Public procurement notice: Contract Award Notice
Published: 2020-08-11
Buyer: Educational Research Centre
Country: IE
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Competitive dialogue
CPV classification: 72000000 | 72212190 | 72220000: Systems and technical consultancy services
Estimated value: 183000 EUR
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: The Educational Research Centre (ERC) has a statutory mandate to provide and support standardised testing in schools. The ERC is aiming to provide schools and test-takers (who have access to appropriate devices and internet connection) with an easy to use online assessment system that is reliable, secure, engaging for test-takers, and meaningful in terms of the reports that it provides. The ERC wishes to procure an integrated end-to-end testing system that supports the ERC’s aims of providing a range of high-quality standardised tests and reports to schools, enabling schools to manage the purchase and administration of tests, and facilitating the ERC’s development of innovative assessment solutions.The integrated online assessment system will cover test development, item banking, assignment of test credits, test session set-up and implementation, test-taker and test item level reporting, hosting and technical support.
The ERC has a statutory mandate to provide and support standardised testing in schools. The ERC is aiming to provide schools and test-takers (who have access to appropriate devices and internet connection) with an easy to use online assessment system that is reliable, secure, engaging for test-takers and meaningful in terms of the reports that it provides. The ERC does not view the online assessment system as a static entity – quite the opposite. To respond to changes in education policies and curricula, digital technologies and assessment and measurement technologies, the ERC needs a flexible and responsive assessment system that also fits with its strategic priorities of internal capacity building and research and development. This procurement sets out to achieve this.
(i) to develop high quality assessments and provide strong assessment support services to schools and centres of education; and
(ii) to conduct and disseminate commissioned and independently-initiated national and international research, assessment and evaluation studies.
The ERC’s strategic plan (2019-2021) has as one of its 10 goals to produce a regularly updated suite of high-quality and relevant assessments that reflects best international practice and serves the needs of the educational system, as well as those of schools, teachers, parents and learners.
The ERC wishes to procure an integrated end-to-end testing system that supports the ERC’s aims of providing a range of high-quality standardised tests and reports to schools, enabling schools to manage the purchase and administration of tests, and facilitating the ERC’s development of innovative assessment solutions.
The integrated online assessment system will cover test development, item banking, assignment of test credits, test session set-up and implementation, test-taker and test item level reporting, hosting and technical support.
The term of the contract is 5 years (60 months) with the option to extend for up to a further 3 years. The maximum term shall not exceed 8 years in total.
The value of the contract set out at sections II.1.7) and V.2.4) of EUR 183 000 relates to the fixed fees for Phases 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the contract over a 5-year term, together with the costs of providing 30 000 tests in Phase 3. The cost of providing the tests during Phase 4 is not included in the figure of EUR 183 000 and will depend on the number of tests delivered and whether the contract is extended.
The estimated value set out in the contract notice of EUR 900 000 is the estimated value over the potential 8-year term of the contract. The ERC estimates that the value over the potential 8-year term is between EUR 800 000 and 900 000. The estimated value of the contract over the initial 5 years is in the region of EUR 500 000 to EUR 600 000.
Please refer to Statutory Instrument 130 of 2010, the European Communities (Public Authorities' Contracts) (Review Procedures) Regulations 2010, and in particular Regulation 7.


Winner: Prodigy Learning Ltd
Award value: 183000
Number of bids: 3