CEFAS23-147 RFQ for a Smartphone Application on iOS and Android, for UK Overseas Territory Marine Protected Area (MPA) Wildlife Sightings and Human Threats

Tender description

Work done so far This is a new requirement. Which phase the project is in Discovery Existing team The supplier will work with the Blue Belt project team and will also be required to attend virtual meetings with the Blue Belt Programme partners and Government of Pitcairn officials. Address where the work will be done Remote. Working arrangements All work will be carried out remotely. The supplier will need to work closely with Cefas in an agile manner to ensure progress is monitored through methods such as regular 'sprint' meetings. Provide more information about your security requirements: No security clearance needed Latest start date 2024-03-01 Enter the expected contract length: 1 year, 6 months Extension period: 6 months Are you prepared to show your budget details?: Yes Indicative maximum: 55000 Indicative minimum: 30000 Provide further information: We expect the initial budget to be in the region of £30,000-£35,000. With the maximum contract value being up to £55,000.00, subject to successfully obtaining further funding. Confirm if you require a contracted out service or supply of resource Contracted out service: the off-payroll rules do not apply Summary of work The Blue Belt Programme is looking for a supplier to create a Smartphone application to assist the UK Overseas Territories (OT) to record sightings of marine wildlife, pollution and other things which may be of interest to the OT Government. It is also envisaged that the App will contain some information for visitors of the MPA including text on the creation of the MPA, images and text on the key species and habitats and on some of the threats to the MPA. The successful Supplier is required to develop a Smartphone application that: • has the ability to collect data more efficiently whilst at sea and is available to visiting tourists, scientists and local residents • has the ability to collect data more accurately (e.g. avoiding human error by simultaneously recording location via GPS and time, appending a photograph etc.) • can function outside of mobile and/or Wi-Fi reception range and enables records to be uploaded once the user connects to Wi-Fi. • can be used on the most popular phone operating systems e.g. Android and Apple phones The application must be accessible to all, and the awarded supplier must comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. In addition to the Smartphone application, Cefas also require the supplier to develop an external central database where the information can be stored. This must be an external database as the intention is to future proof the requirement for handover to the Pitcairn Government in the coming years. It is envisaged that the application will be running as a ‘Live Beta’ until March 2025, to enable the supplier to carry out any updates and amendments that may be required in the initial stages to ensure continuous improvement. The full specification, including a schematic showing the required functionality of the application, can be found in the additional information section. Where the supplied staff will work No specific location (for example they can work remotely) Who the organisation using the products or services is Cefas and the OT Government Why the work is being done The Blue Belt Programme works with the UK Overseas Territories to help them develop their marine protection strategies and management. The Pitcairn Islands Marine Protected Area (MPA) is one of the largest continuous areas of ocean protection anywhere in the world. The MPA helps to protect species and habitats which are unique to Pitcairn and species which have global importance. The small population which reside on the one inhabited island of the group, Pitcairn Island, have a unique cultural connection with the waters which surround them. Industrial fishing was completely banned from the MPA upon designation with only a small artisanal fishery remaining around the main island of Pitcairn. Little is known about the movement of key animal species, such as humpback whales, Galapagos sharks and green turtles, within the MPA. We have even less knowledge on how they interact with the islands and the different human activities which take place. Our ability to monitor the different species within the MPA has a significant impact on the way the MPA is managed to ensure that it is having the most beneficial impact. Due to the size and remoteness of much of the MPA, it can be difficult to monitor areas outside of the immediate vicinity of the inhabited island. Although the outer waters of the MPA are rarely visited by Pitkerners, visiting yachts and adventurous cruise ship operators make regular passes of the uninhabited islands. By taking advantage of these visitors, and the sightings they make, it may be possible to better monitor the movements and occurrences of the key animal species within the MPA. The business problem you need to solve Little is known about the movement of key animal species, such as humpback whales, Galapagos sharks and green turtles, within the MPA. We have even less