Home Office English Language Testing (HOELT) Services

{
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-PPON-PWGC-6513-PQLZ",
    "name": "Home Office"
  },
  "date": "2026-01-07T17:22:40Z",
  "id": "001241-2026",
  "initiationType": "tender",
  "language": "en",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-0500b5",
  "parties": [
    {
      "address": {
        "country": "GB",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "locality": "London",
        "postalCode": "SW1P 4DF",
        "region": "UKI32",
        "streetAddress": "2 Marsham Street"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "HOELT2024@homeoffice.gov.uk"
      },
      "details": {
        "classifications": [
          {
            "description": "Public authority - central government",
            "id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
            "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE"
          }
        ],
        "url": "https://homeoffice.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html"
      },
      "id": "GB-PPON-PWGC-6513-PQLZ",
      "identifier": {
        "id": "PWGC-6513-PQLZ",
        "scheme": "GB-PPON"
      },
      "name": "Home Office",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "tag": [
    "tenderUpdate"
  ],
  "tender": {
    "aboveThreshold": true,
    "awardPeriod": {
      "endDate": "2026-11-16T23:59:59+00:00"
    },
    "description": "The Home Office English Language Test (HOELT) Programme vision is to deliver a best-in-class language testing service, underpinned by automation and efficiency to enable critical UK Visa and Immigration decision making. To do this, we need to deliver a secure, accessible and fair English Language Testing service for our customers.\u202f\u202f\nThis procurement seeks a fully remote language testing service, balancing continuity with improvements and transformation. HOELT will move to a digital-by-default approach, while upholding the rigorous standards necessary to support our immigration decisions. The successful provider will deliver a service that combines technological innovation with security assurance, enabling customers to demonstrate their English language skills with confidence and convenience throughout their UK immigration journey.\u202f \nOverview of the Service: \nThe Supplier shall provide a fully managed Remote Testing service.\u202f HOELTs shall be delivered securely in any location where the Customer chooses to take the test, provided secure test conditions are met.\u202f \nThe Authority requires that all ELTs are delivered remotely. \u202fHowever, if there are local constraints (for example legal/technical) within a Country which would prevent Remote Testing for the foreseeable future or on a temporary basis, exceptions to the remote testing requirement may be proposed.\nThe HOELTs shall be available in two formats:\u202f\u202f \n2-Facet: Speaking and Listening (A1 to C2)\u202f\u202f \n4-Facet: Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing (A1 to C2)\u202f \nThe HOELT Fees shall be regulated, as determined by the Authority.\nAll HOELT scores shall map clearly to CEFR levels A1 to C2, as published by the Council of Europe.\u202f \nAuthority recognises that there is significant uncertainty regarding future demand for English Language Testing (ELT) services in each country and location, the advertised contract value must be concidered in this context. This uncertainty arises from a combination of factors, including:\u202f \nOngoing changes to UK immigration policy following the Immigration White Paper;\u202f \nThe transition to a new contracting model for the delivery of ELT services;\u202f \nBroader external influences such as global events, geopolitical developments, environmental disruptions, and demographic shifts.\u202f \nGiven this context, the Authority is unable to provide indicative forecasts or guarantees regarding future test volumes. \nThe Service must therefore be demonstrably scalable and responsive to fluctuations in demand, both increases and decreases. The Supplier shall proactively manage changes in demand and demonstrate flexibility in adapting to evolving Service requirements throughout the Term. \nPlease note, five Requests for Information (RFIs) have been run as part of market engagement to inform this procurement. \nLinks to the notices published in relation to the market engagement are below for further information: \nRFI 1:  https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027422-2024\nRF 2: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035979-2024\nRFI 3: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014337-2025\nRFI 4: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036839-2025\nRFI 5: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/054810-2025",
    "documents": [
      {
        "description": "Not published",
        "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
        "id": "conflictOfInterest"
      },
      {
        "accessDetails": "The Authority will be sharing the NDA for the procurement via Jaggaer. Once the NDA is signed, the Authority will share Tender documents. \nDocuments that will be available for download will include:\ni)\tthe Procurement Specific Questionnaire (Appendix 1), used for gathering information to qualify Suppliers for further evaluation;\nii)\tthe Contract (Appendix 2), this is the draft Contract, including the service description, Key Performance Indicators, and implementation schedules;\niii)\tthe Quality Questionnaire (Appendix 3), that will be used to assess Suppliers\u2019 technical capability.\niv)\tthe Financial Pricing Model (Appendix 4), that will be used to assess Suppliers\u2019 commercial proposals;\nv)\tthe Non-Collusion Certificate (Appendix 5), a certificate provided for Suppliers\u2019 declaration of bidding in good faith;\nvi)\tthe Clarification Questions Template (Appendix 6), a template for submitting clarification questions on any aspect of the procurement\nvii)\tsupporting documentation held within the Data Room\nThe Authority reserves the right to amend, vary, or withdraw any aspect of this procurement process at any time, including but not limited to the structure, stages, timelines, and evaluation methodology. Any such changes will be communicated to all participating suppliers in a timely and transparent manner.",
        "documentType": "biddingDocuments",
        "id": "future"
      },
      {
        "datePublished": "2026-01-07T17:22:40Z",
        "description": "Tender notice on Find a Tender",
