Duolingo Bids for Five-Year £816 Million UK Home Office Language Testing Contract
Duolingo is among bidders for a five-year £816 million Home Office contract to deliver English language tests to migrants and foreign students. The Home Office will assess technical bids in May with final offers due summer and plans to award the contract by November.
1. Duolingo Enters Bidding Process
Duolingo is competing to administer digital English proficiency tests for migrants, foreign workers and students seeking UK entry. The company has provided standardized online English assessments since 2014, with its timed tests already used by several UK universities.
2. Contract Value and Timeline
The Home Office has shortlisted bidders for a five-year contract valued at £816 million. Technical evaluations are set for May, best and final offers are due over the summer, and the contract award is scheduled by November.
3. Competition and Security Concerns
Key providers such as the IELTS consortium withdrew from the bidding over remote testing security risks. Critics warn that fully online exams could face challenges like candidate impersonation and AI-assisted cheating in high-stakes immigration assessments.