Published date: 11 January 2018

Last edited date: 11 January 2018

Awarded contract - This means that the contract has been awarded to a supplier.


Closing: 31 May 2017

Contract summary

Industry

  • Education and training services - 80000000

Location of contract

Any region, North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East, South West, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands

Value of contract

£50,000

Procurement reference

RD1000576

Published date

11 January 2018

Closing date

31 May 2017

Contract start date

1 June 2017

Contract end date

31 May 2018

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Direct award

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

Yes

Description

The Department for Education (DfE) is seeking a contractor for the delivery of services to enhance the Department's activities to tackle bogus degree provision and degree fraud in England.

DfE is responsible for promoting and protecting the reputation of the UK higher education (HE) sector. An important part of this work is concerned with dealing with issues that arise from activities carried out by bogus degree providers, also known as degree mills.

In order to seek to better protect the reputation of the UK HE sector, the Department commissioned a service in 2015 for an initial one year period to expand its activities in this area by taking a more proactive approach to tackling degree mills and also the related area of degree fraud. Due to the success of the first year the project was ran again for a further year in 2016. The Department is now looking to continue the service for another one year period.

DfE is responsible for maintaining lists of recognised UK degree course providers. This comprises institutions who have their own degree awarding powers (known as Recognised Bodies) as well as institutions who deliver degree courses that are awarded by a 'Recognised Body' through validated or franchised arrangements.
Under sections 214-216 of the Education Reform Act 1988, it is an offence for a body to award a UK degree or offer a UK degree course unless that body is already recognised and officially listed. DfE has no direct enforcement role (this being the responsibility of Trading Standards Departments). DfE's role is to advise the public about legitimate degree providers and to liaise with the enforcement authorities where appropriate where bogus degree providers appear to be operating in the UK.

Degree mills have been a growing concern, not just here in the UK, but worldwide. Their expansion has been fuelled by the World Wide Web. This has enabled degree mills to take on a virtual presence and to give the appearance of an actual HE institution even though no such institution actually exists. The strong reputation of the UK HE sector means that the UK is a target for bogus operators who purport to operate a UK based "university".

Degree fraud is a closely related area. The "qualifications" offered by bogus providers tend to be used by applicants seeking to gain employment under false pretences. This has the potential to disadvantage students with genuine qualifications who are competing for labour market opportunities with candidates with false qualifications because employers have not made the necessary checks.

More information

Attachments

Additional text

awarded value is exc VAT

Award information

Awarded date

31 May 2017

Contract start date

1 June 2017

Contract end date

31 May 2018

Total value of contract

£0

This contract was awarded to 1 supplier.

Higher Education Career Services Unit

Address

Prospects House
Booth Street East
Manchester
M13 9EP

Reference

None

Supplier is SME?

No

Supplier is VCSE?

No

About the buyer

Contact name

Hanna Iqbal

Address

Department for Education,
2 St Paul's Place,
Sheffield,
S1 2FJ
England

Email

hanna.iqbal@education.gov.uk