        "documentType": "tenderNotice",
        "format": "text/html",
        "id": "001241-2026",
        "noticeType": "UK4",
        "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001241-2026"
      }
    ],
    "enquiryPeriod": {
      "endDate": "2025-12-15T23:59:00+00:00"
    },
    "hasRecurrence": true,
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-0500b5",
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        ],
        "id": "1",
        "relatedLot": "1"
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    ],
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "scheme": "UKPGA",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
    },
    "lotDetails": {
      "noLotsDivisionRationale": "Opportunities to divide the contract into lots were carefully considered. \nThis included careful consideration of feedback received from the market during five rounds of market engagement where the market, which supported the decision to consolidate. \nVarious lotting scenarios based on expertise and geography were tested through Market Engagement and further Internal Options Analysis. A decision was taken to award the contract under a single lot primarily due to: \n-The requirement to improve consistency across the service.\n-Confirmation received through Market Engagement that there was existing market capability to deliver the full service under one single contract.\n-While the contract is not being divided into lots, there are likely to be opportunities for SME to participate in collaborative bids."
    },
    "lots": [
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        "awardCriteria": {
          "criteria": [
            {
              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to a question within the Quality Questionnaire scored on a 0-10 scale and weighted at 2%",
              "name": "Ways of working",
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to a question within the Quality Questionnaire scored on a 0-10 scale and weighted at 4%",
              "name": "The English Language Test (ELT)",
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to a question within the Quality Questionnaire scored on a 0-10 scale and weighted at 4%",
              "name": "Identity Verification",
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
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              "name": "Appointment Booking",
              "type": "quality"
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            {
              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to a question within the Quality Questionnaire scored on a 0-10 scale and weighted at 1%",
              "name": "Fee Handling",
              "type": "quality"
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            {
              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to a question within the Quality Questionnaire scored on a 0-10 scale and weighted at 2%",
              "name": "Added Value Service (AVS)",
              "type": "quality"
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            {
              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to a question within the Quality Questionnaire scored on a 0-10 scale and weighted at 4%",
              "name": "Test Delivery",
              "type": "quality"
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            {
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              "name": "Technology Design \u0026 Architecture",
              "type": "quality"
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            {
              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to a question within the Quality Questionnaire scored on a 0-10 scale and weighted at 1%",
              "name": "Artificial Intelligence (AI)",
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              "name": "Customer support",
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              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to a question within the Quality Questionnaire scored on a 0-10 scale and weighted at 4%",
              "name": "Integrity",
              "type": "quality"
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              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to a question within the Quality Questionnaire scored on a 0-10 scale and weighted at 4%",
              "name": "Security",
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to a question within the Quality Questionnaire scored on a 0-10 scale and weighted at 3%",
              "name": "Incident management",
              "type": "quality"
            },
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              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to a question within the Quality Questionnaire scored on a 0-10 scale and weighted at 2%",
              "name": "Audits",
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to a question within the Quality Questionnaire scored on a 0-10 scale and weighted at 3%",
              "name": "Marking and Results",
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to a question within the Quality Questionnaire scored on a 0-10 scale and weighted at 2%",
              "name": "Performance",
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to a question within the Quality Questionnaire scored on a 0-10 scale and weighted at 1%",
              "name": "Customer insight",
              "type": "quality"
            },
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              "name": "Implementation",
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to a question within the Quality Questionnaire scored on a 0-10 scale and weighted at 2%",
              "name": "Testing Procedures",
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "Suppliers will be required to respond to 4 quality questions within the Quality Questionnaire, each scored on a 0-10 scale at a total weighting of 10%",
              "name": "Social Value",
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "Supplier\u0027s total Bid price.",
              "name": "Price",
              "type": "price"
            }
          ],
          "weightingDescription": "Most Advantageous Tender (MAT) determined by a Weighted Value for Money Index (WVFMI), combining quality (60%) and price (40%) scores. Minimum performance thresholds apply at each stage. Full details of evaluation methodology and scoring are set out in the ITT."
