RM1043.8-1-North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative Website Development and Hosting

Tender description

Pre-market engagement We have undertaken pre-market engagement which has supported the development of our specification. Which phase the project is in Not applicable Existing team The supplier will work with a multidisciplinary project team from NOE CPC, responsible for overseeing delivery, providing subject‑matter expertise, and ensuring the new website meets organisational requirements. Juliet Moore – Communications and Marketing Manager, Project Lead Juliet will lead the project, provide strategic direction, oversee branding, content quality, and user experience, and act as the primary escalation point. Kevin Chidlow – Strategy and Service Delivery Director Kevin is the Executive Team Sponsor. Joe Speed – Data Services Manager Joe will advise on data flows, Dynamics 365 alignment, CRM structures, and ensure data accuracy and consistency across the new platform. Chris Whitlock – Technical Services & Data manager Chris will support technical feasibility, infrastructure compatibility, and requirements relating to performance. Neil Davis – Procurement Delivery & Process Manager Neil will provide operational insight, process requirements, and ensure the website supports efficient procurement workflows and user journeys. Jon Hall – Procurement Support Team Manager Jon will provide customer‑focused input, ensuring the website reflects customer needs, supports practical use cases, and delivers a compliant and intuitive experience for the NHS organisations and public‑sector users it serves. Alison Galena – Digital Skills Programme Manager Alison is the Project Manager or this procurement. Address where the work will be done North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative 3rd Floor Don Valley House Savile Street East Sheffield S4 7UQ Attendance on site is not required. Working arrangements The supplier’s staff will work with NOE CPC remotely for the duration of the project. We expect the supplier to collaborate through regular virtual meetings, project check‑ins, and workshops held via Microsoft Teams. This approach ensures flexibility for both parties and allows subject‑matter experts from NOE CPC to participate regardless of location. The supplier is expected to maintain open communication channels, provide timely updates, and engage in structured project governance, including progress reporting, issue resolution, and milestone reviews. This way of working ensures the project remains on track while enabling efficient coordination across NOE CPC’s Communications, Technical Services, Data, and Procurement teams. Attendance on site is not required, and NOE CPC does not anticipate the need for supplier travel. Should any travel or subsistence ever be proposed, all expenses must be clearly included within the supplier’s total cost envelope as part of their submission. No additional expenses outside the agreed contract value will be approved. Provide more information about your security requirements: No security clearance needed Latest start date 2026-04-01 Enter the expected contract length: 3 years Extension period: 2 years Special terms and conditions This procurement is for: 1) Website Design & Development 2) Hosting using secured UK-based hosting for an initial period of 3 years plus 2 x 24 month extension options 3) Ongoing Support & Maintenance for a period of 3 years plus 2 x 24 month extension options. Special terms and conditions Stage 1 – Shortlisting Stage 1 of the evaluation process will be used to shortlist bidders to be invited to participate in Stage 2. A maximum of four (4) bidders will be taken forward to Stage 2. Shortlisting will be undertaken by scoring the Essential Skills and Experience questions only. To be eligible for progression to Stage 2, bidders must achieve a minimum score of 2 (Meets Requirements) on all Essential Skills and Experience questions. Any bidder failing to meet this minimum requirement will not be shortlisted. The four highest-scoring bidders based on the Essential Skills and Experience scores will be shortlisted. In the event of a tie for the final shortlisting position, the scores achieved in the Nice-to-Have Skills and Experience questions will be used to resolve the tie. Both the Essential and Nice-to-Have Skills and Experience scores will be carried forward and combined with the Stage 2 evaluation scores to determine the final overall score and the successful bidder. Special terms and conditions Supplier Presentations and Clarification Process As part of the evaluation process, the Authority reserves the right to invite shortlisted bidders to attend a supplier presentation. The purpose of the presentation is to allow the evaluation panel to seek clarification and gain further assurance in relation to specific aspects of the bidder’s tender submission, including (but not limited to) proposed delivery approach, governance arrangements, and key personnel. Presentations will not be scored as a separate evaluation element, nor will bidders be assessed on presentation style, sales approach, or presentation technique. The Authority confirms that the evaluation will remain focused on the content of the written tender submission and the bidder’s ability to deliver the requirements. Following the presentation, the Authority may, where appropriate, review and re-score specific, pre-identified elements of the tender