Kent Test (11+) Examination Services

Kent County Council

Published: Jun 10, 2026

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Source: uk_fts

About This Opportunity

This is a services contract in the governance and public administration sector, with a focus on Primary Education. Located in United Kingdom, Europe, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums, with an estimated budget of GBP 835,000. Proposals must be submitted before August 4, 2026.

Published through UK FTS - Find a Tender Service, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for services in the governance and public administration sector. Service contracts are typically evaluated on both technical quality and price, and may require bidders to demonstrate relevant experience and qualified personnel. Interested parties should review the full documentation on the original source before submitting their proposal.

Description

Kent County Council (The Council) wishes to appoint a suitable provider to deliver Kent wide 11+ Examination Services. The Council currently runs a process which aims, principally through testing, to identify candidates in the top 25% of the ability range as eligible for admission to Year 7 of any of the county’s grammar schools at age 11. Entry to the process is voluntary, with approximately 67% of the local cohort opting to take part, plus a significant number of external candidates. Provision is currently made for approximately 19,000 candidates.
Summary of key areas of service delivery (please reference Specification for full details)
•Production of generic test familiarisation materials - for annual use by schools and parents
•Bespoke confidential test papers and multiple-choice answer sheets (which can be read accurately and quickly by consumer grade scanners)
•Administration instructions
•Printable, bar-coded, double-sided scannable answer sheets with pupil data
Software (and related) requirements to include: -
•Marking software (alongside a small quantity of printed marking manuals)
•Standardisation software and printable standardisation tables
•Support for the Council’s employees in the use of the materials and software through the cycle of the testing process.
The opportunity is being tendered using competitive flexible procedure under Procurement Act 2023 and will follow a process that will include: -
-Stage One – Conditions of Participation using the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) (Selection)
-Stage Two – Tender Questionnaire Submissions (Quality)
-Stage Three – Price Evaluation
To minimise the risk of service failure and any consequent impact to secondary school placement allocations, a down select process is to be carried out at the PSQ stage. Providers that cannot demonstrate their ability to deliver the core competencies, will not be down selected to proceed to the tender stage.
For transparency, and to make potential bidders aware of the nature, type and scope of the services, copies of draft Specification, ITT and Contract will be available for information at PSQ and Tender stages.
Guidance to support Conditions of Participation, Award Criteria and submission requirements will be provided as part of the guidance materials published at PSQ and Tender stages.
If you have any questions and/or queries please contact via the messaging function on the Kent Business Portal using the link to the event provided.

For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at:
https: //www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Maidstone:-Primary-education-services./CT7XZS797H
To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
https: //www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/respond/CT7XZS797H

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from UK FTS - Find a Tender Service and was originally published on June 10, 2026. Last refreshed today. Reference: 054875-2026. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About Kent County Council

Kent County Council has issued 186 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 27 currently open and 128 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Governance & Public Administration, Health & Medical, and Education & Training. All notices are published for United Kingdom. Notices are distributed via UK FTS - Find a Tender Service and UK Contracts Finder. Most recent publication: June 17, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

What type of contract is this?

This is a Services contract in the Governance & Public Administration sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.

What is the estimated budget?

The estimated contract value is £835,000 - £835,000. Bidders should ensure their proposals are consistent with this range and account for any local taxes and contract execution costs.

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in United Kingdom. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.

How can I submit a bid?

Visit UK FTS - Find a Tender Service to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions. Quote reference 054875-2026 when communicating with the contracting authority.

When does this tender close?

The submission deadline is August 4, 2026. You have 41 days left to prepare and submit your proposal to the contracting authority.

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by Kent County Council in United Kingdom. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.