250076 Contract for the Provision of a Development Programme to Support Foundation Trainee Pharmacists to Prepare for the Common Registration Assessment

{
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-NIC-101788",
    "name": "Queen\u0027s University Belfast"
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  "date": "2025-10-28T11:14:21Z",
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        "region": "UKN06",
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    "description": "The Northern Ireland Centre for Pharmacy Learning and Development (NICPLD), one of the national pharmacy postgraduate centres, was established in 1990 and has been based in the School of Pharmacy (Queen\u2019s University Belfast) since 1996. Funded by the Department of Health under the Health and Personal Social Services (HPSS) (1972) Order, its remit is to support the development of the (Health and Social Care) pharmacy workforce in Northern Ireland through its education and training programme, which includes:\n\u00b7\tdirect, distance and eLearning courses\n\u00b7\tfoundation training year\n\u00b7\tpostgraduate course funding\n\u00b7\tpost-registration foundation training\n\u00b7\tnon-medical prescribing training\n\u00b7\tadvanced practice training\n\u00b7\tpost-qualification training for pharmacy technicians.\nNICPLD also provides an effective multi\u00ad-professional education programme of workshops and eLearning, in addition to promoting and participating in research and development.\nThe Standards for the initial education and training (IET) of pharmacists (GPhC, 2021) support the aim of the Department of Health to improve and promote the health and social wellbeing of the people of Northern Ireland. This will be achieved by establishing programmes to develop the Northern Ireland (NI) pharmacy workforce for an enhanced and more effective clinical role in response to changing population demographics and patient need. To achieve this goal, there will be a need for closer integration of academic study with enhanced learning in practice.\nThe NICPLD Foundation Training Year (FTY) programme encompasses the following elements:\n\u00b7\t52 week in-practice training\n\u00b7\tevidencing of learning outcomes via the completion of mandatory practice activities, recording evidence and uploading this to an ePortfolio\n\u00b7\tperiodic appraisal by an educational supervisor to ensure trainee progress\n\u00b7\tstructured education and training programme to support trainee pharmacists as they work towards being independent practitioners and sitting the Common Registration Assessment (CRA).\nNICPLD is responsible for the delivery of all elements of this programme but will require support from the Economic Operator in delivering the structured education and training programme to support trainee pharmacists as they prepare to sit the CRA in Summer 2027.",
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    "riskDetails": "The risks identified are considered \u201cknown risks\u201d under the Procurement Act 2023. While they cannot be fully eliminated at this stage, the contracting authority will monitor these risks throughout the contract lifecycle. Mitigation measures will include regular performance reviews, contingency planning, and compliance checks to minimize impact on service delivery and value for money.\n1.1\tFinancial Risks\n1.1.1\tPricing changes (increases or decreases) introducing financial uncertainty if not clearly defined in the contract.\n1.1.2\tSupplier insolvency or bankruptcy, leading to service disruption, loss of materials, and potential financial loss.\n1.1.3\tUnclear ownership or reuse rights over learning materials could result in additional costs to repurchase or redevelop resources.\n1.1.4\tBudget variation risks if funding or participant numbers change during the contract, affecting payment or service volume.\n1.1.5\tWhilst estimated quantities may be stated for the purposes of this procurement, these reflect the current funding position and may be subject to change throughout the contract period.  It is not possible at this time to accurately predict the future budget position.  Queen\u2019s may seek to modify the contract in response to funding increase or decrease over the contract period and this will have a corresponding effect on the volume required under this contract.   \n1.2\tTechnical Risks: \n1.2.1\tContent accuracy risks, where the webinar or materials contain incorrect or misleading information impacting educational integrity.\n1.2.2\tPoor technical delivery or system failures during webinars that disrupt the session.\n1.2.3\tLoss of access to learning platforms or trainee data at contract end due to lack of technical continuity or data migration planning.\n1.2.4\tIntegration challenges with internal systems or learning platforms (e.g., LMS compatibility, user access).\n1.2.5\tDevelopment risks, if future updates or changes to delivery technology are required during the contract period.\n1.2.6\tQueen\u2019s may seek to modify the contract in future to respond to emerging sustainability requirements, whether derived from Queen\u2019s Net Zero 2040 commitment, or from public policy changes.  In addition, the contract may require modification to adapt to strategic commitments made in any forthcoming strategy for Queen\u2019s (expected for the period beyond 2030).  This may require additional or reduced requirements, or modifications to the method for delivery of the requirements to meet the strategic objectives.\n1.2.7\tIt is known that there may be potential for development of the delivered requirements or their application which may result in the need for additional consumables or development, which cannot be adequately quantified or estimated at this time, pending future technical developments. Where these developments arise, there will be a resultant impact on performance of the contract in terms of timescales, material availability, service delivery etc. Queen\u2019s may seek to modify the contract in future to respond to any such emerging technological developments, which have a direct impact on the service being provided under this contract. \n1.3\tRegulatory Risks\n1.3.1\tData protection breaches under GDPR, especially concerning trainee data and recorded webinar content.\n1.3.2\tCompliance with professional standards in pharmacy education and accreditation requirements.\n1.3.3\tIntellectual property (IP) rights risks, including unclear ownership or improper use of copyrighted materials.\n1.3.4\tContractual compliance issues where content, delivery, or assessments fail to meet required regulatory or institutional policies.\n1.4\tSchedule Risks\n1.4.1\tSchedule delays in delivering webinars, learning materials, or assessments affecting trainee readiness.\n1.4.2\tLate delivery of mock exams or content impacting academic timelines.\n1.4.3\tNon-performance, where the supplier fails to meet agreed milestones or timelines for webinars and assessments.\n1.4.4\tTransition risk \u2014 no clear exit plan causing disruption mid-training cycle if the supplier changes or withdraws.\n1.5\tLogistical Risks\n1.5.1\tAccess or delivery issues if learning materials or platforms are hosted externally and become unavailable.\n1.5.2\tDependence on third-party tools or platforms, leading to disruption if those services fail or licenses expire.\n1.5.3\tTransfer of materials or data between supplier and organisation not managed securely or efficiently, causing delays or data loss.\n1.6\tPersonnel Risks\n1.6.1\tPoor delivery quality or substandard performance due to insufficiently trained or inexperienced supplier personnel.\n1.6.2\tInconsistent content delivery if key presenters or trainers leave or are replaced mid-contract.\n1.6.3\tLack of subject matter expertise impacting the educational value and reputation of the training.\n1.6.4\tInsufficient communication or coordination between supplier staff and the university team, leading to misalignment or errors.",
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    "title": "250076 Contract for the Provision of a Development Programme to Support Foundation Trainee Pharmacists to Prepare for the Common Registration Assessment",
    "value": {
      "amount": 353675,
      "amountGross": 425000,
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