Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
General Dental Council
37 Wimpole Street
London
W1G 8DQ
Contact
Erica Williams
Telephone
+44 2071676000
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.6) Main activity
Other activity
Regulator
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Provision of Part 2 of the GDC Statutory Examination - Overseas Registration Examination (ORE)
Reference number
GDC-2017-001
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 80000000 - Education and training services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The GDC intends to extend its existing contract for the Provision of Part 2 of the GDC Statutory Examination - Overseas Registration Examinations (ORE) for a period of 20 months and 3 days, from 28 July 2023 to continue to fulfil the intentions of the original contract by supporting the delivery of examination services. This services under the ORE contract relates to “social and other specific services” listed in Schedule 3 to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) (PCR) and is therefore subject to the ‘light touch regime’ in accordance with Regulations 74 to 77 of the PCR.
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: £12,000,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
Main site or place of performance
UNITED KINGDOM
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The GDC is the UK-wide statutory regulator and has a statutory duty (under the Dentists Act 1984 (as amended) to provide a statutory examination for overseas dentists who wish to register as a dentist with the GDC. Part 2 is designed for candidates to demonstrate practical clinical skills. All questions are mapped to learning outcomes found in our 'Preparing for Practice' document which can be found at https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/registration-for-dcps-qualified-overseas/preparing-for-practice-(revised-2015)-(3)9cfe2565e7814f6b89ff98149f436bc7.pdf?sfvrsn=ab3900f4_7 . The Part 2-examination is in effect a safety-related test of competence, when passed allows candidates eligibility to register with the GDC. It is a legal requirement to be registered with the GDC in order to practice in the UK.
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
two.2.14) Additional information
Additional information in relation the Part 2 examination can be found here ORE Part 2 (gdc-uk.org).
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations
Explanation:
The GDC and Government have been working to modernise the Dental Act 1984 to enable greater flexibility for exam delivery. This change was anticipated for summer 2022, but due to several compounding circumstances outside of the GDC’s control the timetable remained uncertain and was delayed. The Order 2023 (the Order) came into force on 8th March 2023. The reforms that flow from the Order removed the need for the ORE to be provided by a dental authority. The changes should allow us to improve efficiency and capacity of the exam. For more information, please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-the-general-dental-council-and-the-nursing-and-midwifery-councils-international-registration-legislation/changes-to-the-general-dental-council-and-the-nursing-and-midwifery-councils-international-registration-legislation The changes could significantly amend the scope of the services and open up the market to new suppliers who were previously prohibited from bidding. Before the GDC can take advantage of the new flexibility, the GDC needs to develop and consult on a new set of rules. The final rules should be published in Spring 2024. The rules will underpin the scope and nature of the services required under a new procurement. Additional services have now become necessary to support the protection of the public and patients. The GDC is relying on Regulation 72(1)(b) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015: a)the additional services have become necessary to continue to allow overseas registrations to continue until the implementation of the rules pursuant to the new Order allow for a procurement for the services under the updated rules. b) a change of contractor cannot be made for economic or technical reasons. There is significant preparatory work required to set up the services. This is one of only two types of this exam currently offered in the UK for Overseas dentists. It requires specific technical expertise to run the exam that has to date not presented itself in the market. c)a change of contractor would cause significant impact and substantial duplication of costs to the GDC. The GDC has a statutory obligation to run the ORE and was required to pause the exam due to Covid 19 restrictions, this has caused a significant backlog of candidates. Candidates only have one five-year period to complete the ORE, they cannot re-apply. Therefore, they would not be able to practice in the UK and overtime may reduce to number of dental professional available to practice in the UK. d)The extension includes an additional sum payable to the consortium to account for the management and delivery of up to 7 diets across 20 months and 3 days. The cost for the additional diets does not exceed 50% of the value of the original contract. The GDC intends to execute the Contract extension following the expiry of a 10-day period from the date of publication of this notice.
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: 2022/S 000-003460
Section five. Award of contract/concession
Contract No
GDC-2017-001
Title
Provision of Part 2 of the GDC Statutory Examination - Overseas Registration Examination (ORE)
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
10 July 2023
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: Yes
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
UCL Eastman Dental Hospital
256 Gray’s Inn Road
London
WC1X 8LD
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
National registration number
N/A
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
The Royal College of Surgeons of England
35 - 43 Lincoln Inn Field
London
WC2A 3PE
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
National registration number
N/A
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
University College London
123 Gray’s Inn Road
London
WC1X 8WD
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
National registration number
N/A
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
Queen Mary, University of London Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
Institute of Dentistry of Turner Street
LONDON
E1 2AD
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
National registration number
N/A
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot/concession: £8,002,376
Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £12,000,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
Provision of contracted services include: -Deliver the 4 components of the clinical examinations. -Suitable venues to hold examinations within the UK, suitable to accommodate up to c. 800 candidates per year -Provision of services, material, equipment, and personnel -Suitably qualified and experienced examiners -Project Management and administration -Candidate Management -Working with the GDC to ensure the examinations a delivered effectively and in accordance with the examination blueprint and Preparing for Practice and the ORE Advisory Group to ensure the relevant standard is maintained and the continuous improvement of the examination The GDC is currently planning a re-procurement exercise of the services to commence in 2024.
To view this notice, please click here:
https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=776053086" target="_blank">https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=776053086
GO Reference: GO-2023714-PRO-23406145
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
General Dental Council
37 Wimpole Street
London
Telephone
+44 2071676000
Country
United Kingdom