ITT ref 2841: Invitation to Tender Notice for DfE: The UK ENIC Service & Adjacent Services and for Home Office: The Provision of Qualification Equivalency and English Proficiency Assessment Services

Descriptions

The high-level requirements of UK ENIC for the Department for Education are to deliver the UK National Information Centre for the Recognition of Professional Qualifications to: enable the UK to meet its obligations under the Lisbon Recognition Convention, chiefly relating to the equivalence of foreign qualification to those of the UK. The DfE Specification included with the tender documents provides details of the requirements. The main elements of UK ENIC Service are: 1. Implementation Services: -The Supplier shall build the UK ENIC database and build the UK ENIC portal during the Implementation Period. 2. Operational Services (following the Implementation Period): -operate, maintain and update the UK ENIC Database and a website dedicated to the Services; -provide Statements of Comparability; -operate a contact centre; -support to departments of the UK government and the devolved governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales -conference services. In addition to the UK ENIC Service, the supplier will be required to deliver Adjacent Services for DfE of: -An advisory and assessment service to Applicants holding UK and non-UK Qualifications on whether their qualifications enable them to work as qualified members of staff within early years settings in England. -A service that enables the Teaching Regulation Agency to request verification checks directly with a non-UK Higher Education Institution which issued the relevant Qualification. Either of these Adjacent Services (independent of each other) may be commenced or terminated during the contract period. The Secretary of State for the Home Department, acting through UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), is the Authority procuring The Provision of Qualification Equivalency and English Proficiency Assessment Services. UKVI is a department within the Home Office. whose customers include but are not limited to: -those seeking to extend permissions to work or study, or stay or settle with family in the UK; -those seeking to evidence their rights as European Economic Area nationals and family members; and -those progressing from earlier immigration permissions to British nationality. The Home Office Specification included with the tender documents provides a detailed set of requirements. In summary, the main service elements include: -Verification of Customer identity & checks to establish overseas qualification provenance & equivalence to UK qualifications - confirm if taught or researched in English. -Confirm equivalency relevant to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level & whether the qualification academic, professional or vocational. -Develop, maintain and update an English Comparability database. -operate, maintain and update the public website for the Services. - Manage a range of case complexities & changes in demand