"Plans for an £816 million system to test the English skills of UK visa applicants have stalled, with the Home Office pushing procurement back at least five months after repeated consultations with suppliers. The department responsible for immigration started talking to the market about the system - destined to be used in hundreds of test centers around the world - during August last year. At the time, it said the competition for the contract would start April 7, 2025."
"However, earlier this week, it published another request for information from suppliers, its fifth on the project, which said UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), a unit of the Home Office, was reviewing options for the future procurement of a Home Office English Language Test (HOELT) to be delivered in the UK and internationally. Some immigration routes require applicants to demonstrate English language proficiency. The HOELT will assess speaking, listening, and, where applicable, reading and writing skills, the notice reads."
"UKVI first opened the conversation with suppliers in August 2024, when it said it was planning to move away from a concession model - presumably piggybacking on another service - and contract directly with suppliers. It added that it planned to split the service. The development, evaluation, and ongoing support of a Home Office-branded test to be used globally would be procured separately from a customer booking platform, test center provision, invigilation, and ID verification."
Plans for an £816 million system to test English skills for UK visa applicants have stalled, with procurement pushed back at least five months after repeated supplier consultations. UK Visas and Immigration began market engagement in August 2024 and initially set a competition start date of April 7, 2025. The department issued a fifth request for information and said it was reviewing options for a Home Office English Language Test (HOELT) to assess speaking, listening and, where applicable, reading and writing. The project includes educational software, IT services, and test centers across the UK and 141 global locations, with contracts estimated up to £1.13 billion.
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