AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
NHS England awarded and signed a contract with NHS PROFESSIONALS LIMITED for delivery of the Return to Practice Test of Competence Preparation Programme. The contract started on 2 October 2026, has an initial end date of 30 September 2028, and may be extended to 31 March 2030.
Published outcomeOne active award and one active contract are recorded for lot 1, with NHS PROFESSIONALS LIMITED as supplier.
Market significanceThe published contract value is £4.8 million including VAT. It covers education and training services and was awarded through an open, light-touch procedure.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
NHS PROFESSIONALS LIMITED
99% confidenceAward 2 · Lots 1 · £4,800,000 including VAT GBP · Active contract
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Active award 2 names NHS Professionals Limited as supplier; verified legal name is NHS PROFESSIONALS LIMITED. The contract linked to award 2 has a total value of £4,800,000 including VAT.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Procurement status
99% confidenceComplete
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Tender status is "complete" in the published contract details.
Award status
99% confidenceActive
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Award 2 is recorded as "active".
Contract status
99% confidenceActive
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Contract 2 is recorded as "active".
Contract signature
99% confidenceSigned 1 October 2026
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Contract 2 states dateSigned: 2026-10-01.
Contract commencement
99% confidence2 October 2026
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Contract 2 period startDate is 2026-10-02.
Contract-details amendment
96% confidencePublished amendment corrected the extension end date
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Contract amendment states: "Amended the extension end date due to an error."
VALUES
Published values explained
Published contract value
99% confidence£4,800,000 including VAT
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Contract 2 value amountGross and amount are both 4,800,000 GBP.
Value allocation
98% confidenceContract-level value; no individual lot value published
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The £4,800,000 value is stated on contract 2, while lot 1 has no published value.
Description-level value statement
95% confidence£4,800,000 excluding VAT
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The tender description states a maximum value of £4,800,000 excluding VAT.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Pipeline notice
99% confidence22 June 2026
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Release history records pipeline notice 058363-2026 on 2026-06-22.
Tender notice
99% confidence2 July 2026
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Release history records tender notices on 2026-07-02.
Award notice
99% confidence28 August 2026
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Release history records contract award notice 082127-2026 on 2026-08-28.
Signed
99% confidence1 October 2026
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Contract 2 dateSigned is 2026-10-01.
Contract start
99% confidence2 October 2026
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Contract 2 startDate is 2026-10-02.
Initial contract end
99% confidence30 September 2028
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Contract 2 endDate is 2028-09-30.
Maximum contract end
99% confidence31 March 2030
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Contract 2 maxExtentDate is 2030-03-31; the amendment says the extension end date was corrected.
Latest contract-details notice
99% confidence14 October 2026
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Contract details notice 096926-2026 was published on 2026-10-14.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceReturn to Practice Test of Competence Preparation Programme
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Tender and contract title.
Service classification
99% confidenceEducation and training services (CPV 80000000)
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Award item 1 lists CPV 80000000, Education and training services.
Lot structure
99% confidenceOne published lot: lot 1
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Tender lots lists lot 1; award 2 and contract 2 are linked to lot 1.
Lot title and detailed specification
99% confidenceNot published in the supplied data
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Lot 1 has no title or description.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceOpen procedure
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Tender procurementMethod is "open" and procurementMethodDetails is "Open procedure".
Regime
99% confidenceLight-touch
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Tender specialRegime lists "lightTouch".
Competition data
99% confidenceNot published in the supplied data
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No bid count, bidder list, evaluation scores or award rationale is supplied.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Initial term
99% confidence2 October 2026 to 30 September 2028
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Contract period startDate is 2026-10-02 and endDate is 2028-09-30; description also states an initial term of two years.
Extension provision
99% confidenceOptional extension periods may extend the contract to 31 March 2030
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Contract hasRenewal is true; renewal description states optional extension periods may allow the contract to run until 31/03/2030.
Maximum duration
99% confidenceUp to 31 March 2030
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Contract maxExtentDate is 2030-03-31.
Above-threshold status
99% confidenceYes
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Contract 2 aboveThreshold is true.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Award structure
99% confidenceSingle supplier and single published lot
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Only lot 1 is published and active award 2 names one supplier.
Value interpretation
99% confidenceThe source contains inconsistent VAT treatment for the £4.8 million figure
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Contract value is £4,800,000 including VAT, whereas the tender description calls £4,800,000 the maximum excluding VAT.
Extension horizon
99% confidenceOptional extensions create a potential contract horizon of about 18 months beyond the initial term
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Initial end is 2028-09-30 and maximum end is 2030-03-31.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
VAT-basis inconsistency
99% confidenceThe same £4,800,000 figure is described as excluding VAT in the tender description but recorded as including VAT in the contract value.
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Tender description says "£4,800,000 exc. VAT"; contract 2 value records amountGross £4,800,000 and amount £4,800,000.
Award-record inconsistency
98% confidenceA pending award record (award 1) and active award record (award 2) both relate to lot 1 and the same supplier.
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Award 1 is pending with a 27 August 2026 date and £4,800,000 value; award 2 is active and linked to the signed active contract.
Corrected extension date
99% confidenceThe latest contract-details notice says the extension end date was amended due to an error.
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Contract amendment description.
Published information gaps
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice includes lot title, detailed lot specification, bid count, bidder identities, evaluation results, pricing breakdown and award rationale.
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These fields are absent from the supplied data.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The published sources give conflicting VAT treatment for the £4,800,000 figure; this analysis does not resolve which basis is intended.
- A pending award record and an active award record both relate to the same lot and supplier. This analysis relies on the active award only where it is linked to the signed active contract.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
- Information not supplied in the published notice includes bid counts, competing suppliers, evaluation methodology or scores, award rationale, detailed pricing and performance measures.
- The amended notice confirms an extension-date correction but does not state the prior erroneous date.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
NHS EnglandNHS PROFESSIONALS LIMITEDReturn to Practice Test of Competence Preparation Programmeeducation and training servicesopen procedureUK public procurement
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the NHS England Return to Practice Test of Competence Preparation Programme contract?
NHS PROFESSIONALS LIMITED is the verified legal supplier named on the active award and contract.
What is the published value of the contract?
The contract record gives a value of £4,800,000 including VAT. The tender description separately describes £4,800,000 as excluding VAT, so the VAT basis is inconsistent in the supplied publication.
When does the contract run?
It started on 2 October 2026 and has an initial end date of 30 September 2028. Optional extensions may take it to 31 March 2030.
Was the contract signed?
Yes. The contract record gives a signature date of 1 October 2026.
ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.