Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
UK CAT Consortium Ltd
B-Floor, Medical School, QMC, Nottingham
Nottingham
NG7 2UH
UK
Contact person: Rachel Greatrix
E-mail: rachel.greatrix@nottingham.ac.uk
NUTS: UKF14
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.ucat.ac.uk/
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.ucat.ac.uk/
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Education
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
The Delivery and Development of the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)
Reference number: INT-UC01
II.1.2) Main CPV code
80000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.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.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
26 500 000.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
72000000
48000000
80320000
80300000
72500000
72200000
80490000
72316000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
Main site or place of performance:
II.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.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: quality
/ Weighting: 60
Price
/ Weighting:
40
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
II.2.14) Additional information
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
No
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2023/S 000-022032
Section V: Award of contract
Contract No: 0
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
12/12/2023
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 2
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from 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
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Pearson Professional Assessments Limited
80 Strand
London
WC2R 0RL
UK
NUTS: UKI
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot:
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 27 000 000.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
UK CAT Consortium Ltd
Nottingham
UK
VI.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
02/04/2025