Skills England Web-based Services - Development, Support & Maintenance

Description

Summary of the work: DWP is seeking a supplier to provide development and associated hosting, support, maintenance and continuous improvement services for Skills England's web-based services, including its website, APIs and supporting technology estate. The supplier will maintain live services, deliver enhancements and transformation activity, support infrastructure, and provide specialist digital capability through SoW's, ensuring services remain secure, resilient, accessible and aligned to government standards. Pricing model: Capped time and materials Pricing model: Fixed price Pricing model: Other Provide further information: In addition to capped T&M and fixed price, the Authority may also choose to use T&M. Confirm if you require a contracted out service or supply of resource: Supply of resource: the off-payroll rules may apply Organisation the work is for: Skills England (Department for Work and Pensions) Where you want the supplier to work: No specific location (for example they can work remotely) Latest start date: 2027-02-01 Expected contract length: 2-00-00 Expected contract structure: Initial term: 2 years with two optional extension periods of up to 12 months each. Estimated contract value (excl VAT): 1600000 Why the work is being done: The work is being undertaken to ensure the continued operation, support and evolution of Skills England's digital services following the transfer of skills-related responsibilities from the Department for Education to DWP. These services support the creation, review, approval and publication of apprenticeship standards, occupational standards, qualifications and other education products, while also providing public-facing information, stakeholder collaboration tools and APIs used across the skills and apprenticeship sector. The existing support arrangement is coming to an end and must be replaced to maintain service continuity, security, resilience and performance. In addition to supporting live services, DWP requires ongoing development capacity to deliver enhancements, modernisation activities and future digital transformation initiatives. The requirement will ensure Skills England can continue to meet its statutory and operational responsibilities, respond to evolving user and policy needs, and maintain a secure, accessible and reliable digital service for employers, education providers, industry stakeholders and the public. Problem to be solved: Suppliers need to ensure that Skills England's existing digital services continue to operate securely, reliably and effectively while evolving to meet changing organisational, policy and user needs. This includes maintaining and improving a digital estate that supports the creation, review, approval and publication of apprenticeship standards, occupational standards, qualifications and related education products, whilst ensuring uninterrupted access for users and consumers of associated APIs. The required outcome is a sustainable, resilient and continuously improving digital service that enables Skills England to fulfil its statutory and operational responsibilities, supports future transformation and modernisation activity, maintains service continuity during supplier transition, and provides the flexibility to respond to emerging priorities without creating unnecessary technical debt or supplier dependency. Who the users are and what they need to do: The primary service users are: Skills England staff, including product managers, reviewers and administrators, who need to create, review, approve, manage and publish occupational standards, apprenticeships, qualifications and other education products. Employers and apprenticeship trailblazer groups, who need to collaborate on the development and revision of occupational standards and apprenticeship products. Education and training stakeholders, who need access to accurate and up-to-date information on standards, qualifications and related products. API consumers and other digital service users, who need reliable access to apprenticeship, occupation and qualification data through secure and well-maintained APIs. Members of the public, who need to find and access authoritative information on apprenticeship standards, occupations, qualifications and related education products through the public-facing website and Finder services. Current phase: Live Existing team: Website development is currently managed by the Authority’s digital services team (c. 5 staff) to drive product development and create user stories for current supplier to deliver. Incumbent supplier: Yes Working arrangements: Delivery operates within defined governance, delivery cadence and practices and a ‘one team’ approach , which suppliers will be expected to adopt and integrate into. There will be a strong emphasis on collaboration across teams and disciplines. Security clearance: Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)