Official UK procurement notice
Pharmacists' Common Registration Examination
Authority: General Pharmaceutical Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is seeking experienced providers of high stakes online professional assessment examinations, together with the associated administrative education services such as the sourcing of suitable, and accessible venues from which an online computer based examination can be administered. The scope of services includes delivery of a secure computer-based assessment to candidates on two single agreed dates in test locations distributed across the UK; a secure platform that manages exam questions in multiple formats; test booking services; candidate support services; invigilation services; proctoring services (as required); reporting services and other related services.
N.B. The title of this tender has changed from 'Online National Pharmacy Registration Assessment Examination' shown in the original PIN published 29/04/2024 (Delta reference 858641854 FTS Ref.013803-2024), and the estimated total value has been adjusted down from £4.8m to £4m, but all other details including the scope remain unchanged.
- Recurrence: Earliest after 2 years (July 2026 for new contract start date January 2028) or Latest July 2028 for new contract start day January 2030.
CPV: Administrative educational services · Adult and other education services · Adult-education services at university level · Operation of an educational centre · Pharmacy services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1The General Pharmaceutical Council's (GPhC's) Pharmacists' Common Registration…AwardedRenewalPublished value£4,000,000
The General Pharmaceutical Council's (GPhC's) Pharmacists' Common Registration Examination is hosted across a number of geographical locations within the UK. The scope of services includes delivery of a secure computer-based assessment to candidates on two single agreed dates in test locations distributed across the UK; a secure platform that manages exam questions in multiple formats; test booking services; candidate support services; invigilation services; proctoring services (as required); reporting services and other related services. The current format of the delivery model for this examination is that all candidates sit the exam on the same day which is held once in the summer and once in the autumn. This delivery model is the preferred method of the GPhC. The contract procedure for this tender opportunity will be in accordance with regulation 29 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 "Competitive procedure with negotiation" (CPN). Additional information: Please complete the Supplier Questionnaire by the initial closing date of 5th September 2024 at 17:00 BST Noon. Although the tender documents are included for you to examine, please DO NOT submit a tender proposal unless you are shortlisted and invited to do so. Any TENDER proposals submitted on 5th September 2024 will NOT be evaluated.
What it takes to wini
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 morei
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).
- Price
- Suitability
There are no restrictions on who can participate in this tender, and it is not reserved for any particular profession or member of a trade body, however potential bidders should be able to confirm that they can meet all the requirement is the specification as the GPhC wants the operational delivery of the examination to be solely the responsibility of the supplier from end to end.
A summary of the essential minimum requirements include (but not limited to):
- experience of providing high stakes exams sittings including offering a candidate management service
-- ability to deliver online assessments for the UK in decentralised locations providing one day sittings for 4,000 exams in the summer and 1,500 in the autumn
- sufficient capability and experience to submit a bid against the high-level requirements such as online exams,
- ability to provide a full invigilation service
N.B. The GPhC is in the process of reviewing its examination processes, but has no plans within the next two years to change its current delivery model. Bidders are asked to only submit proposals that reflect the current service delivery model, in order to reduce the amount of disruption to the current examination process.
- Staff
- Names and qualifications of delivery staff must be submitted
- Successive reduction
- Candidates will be reduced successively across stages
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Competitive procedure with negotiation
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
Yes · Earliest after 2 years (July 2026 for new contract start date January 2028) or Latest July 2028 for new contract start day January 2030.
- First published
- 29 Apr 2024, 19:05 BST
- Last source update
- 2 Oct 2025, 19:06 BST
- Authority reference
GPhC102- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-061943- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0455eaFind a Tender
- Electronic trading
- e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
- Performance terms
Suggested SLA and KPIs are included in the tender documents. However, these are aspects of the contract that the GPhC and the shortlisted bidder(s) may negotiate.
Publisher note: To view this notice, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=984262666 GO Reference: GO-2025102-PRO-32605309
How it was run
Official noticeTender documents are also served through a separate tool: https://www.delta-esourcing.com ↗
- Submission deadline
- 5 Sept 2024, 17:00 BST
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission","written"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Bid validity
- 120 days from the deadline
Timeline
17 Jul 2024 → 1 Jan 2026 · 5 dates- Next notice expected17 Jul 2024, 00:00 BST
- Submission deadline5 Sept 2024, 17:00 BST
- Invitations to tender expected11 Sept 2024, 00:00 BST
- Notice published379 days ago2 Oct 2025, 19:06 BST
- Contract starts289 days ago1 Jan 2026
Notice history
5 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 5 Aug 2024- Published value updated to £4,000,0005 Aug 2024, 19:05 BSTwas £4,800,000
- Status changed to active5 Aug 2024, 19:05 BST
- Procurement method changed5 Aug 2024, 19:05 BST
- Deadline published: 5 Sept 2024, 17:00 BST5 Aug 2024, 19:05 BST
- Status changed to complete2 Oct 2025, 19:06 BST
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| BTL Group LimitedSMEPharmacist Common Registration Examination | — | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Pharmacist Common Registration Examination · BTL Group LimitedSME
- Signed
- 29 Sept 2025
- Value
- £4,219,395
- Period
- … – 31 Dec 2029
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3bids · 3 electronic | 3 | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- BTL Group LimitedAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Economic and financial selection criteria
- Technical selection criteria