        },
        "contractPeriod": {
          "endDate": "2031-11-30T23:59:59+00:00",
          "maxExtentDate": "2034-11-30T23:59:59+00:00",
          "startDate": "2026-12-01T00:00:00+00:00"
        },
        "hasOptions": true,
        "hasRenewal": true,
        "id": "1",
        "options": {
          "description": "Amendments to immigration and nationality rules, policy, or other legislation \nIntroduction of new test types beyond the English Language Test (ELT) \nAdoption of new technology or digital delivery methods \nChanges to the scope of countries or customer groups covered \nService improvements identified during the contract term \nResponses to new or evolving fraud threats \nAdjustments due to global or country-specific political or socio-economic events \nCollaboration with other Government Departments \nChanges to regulated fee arrangements or other fee structures \nModifications to Added Value Services (AVS), including services offered, controls, reporting, and remuneration \nCommercialisation of ELT or related services \nAdditional changes required to ensure continued compliance, innovation, and service quality."
        },
        "renewal": {
          "description": "The period of up to three (3) years from the end of the Initial Term, which the Authority may elect to invoke for up to three (3) additional periods of up to twelve (12) months"
        },
        "selectionCriteria": {
          "criteria": [
            {
              "description": "Suppliers must meet conditions of participation through the completion of the Procurement Specific Questionnaire including:\n-Registration on the Central Digital Platform and submit core supplier information. (Please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-short-guides/suppliers-how-to-register-your-organisation-and-first-administrator-on-find-a-tender-in-three-easy-steps-html for guidance)\n-Demonstrate economic and financial standing, including minimum turnover, credit rating, operating margin, and net worth as specified in the procurement documents.\n-Hold or commit to obtain required insurance levels prior to contract award.\nFull details will be included within the ITT documentation.",
              "type": "economic"
            },
            {
              "description": "Suppliers must meet conditions of participation through the completion of the Procurement Specific Questionnaire including:\nProvide evidence of relevant technical ability, including, where available, contract examples and required accreditations.\nEnsure any associated persons or subcontractors relied upon also meet these requirements and submit information as required.\nFull details and assessment criteria are set out in the Procurement Specific Questionnaire and Invitation to Tender documents.\nFull details will be included within the ITT documentation.",
              "type": "technical"
            }
          ]
        },
        "status": "active",
        "value": {
          "amount": 680000000,
          "amountGross": 816000000,
          "currency": "GBP"
        }
      }
    ],
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
    "procedure": {
      "features": "The procurement will follow a staged process as set out in the Invitation to Tender (ITT):\nQualification Envelope (Procurement Specific Questionnaire)\n-Suppliers submit responses to mandatory pass/fail questions and selection criteria.\n-Only suppliers who pass all mandatory criteria progress to the next stage.\nInitial Tender Submission\n-Qualified suppliers submit full tenders, including technical and commercial responses.\n-Tenders are checked for completeness, compliance, and acceptance of contract terms.\nTechnical Evaluation\n-Technical responses are assessed by an Evaluation Panel using published scoring criteria.\n-Minimum performance thresholds apply to critical questions.\nModeration and Shortlisting\n-Individual scores are moderated to reach consensus.