IfA Accessibility Directive Audit

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done The Institute is required to comply with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 by 23 September 2020. The 2018 regulations require public sector organisations to ensure their websites are accessible, and to publish an accessibility statement. Problem to Be Solved The Institute requires a supplier to conduct an audit of our digital estate, including our public-facing website, against WCAG 2.1 AA and produce a report detailing where we do not meet this standard. This work will enable the Institute to correct accessibility issues found, determine where corrections would constitute a “disproportionate burden”, and write an accessibility statement. The Institute may require the supplier to conduct a follow-up audit when corrections are made. The Institute may also require a future audit of our internal digital estate, for which a further procurement exercise would be run. Who Are the Users Employers need to access and draft information about apprenticeship standards, so that they can understand what standards exist and are in development and decide whether to get involved with developing new standards. There are also a number of secondary user personas. The audit would be expected to consider a range of accessibility needs and usage of assistive technologies, including: • Users who are neurodivergent; • Users of screen readers; • Users with low vision; • Users with physical or motor disabilities; • Users who are deaf or hard of hearing; • User with dyslexia. Early Market Engagement Work Already Done Existing Team This is a stand-alone piece of work. The supplier may need to work alongside our existing technical services provider. Current Phase Live Work Location There may be some requirement to work from the Institute’s offices in London or Coventry. Day to day work can be completed remotely e.g. at supplier premises. Working Arrangments The Institute would expect the supplier to attend meetings online and in-person as required, but the majority of this work can be completed at the supplier's premises. Security Clearance Additional T&Cs Skills & Experience Evidence and experience of delivering accessibility audits, preferably of government services Evidence and experience of understanding of WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines Evidence and experience of understanding the Equality Act 2010 in relation to websites Evidence and experience of understanding the EU Accessibility Directive Evidence and experience of testing with users who have a range of disabilities Evidence and experience of assessing websites for usability through assistive technology and software Nice to Haves Evidence and experience of providing designers and developers with guidance relating to accessibility Involvement in the wider accessibility community - for example through publishing blog posts, running training and contributing to standards No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria Approach and methodology How the approach or solution meets our needs Estimated timeframes for the work How the approach or solution meets our organisation's goal Value for money Cultural Fit Criteria Share knowledge and experience with other team members, including our organisation Work as a team with our organisation and other suppliers Take responsibility for their work Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Written proposal Work history Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 50% Cultural fit 5% Price 45% Questions from Suppliers Budget range