BEIS – Hydrogen Heating Evidence Management System (EMS): Alpha/ Beta

Description

Summary of the work Deliver an alpha phase to develop prototypes/proof of concept for a Hydrogen Heating Evidence Management System (EMS), building on existing Microsoft technology, followed by a potential beta phase (decision to proceed will be made by BEIS) to build the EMS. Expected Contract Length Alpha phase – 8- 10 weeks; approval to proceed with Beta 3-4 weeks; Beta phase – 16 weeks Latest start date Saturday 25 February 2023 Budget Range Alpha phase –£220k-£280k max exc VAT Beta phase –£500k-£575k max exc VAT Why the Work is Being Done The Government set out a number of key commitments to build an evidence base on hydrogen for heating in the UK Hydrogen Strategy. Government is working with industry, regulators, and local partners to support a range of research, development and testing projects. This includes pioneering hydrogen heating consumer trials, designed to determine the feasibility, costs and convenience of using hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas for heating. The knowledge and experience gained in delivering trials in communities, together with the results of our wider R&D and testing programme, will enable the Government to take strategic decisions in 2026 on the role of hydrogen in decarbonising heat. A digital solution is needed to manage the evidence being generated in order to ensure the following outcomes: Public confidence and trust in the quality of decisions made on hydrogen heating; enabled by using robust evidence management. Audit or scrutiny of the programme is quickly and comprehensively resolved. Delivery risk is reduced through effective tracking and oversight​. Productivity and adoption of evidence management is increased through improved process and resource efficiency in evidence gathering, management and audit. Teams feel comfortable with the process/systems for managing evidence and it improves working wellbeing. Problem to Be Solved The evidence collected now is stored predominantly across different SharePoint drives and managed using a series of ‘Evidence Frameworks’* in the form of Excel spreadsheets or Word documents. However, the evidence base is anticipated to expand and evolve in the coming years, and recent growth has already highlighted difficulties in continuing to manage the programme with these tools. In Discovery, a ‘silver bullet’ solution was not found that gave us total certainty all our needs could be met. However, expanding our existing Microsoft technology solution has the potential to solve many user needs and we would now like to explore this option further in an alpha phase. *An evidence framework captures the evidence gaps e.g. “changes in leakage as a result of conversion from natural gas to hydrogen in downstream pipework and components” and various other information about the evidence gap e.g. more granular level evidence needs, which project is delivering it, assurance status of evidence, appraisal impacts of evidence e.g. costs. Additional background/Discovery Report can be provided by katsiaryna.addiego@beis.gov.uk. Who Are the Users As an evidence shaper I need: To find the evidence I need quickly The latest version of evidence So that… I can identify evidence gaps and commission more research to be done. As an evidence generator I need: To process and store evidence consistently So that… the evidence I generate is a usable input to the EMS, enabling multiple teams to find it and use it. As an evidence assurer I need: To know when to expect evidence for assurance To share comments on evidence and see how they have been addressed So that… I can plan and triage assurance across my team and ensure feedback is conveyed and tracked. As an evidence action taker I need: To see the linkages and rationale between data, evidence, and decisions To see quick summaries of evidence scope, assumptions, conclusions, quality So that… I can make informed decisions quickly and have confidence in the system. As an evidence enabler I need: An overview of evidence status and progress Clear and consistent governance and processes An audit trail across the programme So that… I can assess programme risks, have confidence in EMS, resolve scrutiny quickly and identify improvements and programme next steps. Early Market Engagement N/A Work Already Done A Discovery phase has been completed and the Discovery report can be shared with suppliers by emailing the contact provided. The recommendation from Discovery was to explore two other products (Enable my Team and Monday.com) in addition to a Microsoft solution in alpha. However, on further reflection BEIS doesn't consider this to be a viable approach for Alpha and risks delaying the solution. It has therefore been decided to focus on the Microsoft solution in alpha. Existing Team The existing EMS project team consists of the following: Service Owner – Head of Delivery, Hydrogen Heating Product Manager – Senior Technical Lead, Hydrogen Heating Project Support – Project Delivery Officer, Hydrogen Heating BEIS Digital Delivery Manager Commercial Manager The supplier team will also work with the wider Hydrogen Heating programme including: Wider Hydrogen Heating team HSE assurance and assessment team Gas Distribution Network Operators Current Phase Alpha Skills & Experience • Demonstrate experience of agile delivery of alpha/ beta phase for an information/workflow management system which meets the Service Standard and Technical Code of Practice criteria i.e. successfully passed GDS assessments • Demonstrate experience of building sustainable and supportable SharePoint