Official UK procurement notice
Postgraduate higher qualifications for HEIW
Authority: Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionA STA is required for the commissioning of higher qualifications in optometry for the 2024-2025 period, to be delivered by Cardiff University. This is essential to support the upskilling of the optometry workforce in Wales to meet the demands of the new NHS optometry contract. Cardiff University is the sole higher education institution (HEI) in Wales offering the necessary Level 7 qualifications, ensuring accessibility and alignment with workforce needs. Other HEIs in England offer similar courses but are not eligible for Welsh Government funding, making Cardiff University uniquely positioned for this tender.
CPV: Adult-education services at university level · Education and training services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1The commissioning of higher qualifications for optometrists in Wales through a STA is…Awarded
The commissioning of higher qualifications for optometrists in Wales through a STA is required for the 2024-2025 period. This is driven by the need to upskill the optometry workforce to deliver the enhanced services under the new NHS optometry contract, which utilises a Banding system and includes additional remuneration for Independent Prescribing and other advanced services. The qualifications required include Independent Prescribing, Medical Retina, and Glaucoma certificates, among others, all of which are offered at Postgraduate Level 7.
Cardiff University is uniquely positioned to deliver these courses, as it is the only higher education institution (HEI) in Wales that provides the requisite qualifications, with a proven track record of delivering high-quality training and excellent outcomes. While similar qualifications are available at HEIs in England, the funding from HEIW is exclusive to Welsh-based optometrists, making Cardiff University the only institution that can access these resources.
Additionally, choosing a Welsh HEI minimises travel time and environmental impact while supporting the Welsh economy. For these reasons, Cardiff University is the only suitable provider for the timely delivery of these qualifications to meet the 2024-2025 workforce requirements and ensure compliance with the new NHS contract standards.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 27 Sept 2024, 08:46 BST
- Last source update
- 12 Nov 2024, 10:17 GMT
- Authority reference
HEIW - STA - 742- FTS notice number
2024/S 000-036524- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04a360Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive
- Published justification
The commissioning of higher qualifications for optometrists in Wales through an STA is required for the 2024-2025 period. This is driven by the need to upskill the optometry workforce to deliver the enhanced services under the new NHS optometry contract, which utilises a Banding system and includes additional remuneration for Independent Prescribing and other advanced services. The qualifications required include Independent Prescribing, Medical Retina, and Glaucoma certificates, among others, all of which are offered at Postgraduate Level 7.
Publisher note: (WA Ref:145976)
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CARDIFF UNIVERSITY | £178,220 †same award published again · counted once | — | Awarded |
| CARDIFF UNIVERSITY | £178,220 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 030892-2024-H0742-1 · CARDIFF UNIVERSITY
- Signed
- 23 Sept 2023
- Value
- £178,220
- Status
- active
Contract 036524-2024-H0742-1 · CARDIFF UNIVERSITY
- Signed
- 23 Sept 2023
- Value
- £178,220
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1bids · 0 electronic | 0 | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- High CourtReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- CARDIFF UNIVERSITYAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.