Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
UK CAT Consortium Ltd
B-Floor, Medical School, QMC, Nottingham
Nottingham
NG7 2UH
Contact
Rachel Greatrix
rachel.greatrix@nottingham.ac.uk
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKF14 - Nottingham
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Education
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
The Delivery and Development of the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)
Reference number
INT-UC01
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 80000000 - Education and training services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The UCAT Consortium is a consortium of 36 universities responsible for the delivery and development of a test used in undergraduate medical and dental selection. The purpose of the future procurement exercise is for the UCAT Consortium to appoint a supplier to deliver and further develop the test from 2025 onwards.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £26,500,000
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
- 48000000 - Software package and information systems
- 80320000 - Medical education services
- 80300000 - Higher education services
- 72500000 - Computer-related services
- 72200000 - Software programming and consultancy services
- 80490000 - Operation of an educational centre
- 72316000 - Data analysis services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The UCAT test is an aptitude exam, designed to measure innate cognitive abilities in addition to individuals’ judgement regarding situations encountered in a target role. The test is used in selection by a consortium of UK universities for entry to medical and dental training. The current exam consists of five separately timed subtests - Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning and the Situational Judgement Test. Items (questions) include those developed from operational items used in previous administrations and new items trialled in previous years. The Consortium owns the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in existing test content. The test is currently delivered to candidates at physical test locations in the UK and internationally from July through to October. A small number of candidates take the test online. In 2022 over 36,000 candidates sat the test. Test scores are delivered to universities in early November. The delivery of the test is underpinned by a commitment to excellent customer service including candidate access to a straightforward online booking system, provision of a wide range of accommodations for candidates with disabilities, extensive preparation advice to candidates and access to freely available preparation materials, and pre-equating of the test to allow candidates immediate access to their test scores. The Consortium wishes to appoint a supplier to develop and deliver services within the UK and Internationally from January 2025 (mobilisation period to start October 2024). The supplier may also be required to provide the test for use in selection by a consortium of Australia and New Zealand universities. It is anticipated that the contract will be awarded in December 2023.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: quality / Weighting: 60
Price - Weighting: 40
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2023/S 000-022032
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
0
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
12 December 2023
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 2
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 2
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Pearson Professional Assessments Limited
80 Strand
London
WC2R 0RL
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKI - London
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £26,500,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £27,000,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
UK CAT Consortium Ltd
Nottingham
Country
United Kingdom