\n-The Authority reserves the right to shortlist up to seven highest-scoring suppliers (or more in the event of tied scores).\nTechnical Demonstrations (if required)\n-Shortlisted suppliers may be invited to demonstrate their proposed solutions.\n-Demonstrations are scored on a pass/fail basis against defined scenarios.\nSupplier Negotiations (if required)\n-Unscored negotiation meetings may be held to clarify and refine proposals ahead of final submissions.\nBest and Final Offer (BAFO) Submission\n-Remaining suppliers submit updated technical and commercial responses.\n-Changes must be clearly tracked and highlighted.\nFinal Evaluation and Moderation\n-BAFO responses are evaluated and moderated using the same criteria as initial tenders.\n-Minimum performance thresholds apply.\nAward Decision\n-The Most Advantageous Tender is determined using a Weighted Value for Money Index (WVFMI), combining quality (60%) and price (40%).\n-Notification of award is issued via Jaggaer, followed by an 8-day standstill period.\nThe indicitive procurement timeline is as follows. Please note that this will be superceded by the timeline included within the ITT Instructions to Suppliers:\nIssue of Tender Notice: 28 November 2025\nClarification window for Qualification phase closes: 15 December 2025\nProcurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) Submission Deadline: 12.00 noon, 12 January 2026\nPSQ Outcome communicated to Suppliers: 29 January 2026\nClarification window closes for Initial Tender phase: 16 February 2026\nInitial Tender submission deadline: 12.00 noon, 2 March 2026\nInitial Tender outcome communicated: 30 April 2026\nTechnical Demonstrations: May 2026\nNegotiation Meetings: June 2026\nInvitation to submit Best and Final Offer (BAFO): 29 June 2026\nClarification window closes for BAFO phase: 9 July 2026\nBAFO submission deadline: 12.00 noon, 20 July 2026\nIntention to award notification: November 2026\nContract award: November 2026\nImplementation period begins: December 2026\nThe Authority reserves the right to amend, vary, or withdraw any aspect of this procurement process at any time, including but not limited to the structure, stages, timelines, and evaluation methodology. Any such changes will be communicated to all participating suppliers in a timely and transparent manner."
    },
    "procurementMethod": "open",
    "procurementMethodDetails": "Competitive flexible procedure",
    "recurrence": {
      "dates": [
        {
          "startDate": "2032-12-01T23:59:59+00:00"
        }
      ]
    },
    "status": "active",
    "submissionMethodDetails": "All submissions will be completed through the Jaggaer portal, for which you can login here: https://homeoffice.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html \nIf you have not yet registered on Jaggaer, this can also be done online through the above link and clicking on \u2018To register click here\u2019. \nPlease note that, to register, you must have a valid DUNS number (as provided by Dun and Bradstreet) for the organisation which you are registering. \nOnce you have registered on the eSourcing Portal, you can request access to the NDA, by emailing HOELT2024@homeoffice.gov.uk. Your email must clearly state the exact name that you used to register on Jaggaer. Once enabled, you should receive a link to the NDA from Jaggaer. \nOnce you have submitted a signed NDA you will be given access to the documents for the first stage of the procurement. \nFor technical assistance on use of the eSourcing Portal please contact the JAGGAER Supplier Helpdesk at customersupport@jaggaer.com or 0800 069 8630 (0800 - 1800hrs).",
    "submissionTerms": {
      "electronicSubmissionPolicy": "allowed",
      "languages": [
        "en"
      ]
    },
    "tenderPeriod": {
      "endDate": "2026-01-12T12:00:00+00:00"
    },
    "title": "Home Office English Language Testing (HOELT) Services",
    "value": {
      "amount": 680000000,
      "amountGross": 816000000,
      "currency": "GBP"
    }
  }
}