response to reflect any additional clarification or assurance provided. Any such re-scoring will be limited strictly to the evaluation criteria identified in advance and will not introduce new criteria. Bidders will be informed in their invitation to present of the specific areas of their tender submission that the Authority wishes to explore during the presentation. These areas may differ between bidders, reflecting the content of individual submissions. All bidders will be treated equally, and the process will be conducted in a transparent and auditable manner. The scores resulting from this process will be used in the final evaluation to determine the overall ranking and the successful bidder. Special terms and conditions This procurement is being conducted under an existing framework agreement which expires on 27 March. Bidders are advised that the Authority must conclude the evaluation process and award the contract prior to the expiry of the framework agreement. In the event that the Authority is unable, for any reason, to complete the evaluation and make a contract award before the framework expiry date, the Authority reserves the right to abandon this procurement process without awarding a contract. No liability shall attach to the Authority in respect of any costs or expenses incurred by bidders in preparing or participating in this tender. By submitting a tender, bidders acknowledge and accept this condition. Write the term or acronym: NOE CPC Are you prepared to show your budget details?: Yes Indicative maximum: 65000 Indicative minimum: 40000 Provide further information: Budget envelop is set for Website Design & Development elements plus first year hosting. There is no set budget for year 2+ hosting and ongoing support and maintenance. Bidders should clearly state these within their commercial submission. 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 NOE CPC is seeking to procure a supplier to design, develop, and support a next‑generation website that will replace our current platform, originally launched in 2019. While the existing site continues to receive positive feedback from users, the procurement landscape has evolved significantly, with competitors offering more contemporary, data‑driven digital experiences. To remain at the forefront of NHS and public‑sector procurement, we require a new website that delivers a modern, intuitive, and intelligent user experience. This procurement aims to deliver a fully integrated platform that enhances the way customers, suppliers, and members interact with NOE CPC. The new website must work seamlessly with Microsoft Dynamics 365, enabling automated data exchange for frameworks, suppliers, contacts, and user activity. It will also introduce a secure members’ area offering personalised resources, access to digital tools, event registration, and streamlined request management. By addressing current pain points such as manual authorisation processes, limited user visibility of activity, and static supplier content; the site will support faster, more efficient, and more engaging journeys for all users. We are seeking a flexible, sustainable solution built on a mainstream CMS, allowing NOE CPC staff to manage content confidently without reliance on a development partner. The successful supplier will also be expected to provide secure UK‑based hosting, ongoing support, disaster recovery, and WCAG 2.2 AA–compliant design. This procurement represents a critical step in strengthening our digital presence, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring that NOE CPC continues to deliver a best‑in‑class online experience across the NHS and wider public sector. Where the supplied staff will work No specific location (for example they can work remotely) Why the work is being done NOE CPC is an NHS procurement organisation supporting NHS bodies and public‑sector customers to achieve compliant, value‑driven procurement outcomes. This project supports our goal to modernise our digital presence and improve how customers and suppliers access information, frameworks, and tools through a more intuitive and integrated website. The work is driven by the need to meet current NHS and public‑sector expectations around accessibility, data security, and efficient digital self‑service. While no single legislative change triggers this procurement, increasing requirements around WCAG accessibility, GDPR compliance, and secure handling of user data mean our website must be rebuilt on a modern, robust platform. The new website must be completed and launched by October 2026 to align with internal transformation plans and ensure a smooth transition from the current site. Overall, this work is being undertaken to enhance the user experience, reduce manual administrative processes, improve visibility of customer and supplier interactions, and enable NOE CPC to provide a more modern, efficient, and future‑proof digital service to the NHS and wider public sector. The business problem you need to solve NOE CPC’s current website, launched in 2019, is well‑regarded but no longer meets the expectations of today’s NHS and public‑sector users. Competitors now offer more modern and data‑driven digital platforms, and the existing site cannot provide the intelligent functionality, or personalised user experiences required to stay ahead. This creates practical limitations, including manual processes, restricted visibility of user activity, and limited ability