Award

Contract for services to evaluate the Office for Students regulation of quality

  • Office for Students

UK6: Contract award notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-050736

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-055504 (view related notices)

Published 22 August 2025, 10:05am



Scope

Reference

PRN2371

Description

The Office for Students (OfS) is embarking on evaluating our approach to regulating and driving up quality. As part of a wider programme of evaluation activity, the OfS requires a contract with a single supplier to deliver evaluation services on a call-off basis. To establish a baseline, an initial piece of work will involve provider case studies and a provider survey. The case studies will give a deep exploration of providers' understanding and engagement with the OfS's current approach to regulating quality. The survey will expand on the case studies with a broad and representative understanding of the same issues.

To understand the effect of changes to our current approach, we anticipate that there will be future work orders for further rounds of case studies, further repeated rounds of the survey, and other primary data collection may also be required.

To view this notice, please click here:

https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=975352321


Contract 1

Supplier

Contract value

  • £500,000 excluding VAT
  • £600,000 including VAT

Above the relevant threshold

Award decision date

21 August 2025

Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers

21 August 2025

Standstill period

  • End: 3 September 2025
  • 8 working days

Earliest date the contract will be signed

5 September 2025

Contract dates (estimated)

  • 10 September 2025 to 9 September 2031
  • Possible extension to 9 September 2033
  • 8 years

Description of possible extension:

This is entirely dependent on future decisions to award further work orders and there is no guaranteed level of spend under this contract.

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

  • 79419000 - Evaluation consultancy services

Contract locations

  • UK - United Kingdom

Information about tenders

  • 7 tenders received
  • 7 tenders assessed in the final stage:
    • 5 submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
    • 0 submitted by voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
  • 1 supplier awarded contracts
  • 6 suppliers unsuccessful (details included for contracts over £5 million)

Procedure

Procedure type

Open procedure


Supplier

Ecorys UK Ltd

  • Companies House: 01650169

Albert House Quay Place

Birmingham

B1 2RA

United Kingdom

Contact name: Sue Harding

Telephone: +44121 2128801

Email: sue.harding@ecorys.com

Region: UKG31 - Birmingham

Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): Yes

Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No

Supported employment provider: No

Public service mutual: No

Contract 1


Contracting authority

Office for Students

  • Public Procurement Organisation Number: PYZM-6681-RPZP

Westward House, Lime Kiln Close, Stoke Gifford

Bristol

BS34 8SR

United Kingdom

Telephone: 0117 931 7149

Email: procurement@officeforstudents.org.uk

Region: UKK12 - Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire

Organisation type: Public authority - central government