UK05 - Validation and Review of the Army’s Physical Employment Test

Description

This requirement is to conduct a validation and review of the Army’s Physical Employment Test, formally known as the Role Fitness Test (Soldier), to ensure it remains fit for purpose, evidence-based, and legally defensible.

Key facts

Procedure

Direct award

Lots

1

Contact

example.example@mod.gov.uk

Contract period

10 Nov 2026 → 30 Apr 2028

Value incl. VAT

£360k

Category

services

Awarded suppliers

• University of Chichester · GB-COH-04740553 · UKJ27, GB

Ground given for limiting competition

The buyer’s own stated reason for awarding without open competition, as published. Their assertion, not a finding.

The Ministry of Defence are seeking to place a direct award contract under PA23 with the University of Chichester. The purpose of the contract will be to re-validate the findings produced by University of Chichester under previous Army contracts to determine whether the Army's Physical Employment Test and Role Fitness Test (Soldier) remain operationally relevant, scientifically valid, legally defensible, proportionate, and practicable against contemporary military tasks and employment demands. The University possesses the required background and technical knowledge/experience to undertake the work required and have conducted similar work for the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and NATO. They also conducted the original testing which underpins the current PES and RFT(S) and hold the existing research, methodology, technical reports, assumptions and development history for the requirement. As such the MOD have opted to utilise Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023: Abscence of competition for technical reasons for this procurement.