Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2019-11-05
Buyer: The Secretary of State for Transport
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Competitive dialogue
CPV classification: 70000000 | 70100000 | 72500000 | 72590000 | 72800000
Submission deadline: 2019-12-10
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), an executive agency of the Department for Transport, is acting in its capacity as procurement agent on behalf of the secretary of state for transport to appoint 3 suppliers for the provision of regional Test Centre Network (TCN) services across Great Britain and Northern Ireland as part of the Future Theory Test Service (FTTS). The contract is also for the benefit of the driver and vehicle agency (an executive agency of the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure) (‘DVA’) where indicated.
The TCN Service includes the provision of test centre estate, within which the theory test is taken; trained invigilators to administer test delivery and maintain the integrity of the test; and appropriate technology hardware through which to deliver the test. The TCN is packaged into 3 regional lots of broadly equivalent volumes based on government office region geographies.
Please refer to the procurement documents which sets out the contract award process and limits the number of lots which a bidder can win.
The theory test is the largest computer-based test in the world. In 2018/2019 over 2,4 m Theory Tests were booked and c.2,2 m theory tests were delivered across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The future theory test service is one of the key ways that DVSA, alongside the Driver and Vehicle Agency Northern Ireland (DVA NI), will continue to deliver its road safety strategy and improve road safety outcomes across Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The current theory test contract expires on the 3.9.2021 with a replacement TCN service required from 4.9.2021 as part of the Future Theory Test Service (FTTS).
One of the key capabilities required to deliver the future service is the test centre network service to which this OJEU notice relates. The test centre network service enables the front-end test delivery Service for all theory test candidates across all theory test types.
The contract is for an implementation period followed by 5 years and renewal options of up to 24 months.
The value range is 43 000 000 GBP to 71 300 000 GBP which is further explained in the procurement documents. These values are provided to give potential suppliers an indication of a contract value only.
Potential suppliers should note that DVSA has also released an OJEU Notice to procure a Test Engine and Test Content Management (TETCM) system, which is a separate but related capability for FTTS. DVSA consider that if a potential supplier intends to bid for both the TETCM procurement and this procurement that it has a potential conflict of interest given both procurements are running at the same time and the solution of the TETCM procurement is relevant to the TCN procurement. Potential suppliers are therefore required to follow the conflict of interest procedures outlined in the procurement documents for both procurements.
In the event of step in rights being exercised the relevant value of the relevant services of the contract awarded for this lot will be deemed to have transferred over to the contract with the contractor that steps in.
Step in rights — the contract contains provisions for a supplier to be required to take over all or part of the services of another region or regions in certain circumstances on a temporary or permanent basis – further details are in the contract and wider procurement documents.
The theory test is the largest computer-based test in the world. In 2018/2019 over 2,4 m theory tests were booked and c.2 2 m theory tests were delivered across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The future theory test service is one of the key ways that DVSA, alongside the driver and Vehicle Agency Northern Ireland (DVA NI), will continue to deliver its road safety strategy and improve road safety outcomes across Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The current Theory Test contract expires on the 3.9.2021 with a replacement TCN Service required from 4.9.2021 as part of the Future Theory Test Service (FTTS).
One of the key capabilities required to deliver the future service is the test centre network service to which this OJEU Notice relates. The test centre network service enables the front-end test delivery Service for all theory test candidates across all theory test types.
The contract is for an implementation period followed by 5 years and renewal options of up to 24 months