regulated duties as an awarding body

### Procurement Information

In June 2021 it was announced that that SQA was to be replaced and the subsequent announcement of the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment (Hayward Review) has meant that SQA's focus has been on maintaining risk free service delivery during the last 3 years of uncertainty, given multiple changes to our delivery model in that time. The outcomes of the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment (Hayward Review) could potentially have a significant impact on both the nature and volume of marking. Continued uncertainty on the outcomes from Hayward have hindered our ability to futureproof any contractual requirement at the key point at which we should have been redefining the marking model to inform a full tender exercise. With SQA being replaced, and the date for the new body not yet confirmed, late 2025 is the estimated timeline for the new body, SQA is required to consider the most appropriate approach to ensuring a continuity of functionality and a smooth continuation of the delivery of the National Qualifications diet. SQA is proposing to extend its current contract for an EMarking System for a further period of 2 years. The current contract is due to expire on the 28th Febuary 2025. This 2-year extension will take the contract to the 28th February 2027 and allow for a period of discovery and planning for a future direction of e-marking, aligning well with the ongoing work related to the wider Education Reform programme (to which SQA has already committed) to review both the portfolio of qualifications and the methods of assessment. SQA will during 2024 issue a Prior Information Notice to engage with market place on SQA's direction of travel with this service. This will happen once the outcomes of Hayward and the Education reform programme become clearer.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=OCT516037 |
| Notice type | OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 11 Oct 2024 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 29 Nov 2018 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £4,200,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | SCOTTISH QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY |
| Locality | MIDLOTHIAN |
| Post town | Edinburgh |
| Postcode | EH22 1FD |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM1 East Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM11 East Lothian and Midlothian |
| Local authority | Midlothian |
| Electoral ward | Dalkeith |
| Westminster constituency | Midlothian |
| Delivery location | TLM73 East Lothian and Midlothian |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | RM EDUCATION |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 48 - Software package and information systems

### Codes

- 48000000 - Software package and information systems

## Release History

- 11 Oct 2024 at 00:00 - Award - OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=OCT516037
- 28 Mar 2024 at 00:00 - Award - OJEU - F15 - Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAR502003

## Documents

- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAR502003
  Electronic Marking System - Extension to current Electronic Marking System
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=OCT516037
  Electronic Marking System - Extension to current Electronic Marking System

## Notice URLs

- http://
- http://www.sqa.org.uk
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000757449

## 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-r6ebe6-0000757449. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000757449.json.