knowledge on how they interact with the islands and the different human activities which take place. Mobile phones provide the perfect platform for this kind of incidental data collection. Phone applications are already used by a number of different organisations to collect important information on wildlife and provide information on what the user is seeing. First user type: Any member of the public living on, or visiting Pitcairn. Enter more details about this user type: Members of the public are required to record any marine wildlife and pollution sightings whist on the island which may be of interest to the Overseas Territory (OT) Government. The application must be accessible and easy to navigate for all. Questions and Clarifications 1. Is it 750 characters (including spaces) per question for Stage 1? Conscious that it's near impossible to address your questions with a total 750 characters incl spaces otherwise. Yes, we are happy for this to be per question in the essential criteria / stage 1. Last Updated: 22 January 2024, 11:28 2. Are there an estimated number of Wildlife Information pages? this is estimated at 20 pages for this version of the application. Last Updated: 17 January 2024, 16:29 3. Who are the main stakeholders for this project? The main stakeholders are the Pitcairn Island Government and the Blue Belt Programme (Cefas, MMO and FCDO). Last Updated: 17 January 2024, 16:28 4. To enable more actuate hosting costs, What is the expected usage counts of the app? It is expected that usage will be between 200 to 500 persons a year. The area being covered is sparsely populated and is frequented infrequently by cruise ships or visiting yachts. Last Updated: 17 January 2024, 16:28 5. Any preference over tech stack? Are there any considerations we need to be aware of? Please refer to the full specification document, found in the additional documents section. Last Updated: 17 January 2024, 16:27 6. Do you require support and/or hosting? And does this need to come out of the budget provided? We will require hosting for the first two years of the App during the Beta phase. Please provide options for hosting after this. Last Updated: 17 January 2024, 16:26 7. What does success look like? The development of the App and Database as per the full specification, running as a Live Beta until March 2025 to enable monitoring, feedback and continuous improvements to be made. Last Updated: 17 January 2024, 16:26 8. could we please confirm that no budget is required to be submitted for stage 1, only a response to the 5 Essential skills and experience questions in Attachment 3 We can confirm this is correct. Last Updated: 15 January 2024, 12:56 9. Is CEFAS expecting an entire smartphone app build for this total amount? Based on our experience of supplying mutli-disciplinary development teams, including native/react native app specialists, a £30-55K budget is extremely limiting. The budget included in the tender is based on previous smartphone app builds undertaken by Cefas. Last Updated: 10 January 2024, 19:36 10. What is the plan for both the app and the database after March 2025? Please provide options (including costs) for the ongoing hosting and maintenance of the Application for post March 2025. It is hoped that funding will continue past March 2025 or alternative funding methods will be found. Last Updated: 10 January 2024, 19:35 11. Is it sufficient for the database to be desktop/laptop compatible only, or are there mobile-compatibility requirements for the database? The database will only need to be desktop/laptop compatible. Last Updated: 10 January 2024, 19:34 12. Are there any required integrations for the database? The database will not need to be integrated to other systems. Last Updated: 10 January 2024, 19:33 13. Can you describe the required features of the external central database? The database will need to store all of the incoming data from the app. As the data will have a spatial element the ability to search by location would be advantageous. The database should be accessible by named individuals. Last Updated: 10 January 2024, 19:32 14. Do you want us to host the database? Please provide options for hosting (including costs) Last Updated: 10 January 2024, 19:32 15. Will the app be used anonymously or will you require app users to create accounts and login? The app will not be required to collect users data and will be used anonymously. Last Updated: 10 January 2024, 19:31 16. Please can you confirm if the budget stated is just for a GDS Discovery phase, or is the budget for the full lifecycle of Discovery, Alpha, Private Beta, Public Beta and Live? Please see previous response. Last Updated: 10 January 2024, 19:29 17. Please can you confirm whether the £30,000 budget is just for a discovery or it covers the discovery-through-to-live? We expect the initial budget to be in the region of £30,000-£35,000. With the maximum contract value being up to £55,000.00, subject to successfully obtaining further funding. This would include the development of the App and Database as per the full specification, running as a Live Beta until March 2025 to enable monitoring, feedback and continuous improvements to be made. Last Updated: 10 January 2024, 19:28