to automate key information flows. To address this, NOE CPC needs a new website that delivers a seamless, efficient and secure user journey for members, non‑member NHS customers, suppliers and internal staff. The new platform must support real‑time data integration, improved self‑service features and a secure members’ area that acts as a single point of access to frameworks, resources and tools. The core outcome is a future‑proof, flexible digital platform that enhances user experience, reduces administrative burden and ensures NOE CPC remains competitive in the procurement landscape. By modernising the website, NOE CPC will provide a more effective and engaging digital service to the NHS and wider public sector. First user type: NHS Member Organisation User (e.g., Procurement Lead) First user type: NHS Non‑Member Customer First user type: Public‑Sector Buyer (Local Authority / Police / Education) First user type: Supplier (Existing Framework Supplier) First user type: Prospective Supplier First user type: NOE CPC Staff Member First user type: Procurement Analyst / Data User First user type: Events Attendee (NHS or Supplier) First user type: Member Organisation Manager (e.g., Head of Procurement) First user type: Regulatory / Audit Stakeholder Questions and Clarifications 1. We are currently reviewing the ITT documentation and would appreciate clarification on a couple of points before proceeding further. 1. Could you please confirm whether the indicative budget for this engagement is indeed £40,000–£65,000, as outlined in the documentation? 2. Could you also confirm whether offshore provision of services is permitted under this ITT? 1) We can confirm that the indicative budget range for this engagement is £40,000–£65,000, as set out in the ITT documentation. 2) Offshore provision of services is not permitted under this ITT. In line with our data security and information governance requirements, all services (including development, hosting, and support) must be delivered using UK-based data centres and servers. As a result, any service delivery model that would involve data being accessed, processed, or hosted outside of UK data geolocations would not be compliant with the requirements of this procurement. Last Updated: 5 February 2026, 09:44 2. You mention WordPress, Drupal as a potential cms in your requirements but would other cms be considered such as Umbraco? Yes. The CMS platforms referenced in the specification (including WordPress and Drupal) are provided as examples only. Alternative CMS solutions, such as Umbraco, will be considered, provided they meet all of the Authority’s stated functional, technical, security, and support requirements set out in the tender documentation. Last Updated: 4 February 2026, 15:15 3. To ensure appropriate hosting specification and performance optimization: a) Approximate number of active framework agreements and lots? b) Estimated number of registered member and supplier user accounts? c) Average monthly event registrations and Quick Quote submissions? a) There are multiple active framework agreements and lots; bidders should design a scalable solution appropriate for a dynamic framework portfolio. b) There are approximately 4,398 registered user accounts. There are no supplier user accounts. We receive approximately 70–100 new registration requests per month. c) Event registrations typically range between 50–500 per month, depending on activity levels. Average Quick Quote submissions are approximately 200 per month. Last Updated: 10 February 2026, 09:45 4. Few questions for clarifications : 1. Is prior direct experience delivering projects within the public sector mandatory? Our development team includes professionals who have previously worked on public-sector projects—would this be considered acceptable? 2. Are we permitted to use AWS as the proposed cloud infrastructure platform? 3. We have proven experience building B2B CMS applications for small and medium-sized organisations. Can this experience be referenced and evidenced within our proposal? 1. Direct prior delivery experience for public-sector or NHS organisations is not mandatory. Relevant experience may include comparable projects in other sectors and/or the experience of named personnel, provided bidders explain how this experience will be applied to the proposed solution. 2. Use of AWS or other cloud platforms is permitted, subject to bidders demonstrating compliance with the security, data residency, backup, disaster recovery, and ISO 27001 / NHS Cyber Standards requirements set out in the tender. 3. Experience delivering B2B CMS solutions may be referenced where it is relevant and comparable. Last Updated: 10 February 2026, 09:30 5. Please can you confirm if only Stage 2-shortlisted suppliers will be granted temporary access to the existing website? If not, can we request access, please? Access will be granted upon request. For any bidder wishing access at stage 1 or stage 2, please submit a clarification question and we will respond directly with the login details. Last Updated: 10 February 2026, 09:19 6. Please can you confirm if only Stage 2-shortlisted suppliers will be granted temporary access to the existing website? If not, can we request access, please? Access will be granted upon request. For any bidder wishing access at stage 1 or stage 2, please submit a clarification question and we will respond directly with the login details. Last Updated: 10 February 2026, 09:19