IfATE - Occupational Maps - hosting, maintenance and minor developments (63739)

Tender description

Pre-market engagement N/A Existing Product. Work done so far Link to live service: https://occupational-maps.instituteforapprenticeships.org/ Which phase the project is in Live Existing team Product Owner, Technical Lead, Service Designer, User Researchers, Data Scientist Address where the work will be done Head Office: Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BT. No specific location for work - can work remotely Working arrangements The successful supplier must work flexibly and provide specialist skills as needed to achieve the minor development goals. Delivery will follow standard agile delivery techniques, monitored by the Product Owner during a mandatory bi-weekly checking meeting, where the backlog will be prioritised. The supplier will also be responsible for managing the hosting and maintenance of the service, ensuring that any such work receives approval from the Product Owner and appropriate notice is given before it commences. The successful contract will adopt a "one team" approach, with the internal project team operating within IR35 regulations. The supplier will be responsible for managing their resources and backlog throughout the contract. Provide more information about your security requirements: Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) Provide more information about your security requirements (optional): The level of clearance for this requirement is an Enhanced DBS, Cyber Essential Plus Certificate and BPSS, suppliers who do not currently have this will not be excluded from the process however will be expected have upon contract start along with evidence of ISO9001. Please also see Buyer Specific Security Requirements in the attached replacement to Schedule 9. Latest start date 2025-03-01 Enter the expected contract length: 1 year, 1 month Extension period: 6 months Special terms and conditions The transfer of service from the incumbent supplier to the new supplier must occur between 01.03.25 and 20.03.25. Special terms and conditions The supplier must assemble a team of Business Analysts, Developers, Testers, and Designers proficient in C#, .NET, Umbraco CMS, Angular with NgRx, ngBootstrap, and Microsoft SQL, adhering to WCAG 2.2 AA standards. Special terms and conditions Environments must run .NET and MSSQL with SQL Full-Text Search, including segregated development environments. Special terms and conditions Infrastructure must support required uptime, security (DDoS/WAF protection), and data resilience. Special terms and conditions Operating systems and software must be maintained on Long Term Support (LTS) versions. Special terms and conditions Monthly reports on work and backend service performance are required, along with a comprehensive handover report at the end of the contract. Special terms and conditions The level of clearance for this requirement is an Enhanced DBS, Cyber Essential Plus Certificate and BPSS, suppliers who do not currently have this will not be excluded from the process however will be expected have upon contract start along with evidence of ISO9001. Please also see Buyer Specific Security Requirements in the attached replacement to Schedule 9. Are you prepared to show your budget details?: Yes Indicative maximum: Circa. £200K Confirm if you require a contracted out service or supply of resource Supply of resource: the off-payroll rules may apply Summary of work This procurement aims to secure funding for hosting, maintenance, and minor enhancements of the occupational maps. It focuses on addressing mandatory improvements, implementing functionality upgrades, and enhancing accessibility to ensure the service’s operational reliability. These efforts will support the ongoing development and effectiveness of the occupational maps for all users. Where the supplied staff will work No specific location (for example they can work remotely) Who the organisation using the products or services is Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education on behalf of the Department for Education Why the work is being done The occupational maps are IfATE’s “hero product,” exclusively owned by the organisation. The maps are the way in which we are able to communicate the technical education (TE) skills system in England to all our stakeholders. The Skills for Jobs White Paper outlined the intention that the future of the TE system will be based on employer needs with the substantial majority of post-16 technical and higher technical education and training aligned to occupational standards, set by IfATE and developed and approved by employers. The initial phase of development of the maps has been completed and has fulfilled the aspirations of the white paper. The maps now represent all IfATE approved TE products aligned to occupational standards. However, the occupational maps need to keep pace with changes in the skills system. The purpose of this procurement is to secure funding for the hosting, maintenance, and minor enhancements of the occupational maps. This will include