solutions with workflows • Demonstrate experience recruiting and managing a user community , including testers of the product and creating feedback loops to support agile project delivery • Demonstrate experience of working through the service lifecycle of Discovery/Alpha/Beta/Live where the Discovery phase/s has been delivered by another contractor • Provide evidence of delivering accessible and compliant services that meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Nice to Haves • Gold or Silver Microsoft Partner status with competencies in cloud business applications or equivalent solutions partner designation • Demonstrate your experience developing digital products to capture national infrastructure evidence e.g. on safety, feasibility, costs or impacts for policy making Work Location With the team hybrid working , it is expected the supplier will do the same. This means , if the need arises, the supplier’s team would need to travel to the BEIS 1 Victoria Street HQ in London for meeting(s)/workshop(s). Working Arrangments The supplier’s staff will be expected to be available during the typical working hours of the policy team (Monday to Friday 9am-5pm) in order to maximise knowledge transfer. We require the supplier to hold agile ceremonies as well as weekly update/‘show and tell’ sessions for BEIS stakeholders, which will take place over MS Teams. Other potential tools tbc. Security Clearance All individuals must have BPSS as a minimum. In addition, technical team members who will be working on the Cirrus environment, will need SC clearance. Additional T&Cs Additional terms will be added to the Call-Off Order Form: “Call-Off Initial Period Alpha” and “Call-Off Initial Period Beta” – the Buyer will decide to proceed to Beta stage or terminate the Call-Off agreement after Alpha. All expenses must be pre-agreed between the parties and must comply with the Cabinet Office Travel and Subsistence Policy. All vendors are obliged to provide sufficient guarantees to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures so that the processing meets the requirements of GDPR and ensures the protection of the rights of data subjects. For further information please see the Information Commissioner's Office website https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-reform/overview-of-the-gdpr/ No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria • Describe the proposed approach and methodology for delivering the alpha and beta phases of this project • Describe how you will ensure that the solution meets user needs • Detail the estimated timeframes/plan for the work • Detail the risks and dependencies you’ve identified and your proposed approach to manage them • Describe the structure of the team and how their technical skills and experience will be used to deliver the need, including estimated resource dedicated to the project • Detail how you will provide value for money, including how you will take previous learning to deliver better value for this project Cultural Fit Criteria • Detail how you will work as a team with BEIS, industry and others to deliver the project, including those with low technical expertise • Give an example of when you have been transparent and collaborative when making decisions • Please give an example of when you have challenged the status quo Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 70% Cultural fit 10% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers 1. Can the Authority please confirm whether a supplier was used to develop the Discovery report? If so, who are they? And are they permitted to bid on this opportunity? The supplier was used to develop the discovery report. The contract with that supplier has been published and publicly available as per PCR rules. And as per PCR rules, any supplier on the DOS framework can bid for this opportunity. 2. Please can you confirm the name of the incumbent supplier? There is incumbent supplier. We have finished Discovery phase and looking for a supplier to deliver alpha and beta 3. Are we able to review the discovery report? Yes, please follow the instructions on the opportunity website 4. Question 2: Please can you confirm the name of the incumbent supplier? There is no incumbent supplier 5. Can the Authority please clarify what the desired output from the chosen supplier will be for the Alpha and Beta phases respectively? Alpha outputs: 1. Prototypes/proof of concept of an Evidence Management System (EMS) utilising existing BEIS Microsoft capabilities/Prototypes of an Evidence Management System (EMS) which meets User’s needs, and it is cost-effective.2. BEIS digital products required for assessment to progress to Beta (solution options document, end of phase report etc)Beta outputs: 1. Live EMS system available to all users 2. BEIS digital products required for assessment to progress to Launch 6. Would a start date, in mid March, be acceptable? We are not able to give a definite answer to this question at this stage, as we will have to see it in the context of the overall quality of the responses/proposals. At the moment, we are aiming to start this work as soon as reasonably possible. 7. What are the full timelines for Stage 2 of the tender e.g. when will Stage 2 written response and presentation be required by and when will an outcome be announced? At the moment the aim is to have the Stage 2 proposals and pricing provided by mid February, suppliers will have 2 weeks to prepare, and have a presentation date straight after. The outcome should be announced before the end of February. These are rough deadlines and are subject to change if required by BEIS.