Independent decision reviews for the General Optical Council
Estimated value
£117k
Awarded value
—
Suppliers
0
Lots
1
Published
03 Mar 2026
Description
The General Optical Council (GOC) seeks an external provider to independently review a sample of decisions made in connection with its fitness to practise referrals. The provider will be engaged to provide independent, objective assurance and advice to support the GOC in discharging its duties in relation to protection of the public. This activity will be undertaken on an 18-month cycle with a sample of cases from the previous 12-18 months. The purpose of the review is to provide the GOC with assurance over the quality, consistency and reasoning of its fitness to practise decisions. This includes how risk, proportionality and public protection are considered and recorded within decisions. Reviews are also intended to monitor compliance with legal, technical and procedural requirements. The activity undertaken will consider decisions made across our fitness to practise processes. The provider will work closely with our management team to take a risk-based approach to assurance, identifying common themes and areas for scrutiny to ensure that the GOC has a comprehensive view of how its decisions on individual cases contribute to its regulatory and strategic objectives. The GOC is committed to ensuring the highest standards of governance, assurance and value for money. These statement of requirements is for an independent provider to deliver high-quality services from June 2026 with a view to producing a draft report of the first review by September 2026. Total value: £140,000 maximum (tenders submitted above this will be automatically discounted) Contract length: a maximum of six years (delivery of four independent reviews on an 18-month cycle, with the first review commencing summer 2026) Additional information: the contract will be reviewed after two independent reviews, with parties having an option extend the contract for a further two independent reviews.
Scope
- Reference
- RegOps0326
- Total value
- £116,666.67 excluding VAT£140,000 including VATBelow the relevant threshold
- Commercial tool
- Standalone contract
- Contract dates
- 31 May 2026 to 31 May 2029Possible extension to 31 May 2032
the contract will be reviewed after two independent reviews, with parties having an option extend the contract for a further two independent reviews.
- Main category
- services
- CPV classifications
- 79000000
- Contract locations
- UK, United Kingdom
- Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Award criteria
Criteria the buyer will use to evaluate bids.
| Name | Description | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planning activity | Describe your approach to planning the activity set out in the requirements. Include how you would: identify thematic areas of risk; and align your approach to the relevant legislation, standards, guidance and procedures, and regulatory frameworks. | quality | 20.00% |
| Delivering review activity | Detail your approach to delivering the review cycle. In your response, please include your approach to: Understanding and assessing organisational risk. Resourcing requirements (skills mix and duration). Provide a sample of standard reporting documents and detail how they will be used in the provision of your services | quality | 20.00% |
| Key personnel | Please propose key personnel who will be responsible for the management of the contract, delivery of the services and provision of feedback. For each key personnel, please set out their roles within the contract, and how their knowledge, skills and experience meet the necessary requirements for the delivery of this contract. In formulating your response, you should include examples of recent work that showcase their knowledge, skills and experience. (Please note – the number of personnel will not be a factor in decision-making, though the panel will consider how the knowledge, skills and experience of any personnel match the requirements of the contract) | quality | 10.00% |
| Contract management | It is important to the GOC that it receives a good level of service throughout the contract. Please detail your approach to contract management including how you will: manage the overarching contract and the delivery of services. develop and maintain effective relationships. deliver continuous improvements throughout the contract. ensure client satisfaction through the contract. Bidders must explain how they aim to deliver continuous improvement of the service provided throughout the contract. Please propose 5 KPIs that will support the effective performance of the contract. The following details should be included as a minimum: KPI name KPI description Proposed reporting frequency Set out how the KPIs will support effective performance The successful supplier’s proposed KPIs will be subject to discussion and once agreed will form part of the contract. Please detail your proposed approach to contingency arrangements and knowledge transfer should one or more of the key personnel become unavailable during the contract (e.g., by reason of sickness, maternity or paternity leave, termination of employment. etc.). Please explain how you would ensure that high quality services are provided throughout the life of the Contract. As part of your answer, please detail your internal quality assurance procedures. | quality | 20.00% |
| Cost, Added Value and Knowledge Sharing | Please set out the costs of your proposal, including your proposals for added value and knowledge sharing with the GOC. As a minimum this should include: a detailed breakdown of estimated costs for contract activity and time undertaken; evidence that this is competitively priced; and knowledge, best practice and lessons learnt from other comparable and relevant organisations. | quality | 20.00% |
| Cultural fit | Describe how your team ensures alignment with GOC values while maintaining professional independence. | quality | 10.00% |
Submission & procedure
- Enquiry deadline
- 06 Apr 2026, 11:00 am
- Submission deadline
- 10 Apr 2026, 11:00 am
- Submission address
- https://optical.org/ Tenders can be submitted by email to amackaysim@optical.org ↗
- Electronic submission
- Yes
- Procedure
- Below threshold - open competition