Find a TenderAwarded without competitionContract details notice

Published 27 Aug 2025, 13:34 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Provision of PRINCE2® Examination and Certification Services

Official notice

Authority: Business Services Organisation (Central government)

Direct awardSME suitable

Sectors: Education & Training (80) Delivery: Northern Ireland (UKN)

Awarded value£550,000published award · exc. VAT

Awarded 4 Sept 2025no call for competition

Awarded to PeopleCert International Ltd.2 awards

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The intended contract is for the supply of official Prince2 e-vouchers to be redeemed for items such as Official Training Materials (OTM), exam vouchers and one-year PeopleCert Plus membership subscriptions to allow for mock exams and re-takes to be accessed.

The contract will supply the HSC Leadership Centre, part of Business Services Organisation, as an Authorised Training Organisation (ATO) for Prince2 training for a period of two years and 6 months, up to a contract value of £550,000 excluding VAT.

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published

Lot #1AwardedSME

Delivery: Northern IrelandEligibility: SME eligible

80510000 Specialist training services

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record

Procedure method: Direct award
Legal basis: UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
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 Aug 2025, 13:34 BST
Last source update: 30 Sept 2025, 20:15 BST
Authority reference: DAC20178
FTS notice number: 2025/S 000-061101
Latest notice: Contract details notice (UK7)
Delivery area: Northern Ireland (UKN)
Official registry OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-058e91 Find a Tender

Why no open competition: Single Suppliers Intellectual Property Exclusive Rights; Single Suppliers Technical Reasons
Published justification: This direct award to PeopleCert International is justified under the Procurement Act 2023, Section 41(1)(b), which allows a contracting authority to award a public contract without advertising where:
"the contract can only be supplied by a particular supplier for technical reasons, or because of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights."
a) Exclusive Intellectual Property Rights
PeopleCert International is the exclusive owner of the intellectual property for PRINCE2®, following its acquisition of Axelos. This includes all courseware, examination content, certification frameworks, and trademark rights. No other provider may legally replicate or certify against PRINCE2® without direct authorisation from PeopleCert International.
b) Sole Awarding Body
PeopleCert International is the sole global awarding body authorised to deliver PRINCE2® certifications. While third-party training organisations may be accredited to deliver training, all examinations, marking, and certification are exclusively administered through PeopleCert International systems and under its control.
c) No Reasonable or Lawful Alternatives
Because of PeopleCert International 'sexclusive legal control over PRINCE2®, there are no other providers capable of lawfully delivering both the training and valid certification. Any attempt to procure this service from a non-approved source would result in unaccredited training and invalid certification.

Review and risk notes

Risks: PeopleCert International Ltd are bought out by another body/entity so contract supplier needs to bechanged accordingly.
PeopleCert International Ltd rebrand and so contract name needs to be changed accordingly.
Method of supply of examination and certification services changes substantially requiring a review ofthe contract

How it was run

Official notice

Submission deadline: —

Timeline

15 Sept 2025 → 30 Sept 2025 · 2 dates

Standstill ends
15 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
Notice published387 days ago
30 Sept 2025, 20:15 BST

Notice history

5 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 27 Aug 2025

Transparency notice published
27 Aug 2025, 13:34 BST
UK5
Contract award notice published
4 Sept 2025, 15:06 BST
UK6
Contract details notice published
16 Sept 2025, 12:48 BST
UK7
Contract signature expected
16 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
scheduled
Contract details notice published
30 Sept 2025, 20:15 BST
UK7

Routine re-releases (4)

2025-08: 1 release · 27 Aug 2025

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast

Awards 2

Awarded value £550,0001 award exc. VAT · 1 repeated publication of the same award counted once

Contracts signed 2latest 30 Sept 2025

Awarded to	Value	Date	Status
PeopleCert International Ltd.1 Oct 2025 – 31 Mar 2028 · up to 31 Mar 2029Extensions: One year extension allowed for in case this Contract supplier is unable to join a UK procurement framework during the initial contracted period. · Options: The option to extend to learner vouchers for other programmes such as ITIL or Managing Successful Programmes may be made from this contract. It will also cover affiliation, trainer and audit fees required to maintain Authorised Training Organisation status with the Contract supplier.	£550,000	4 Sept 2025	Awarded
PeopleCert International Ltd.	£550,000 †same award published again · counted once	—	Awarded

Contracts

Contract 2 · PeopleCert International Ltd.
Signed
30 Sept 2025
Value
£550,000
Period
1 Oct 2025 – 31 Mar 2028 · up to 31 Mar 2029 with extensions
Status
active
Extensions
One year extension allowed for in case this Contract supplier is unable to join a UK procurement framework during the initial contracted period.
Options
The option to extend to learner vouchers for other programmes such as ITIL or Managing Successful Programmes may be made from this contract. It will also cover affiliation, trainer and audit fees required to maintain Authorised Training Organisation status with the Contract supplier.
No agreed KPIs: Not applicable as Contract value is less than £5 million
Provision of PRINCE2® Examination and Certification Services · PeopleCert International Ltd.
Signed
16 Sept 2025
Value
£550,000
Period
1 Oct 2025 – 31 Mar 2028 · up to 31 Mar 2029 with extensions
Status
active
Extensions
One year extension allowed for in case this Contract supplier is unable to join a UK procurement framework during the initial contracted period.
Options
The option to extend to learner vouchers for other programmes such as ITIL or Managing Successful Programmes may be made from this contract. It will also cover affiliation, trainer and audit fees required to maintain Authorised Training Organisation status with the Contract supplier.
No agreed KPIs: Not applicable as Contract value is less than £5 million

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Business Services Organisation Procurement and Logistics Service

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central governmentNorthern Irish devolved regulations apply GB-NHS: PWNJ-1991-NGDW · GB-PPON: PCQH-8657-NGMT 2 Franklin Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT2 8DQContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice

PeopleCert International Ltd.Awarded supplierGB-PPON: PQBL-4421-ZDNM 40 Themistocli Dervi str., Nicosia, CY, 1066, CYContact email

Official documents & specifications (4)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender30 Sept 2025, 20:15 BST
Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender16 Sept 2025, 12:48 BST
Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender4 Sept 2025, 15:06 BST
Transparency notice awardTransparency noticeUK5Transparency notice on Find a Tender27 Aug 2025, 13:34 BST