Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice
Published 14 May 2025, 08:23 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Combined Business Admin and Senior Healthcare Support Worker EPAO Contract

Official notice

Authority: Ministry of Defence (Central government)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitableVCSE suitable
Sectors: Education & Training (80) Delivery: UK
Published estimate£1,988,000≈ £398k / year · £2,385,600 inc. VAT54.5% below final estimate
Submissions closed 8 Sept 2025awarded 2 Dec 2025
Awarded to Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance Ltd2 awards
Contract term 5 yrsends 31 Jul 2031 · starts 1 Aug 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Once appointed the End Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) will be responsible for delivering the following activities in connection with the apprenticeship standard:

  • Assessment Design and Delivery
  • Governance, Quality Assurance and Continual Improvement
  • Communications with Stakeholders
  • Learner Management
  • Dealing with Complaints, Appeals, Re-Sits and Re-Takes

CPV: Education and training services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Awarded 5 yrsSMEVCSEPublished value£1,988,000
Contract period: 1 Aug 2026 – 31 Jul 2031 (5 yrs)Value: £1,988,000 exc. VAT · £2,385,600 inc. VAT
Delivery: UKEligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
How bids were scored
  • Technical response (including social value)
  • Price (total to deliver requirement)

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
14 May 2025, 08:23 BST
Last source update
12 Jan 2026, 10:14 GMT
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 1 Dec 2025
Authority reference
714829452
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-043499
Latest notice
Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV)
Education and training services
Delivery area
UK
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-051285 Find a Tender
Contract terms summary

Payment will be made via the Contracting, Purchasing and Finance (CP&F) system / EXOSTAR.

Payment to be made in the form of quarterly milestone payments, paid within 30 days of invoice received when the service, training and support has been received to an acceptable standard.

Review and risk notes
Risks
  1. DfE Changes – Potential changes to Department for Education (DfE) policies or funding and apprenticeship delivery and assessment regulations.
  2. Apprenticeship Cessation – The discontinuation of specific apprenticeship standards or frameworks.
  3. . Introduction of New Apprenticeships – The implementation of new or additional apprenticeship standards that may require adjustments to existing contracts.
  4. Initial Trade Training (ITT) Changes – Modifications to ITT requirements or delivery methods.
  5. Army/Cap Badge Restructuring – Organisational changes within the Army or cap badge structures that could impact apprenticeship delivery.

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: Defence Sourcing Portal · Who buys & how to bid on MOD DSP
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free · registration requires an NCAGE code — obtain in advance · before you can bid: NCAGE
Submission deadline
8 Sept 2025, 17:00 BST
Clarification deadline
11 Aug 2025, 17:00 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

14 May 2025 → 1 Aug 2026 · 10 dates
  1. Planning notice published
    14 May 2025, 08:23 BST
  2. Tender notice published
    28 Jul 2025, 14:24 BST
  3. Clarification questions by
    11 Aug 2025, 17:00 BST
  4. Submission deadline
    8 Sept 2025, 17:00 BST
  5. Next notice expected389 days ago
    30 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
  6. Award decision expected by327 days ago
    1 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
  7. Assessment summaries sent327 days ago
    2 Dec 2025
  8. Standstill ends305 days ago
    23 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
  9. Latest notice published285 days ago
    12 Jan 2026, 10:14 GMT
  10. Contract starts85 days ago
    1 Aug 2026, 00:00 BST

Notice history

10 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 14 May 2025
  1. Pipeline notice published
    14 May 2025, 08:23 BST
    UK1
  2. Pipeline notice published
    10 Jun 2025, 09:08 BST
    UK1
  3. Tender notice published
    28 Jul 2025, 14:24 BST
    UK4
  4. Status changed to active
    28 Jul 2025, 14:24 BST
  5. Procurement method changed
    28 Jul 2025, 14:24 BST
  6. Deadline published: 8 Sept 2025, 17:00 BST
    28 Jul 2025, 14:24 BST
  7. Contract award notice published
    12 Dec 2025, 06:25 GMT
    UK6
  8. Status changed to complete
    12 Dec 2025, 06:25 GMT
  9. Contract signature expected
    3 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
    scheduled
  10. Contract details notice published
    12 Jan 2026, 10:14 GMT
    UK7
Published amendments (1)

A change to this notice has been made to update The Authoritys contact email address

Routine re-releases (5)
  • 2025-06: 1 release · 10 Jun 2025
  • 2025-05: 1 release · 14 May 2025

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 2
Awarded value £903,6321 contract exc. VAT · 1 repeated publication of the same award counted once
Bids received 54 from SMEs
Contracts signed 1latest 9 Jan 2026
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance LtdSME1 Aug 2026 – 31 Jul 2031£903,632same award published again · counted once2 Dec 2025standstill to 23 Dec 2025Standstill
Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance LtdSME£903,632 †—Awarded

Contracts

  • Contract 2 · Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance LtdSME

    Signed
    9 Jan 2026
    Value
    £903,632
    Period
    1 Aug 2026 – 31 Jul 2031
    Status
    active
    2 agreed KPIs: Booking the EPA · EPAO applying for Apprenticeship apprenticeship or notifying the Authority of a requirement for a resit or retake
    • Booking the EPA, promptly once the post Gateway request is received by the EPAO from the AuthorityService Provider to indicate GW date and request to EPAO. EPAO to confirm timescale met.
    • EPAO applying for Apprenticeship apprenticeship or notifying the Authority of a requirement for a resit or retake, Within 2 weeks of all EPA elements having been completed the EPAO is to have applied for Apprentice certification or notified the Authority of the requirement for re-sit/re-take.

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
5final-stage tenders · 6 at stage one40—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Ministry of Defence

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central government GB-PPON: PHVX-4316-ZVGZ Marlborough Lines, Monxton Road, Andover, South East, SP11 8HJContact name, email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice

Official documents & specifications (5)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Pipeline notice planningPipeline noticeUK1Pipeline notice on Find a Tender
  • Pipeline notice planningPipeline noticeUK1Pipeline notice on Find a Tender