Official UK procurement notice
Tender for The Knowledge of Life in the UK (LitUK) Testing Service
Authority: Home Office (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Home Office wishes to appoint a supplier for the provision of a service to develop and deliver a test of the knowledge of Life in the UK based on the Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents, handbook, currently published by TSO Williams Lea (www.officiallifeintheuk.co.uk ↗)
CPV: General personnel services for the government
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Since 2005, citizenship applicants have been required to show an understanding of Life…Renewal
Since 2005, citizenship applicants have been required to show an understanding of Life in the UK (LitUK). The requirements were extended to indefinite leave to remain (settlement) applications in 2007. c200,000 customers have taken the test in the past year.
LitUK is currently a computer based multiple choice test containing 24 questions and is designed to test customers knowledge of life in the UK with a 75% pass mark.
The customer has 45 minutes to answer questions based on the content of the Life in the UK handbook.
Tests are taken under Home Office prescribed secure conditions where secure relates to:
- Processes to verify the identity of the customer;
- Ensuring that it is only the validated customer who takes the test and does so under exam conditions with an appropriately trained invigilator to eliminate the ability to cheat; and
- Ongoing audits, both internal and via external independent auditors, of the physical test points, processes and delivery systems in order to ensure that the security and integrity protocols are being strictly adhered to.
There are currently c30 test centres in the UK and one overseas test centre in Cyprus (MOD premises) with an average travel time for candidates to the centre of their choice of less than 30 minutes.
There are several exceptions to those who must take the test if the customer is:
- under 18 years of age
- over 65 years of age
- has passed it before
- has a long term physical or mental condition
Provision of the knowledge of life and language in the UK tests are a statutory service and the fee for taking the test must be and are set in legislation by the Home Office.
The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018 specify in Schedule 11, the current fee, at the time of publishing this ITT is £50. Any change to the fee amount must be enabled by a change to these Regulations, prior to the new fee being charged and are not set by the Supplier of the service.
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).
- Suitability
Please refer to the ITT instruction to bidder pack on the Home Office eSourcing tool
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Closed
- 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
- First published
- 21 Jul 2023, 14:01 BST
- Last source update
- 21 Jul 2023, 14:01 BST
- Award evaluation window
- 11 Sept 2023 – …
- Authority reference
C19513- FTS notice number
2023/S 000-021123- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-03e44cFind a Tender
Publisher note: This procurement will be managed electronically via the Home Office’s eSourcing Portal (JAGGAER). To participate in this procurement, participants must first be registered on the eSourcing Portal. If you have not yet registered on the eSourcing Portal, this can be done online at https://homeoffice.app.jaggaer.com Please note that, to register, you must have a valid DUNS number (as provided by Dun and Bradstreet) for the organisation which you are registering, who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so. Once you have registered on the eSourcing Portal, a registered user can express an interest for a specific procurement. This is done by emailing sts24lituk@homeoffice.gov.uk. Your email must clearly state: that you wish to register for "Tender for The Knowledge of Life in the UK (LitUK) Testing Service C19513"; the name of the registered supplier; and the name and contact details for the registered individual sending the email. The eMail will be processed and then the buyer will enable the supplier to access a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) via the eSourcing Portal. The registered user will receive a notification email to alert them once this has been done. Once the registered user has completed and returned the NDA via the eSourcing Portal the buyer will enable the supplier to access the independent ITT area via the eSourcing Portal. The registered user will receive a notification email to alert them once this has been done. We highly recommend that once you complete the NDA and first access the Tender section, that you download and review the "Invitation to Tender for The Knowledge of Life in the UK_LitUK_Instructions to Bidders_READ ME FIRST" found within the 'attachments' section of the eSourcing portal. For technical assistance on use of the eSourcing Portal please contact the JAGGAER Supplier Helpdesk at customersupport@jaggaer.com or 0800 069 8630 (0800 - 1800hrs).
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 8 Sept 2023, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission","written"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Participation fee
- document
- Bids opened
- 11 Sept 2023, 09:00 BST
Timeline
21 Jul 2023 → 11 Sept 2023 · 3 dates- Notice published21 Jul 2023, 14:01 BST
- Submission deadline8 Sept 2023, 12:00 BST
- Bids opened11 Sept 2023, 09:00 BST
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Economic and financial selection criteria
- Technical selection criteria