addressing mandatory improvements, functionality upgrades, and accessibility enhancements, ensuring the operational reliability of the service. The business problem you need to solve We are seeking a supplier to provide services for the ongoing support and development of our occupational maps. The contract will cover three key areas: Hosting: You will be responsible for securely hosting the maps, ensuring high availability and reliability for users. This includes maintaining server performance, managing uptime, and ensuring data security to provide seamless, uninterrupted access. Maintenance: The supplier will provide regular system maintenance, ensuring the maps remain up-to-date and operational. This includes implementing necessary updates, fixing bugs, and addressing system issues to ensure consistent functionality and performance. Minor Developments: Ongoing improvements to the maps are essential. The supplier will manage functionality upgrades, accessibility enhancements, and other minor developments to ensure the maps evolve with the changing needs of users and the technical education system. Disclaimer: No proposed changes to the underlying technologies will be accepted unless there is a critical technology or business need. The supplier must ensure that any modifications are necessary and justified, and must obtain approval from IfATE to maintain compatibility and service continuity. First user type: Employer First user type: Education and training provider First user type: Awarding organisation First user type: Career professional First user type: Learners Questions and Clarifications 1. Why are there two copies of attachment 3 and which one should I use to respond? Please note that the document: ocds-pfhb7i-63071-FC-DOS 6 FC L1 Bid Pack - Attachment 3 Responses to Essential and Nice-to-have skills and experience.odt should not be used in this case for responses. Please use ocds-pfhb7i-63071-Attachment_3.docx. As per the previous response the limit of 2,400 characters including spacing per question stands. Last Updated: 8 January 2025, 13:18 2. We have been asked to reconfirm the security requirements? "The level of clearance for this requirement is an Enhanced DBS, Cyber Essential Plus Certificate and BPSS, suppliers who do not currently have this will not be excluded from the process however will be expected have upon contract start along with evidence of ISO9001". ISO9001 is not a security certification. If a supplier has CE+, Enhanced DBS, and BPPS as of the contract start date, can they apply? The supplier who wins the procurement needs to have Enhanced DBS, Cyber Essential Plus Certificate and BPSS and ISO9001 certification. Last Updated: 6 January 2025, 14:00 3. We have been asked to clarify if a 750 character word count, with spaces will apply to stage 2 as well as Stage 1? The word count for stage 1 and stage 2 is up to 2,400 characters including spacing per question. Last Updated: 6 January 2025, 13:58 4. We have been asked to clarify the following: Q1. You mention suppliers being responsible for hosting. We work with third party hosting partners. Is that acceptable? Q2. You mention the existing team of “Product Owner, Technical Lead, Service Designer, User Researchers, Data Scientist”. Are these team members working for your current supplier or are they internal staff? Q3. You mention regular accessibility audits being carried out quarterly. Is it the suppliers responsibility to carry these out? Q4. You mention WCAG 2.1 AA being a requirement. What were the results of the last accessibility audit? Does the service currently meet WCAG 2.1 AA. Is work underway to move to WCAG 2.2? 5. You mention “unscheduled development or urgent tasks” as part of the SLA. Q5. You mention “unscheduled development or urgent tasks” as part of the SLA. Please can you define these or give examples. A1. Third party hosting partners are acceptable but must: Have an Enhanced DBS, Cyber Essential Plus Certificate and BPSS and an ISO9001 certification. The supplier will be fully responsible and liable for ensuring the third party meets all legal and contractual requirements agreed to by the customer and supplier including but not limited too SLA's, data processing etc. The location of a subcontractor would need to be risk assessed, this is based on but not limited too the physical location, who manages the service and has access to the data. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cloud-guide-for-the-public-sector/cloud-guide-for-the-public-sector#offshoring-and-data-residency A2. Internal staff A3. Yes, the supplier is responsible for the accessibility audits A4. The service is currently compliant to WCAG 2.1 AA standards. Details here: https://occupational-maps.instituteforapprenticeships.org/accessibility-statement/ A5. Example: There has to this point been no urgent issue with the service however we need to do our due diligence and prepare for the possibility to ensure we are safeguarded for all eventualities. An example could be data issues connected with policy changes or security issues. Last Updated: 6 January 2025, 13:47