DVSA drives up online theory test contract value to £700M with no explanation

The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency has more than doubled the maximum offer on the table for a new online theory test service to £700 million.

The reprocurement of the online evaluation system began in March last year, with a preliminary market engagement which sought to “gain traction and interest in a potential future opportunity” to run the service which provides 3.6 million online tests each year.

Initially, £300 million was put forward as the maximum value of procurement, to run the service from September 2028 to September 2033, with a possible one-year extension. The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency later published two more notices, both putting the same price tag on the work, but to run the service for a maximum of seven years.

In the most recent notice published last week, the maximum value went up to £700 million - excluding tax - for a maximum of nine years ...