Test Operations Service - Market Engagement 2

• The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) is an executive agency of the Department for Education which is required to deliver statutory National Curriculum Assessments (NCAs), including Reception Baseline, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 assessments. The Test Operations Service project has been launched to seek a Supplier to deliver NCA test operations on behalf of STA in England only from the 2025-26 test cycle onwards when the current contract expires. • The purpose of this notice is to notify the market of STA’s intention to undertake a second round of market engagement prior to commencing procurement activity, to appoint a suitably qualified Supplier to deliver the Test Operations Service. • This second round of Market Engagement will provide an opportunity for Suppliers to gain advanced sight of STA’s draft specification, payment mechanism, and performance management structure, and have the opportunity to provide feedback to STA, ahead of commencement of any competition.
• STA will provide the ability for Suppliers to provide written feedback and questions via Jaggaer. We are also planning to set aside time to meet with interested organisations on a one-to-one basis, for an opportunity to discuss the draft documentation in more depth. These sessions will be available for Suppliers to request via the Jaggaer e-sourcing platform, and requests must be submitted by 12:00 on 24th June 2022. • In order to access draft documentation and the slide pack provided by STA, you will need to register on the DfE’s Jaggaer e-sourcing platform at https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html and follow the “View Opportunities” link. Suppliers will then need to access the Test Operations Services Market Engagement Event (ssq_282 – Test Operations Service Market Engagement Event 2).
• The primary purpose of STA is to provide an effective and robust testing, assessment and moderation system to measure and monitor pupils’ progress and attainment between reception and the end of key stage 2 (KS2). STA is responsible for the development and delivery of national curriculum tests and assessments in England, under statutory instruments, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education. We are regulated by Ofqual for our work on National Curriculum Assessments (NCAs). In a typical school year NCA outcomes are published annually at an individual school level in the School Performance Tables and are an important factor in the parental choice of schools.