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Procurement details: RM1043.8 - Family Hub and Start for Life Data Portal

27

Applications submitted

Two stage

Call-off procedure

£400000

Value

Outside scope

Off-payroll status

18 July 2025

Application Closing Date

1. Context and requirements

Pre-market engagement: Technical recommendations: 1. We could consider the development of a wireframe before a full Alpha build, so that we have a product we can test with senior leadership and users, and implement any changes before the Portal is developed. 2. We could consider other data collection types through the Portal, including functionality to survey service users directly through the portal with hosting a survey page and generating a QR code for LAs to include in promotional materials and provide to service users of Family Hubs. 3. We should consider the future likely scalability and flexibility required of the Portal, which would influence the complexity of the underlying software.
Work done so far: We have identified the problem with the current approach to data collection, engaged with Local Authority data leads and internal stakeholders on what requirements the data collection is currently meeting and identified opportunities for improvement in both the technical approach to data collection and the specific data items being collected. A Data and Digital Incubator team within DfE has carried out a 10-week project to assess the requirements for the Family Hubs and Start for Life Management Information data and identify options for the collection of the data to be improved. This has included: 1. Business Analysis: Captured and compiled a comprehensive requirements catalogue from all stakeholders involved in the collections process, and developed both AS-IS and TO-BE process models. 2. Service Design: a. Established view of the current process of MI data reporting b. Validated pain points, user needs and processes relevant at each phase across the activity c. Refined understanding of the capabilities and needs a digital portal product will need to deliver 3. User Research: Detailed insights from the experience of the Data Leads and Providers, including an overview of the user journey, pain points, areas for improvements and perspectives on the proposed upgrade of the process. 4. Solution Architecture Artifacts including: a. Technical Feasibility of Existing Tools & Future Options b. Family Hubs Review Of Methods For Sending Receiving Secure Files c. Portal Hosting Options d. Alternate Options to the Proposed Portal e. Options for Analytical Functionality (Placement Inside versus Outside Portal) f. Technical, Organisational and Policy Constraints g. Understand Technical Integration Requirements h. Technical Solution Cloud Architecture Diagram i. Core Domain Data Model Diagram
Which phase the project is in: Discovery
Existing team: Family Hubs and Start for Life Data Leads - DfE and DHSC analytical team leads who are responsible for collection and analysis of the programme data including Management Information and Maturity Self-Assessment. Family Hubs and Start for Life Local Authority Data Leads - Individuals within the LA who are responsible for returning data to the programme. DHSC DAC team and programme manager - DHSC's cloud based analytical platform team DHSC Cyber Security team Solution Delivery Team (DfE Technology Group) Families Digital Group DfE
Address where the work will be done: Work can be undertaken remotely. The DHSC team have offices in London (39 Victoria Street, Westminster, London, SW1H 0EU) and Leeds (Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UE), should in person working arrangements take place. As we will use UK regulatory data, we require data to be kept within the UK. The solution provider will therefore be required to be UK based.
Working arrangements: The supplier's staff will be expected to be available during the typical working hours of Monday to Friday (9.00am to 5.00pm) to maximise collaboration and knowledge sharing. We require the supplier to conduct the usual agile ceremonies, weekly updates, 'show and tell' workshops, planning sessions, and any additional sessions as required. A supplier that can help develop the internal teams project delivery is also preferred. This will include producing resources and documentation of work undertaken to provide a clear record of what has been done and decisions made. We expect clear and continual communication between the supplier and the DHSC and DfE teams to ensure a joined-up approach. Sessions will take place remotely unless otherwise agreed. Collaborative in person workshops may be arranged as necessary in an appropriate location. Supplier is required to cover travel at their own expense. The contract will be managed in line with DOS 6 call-off contract requirements and using DHSC’s contract management guidance. By integrating the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework guidelines with DHSC's specific contract management guidance, the call-off contract can be tailored to meet the department’s unique needs while ensuring compliance with procurement regulations and best practice. The contract will include a break clause at least between private and public beta. Following agile principles, we will use sprint cycles to progress and agree each stage of the project. Throughout the contract period, we will use established methodologies to monitor timelines, expenditures, and work outputs. Documentation - • A risk, issues, and lessons learned log will be maintained to document and track any identified risks, issues, and insights gained throughout the duration of the project. A risk escalation route will be established at the start of the project. SEE UPLOADED DOCUMENT FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Provide more information about your security requirements: Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)
Latest start date: 2025-09-30
Enter the expected contract length: 2026 years, 3 months and 31 days
Extension period: 2026 years, 9 months and 30 days
Write the term or acronym: Family Hubs and Start for Life (FH&SfL): The name of the joint programme being funded, to which this data collection relates Management Information (MI): One of the data collections concerning delivery of the FH&SFL programme Maturity Self-Assessment (MSA): One of the data collections concerning delivery of the FH&SFL programme Department for Education (DfE): Government department Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC): Government department Best Start in Life (BSiL): Best Start in Life, a pillar of the Government's Opportunity Mission SR25: Spending Review 2025
Write the term or acronym: “Price per quality point (PQP) is an evaluation technique designed to fairly compare bids of varying quality and price. PQP is calculated for each bid by - determining the quality score for each bid, expressed as a whole number rather than as a percentage - dividing the bid price by the quality score to give an output price per quality point. Please note, we will be using PQP to evaluate submissions at Stage 2 rather than the 50%/20%/10%/20% split that the DOS forms require us to select. More information will be supplied at next stage.
Are you prepared to show your budget details?: Yes
Indicative maximum: 400000
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: Overview: Development of a dedicated online Data Portal to facilitate the collection of data from Local Authorities who are part of the FH&SfL programme. Summary of activities: The FH&SfL programme funds 75 Local Authorities (LAs) to deliver early help and support for families with children aged 0-5. Services are primarily delivered through Family Hubs and support families with Parenting, Home Learning Environment, Perinatal Mental Health, Parent Infant Relationships and Infant Feeding. As part of delivering the programme, DHSC and DfE collect data from LAs to monitor and assure programme delivery. Data is also collected to support independent evaluation of the programme and internal analysis of trends and impact. This project is for the development a dedicated secure data collection platform which, following a phased development, will by the end of 25/26 financial year, provide a single platform for LAs to upload all data related to the programme. The portal will seek to replace the current manual processes involved in data collection, through validating data at point of entry and housing data submitted by LAs to support subsequent returns and summary analysis within the portal. The portal will support collaborative efforts within LAs by supporting multiple partners involved in programme delivery within an LA to bring data together and compile each return. Finally, the portal will provide dashboard functionality both for LAs to view summaries of the data they have submitted and track metrics over time and for internal stakeholders to view summaries of all submitted data for quarterly reporting. The portal will be built within existing government cloud architecture. The provider will need to integrate with existing systems and pipelines ensuring compliance with relevant security procedures and information governance. SEE UPLOADED DOCUMENT FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Where the supplied staff will work: No specific location (for example they can work remotely)
Who the organisation using the products or services is: Name of user: (External) Local Authority Data Leads Name of user: (External) Family Hub and Start for Life commissioned delivery partners Name of user: (Internal) Family Hub and Start for Life Assurance Lead (DfE/DHSC) Name of user: (Internal) Family Hub and Start for Life Analyst (DfE/DHSC)
Why the work is being done: Goal: Dramatically improve the internal reporting and assurance processes for the FH&SfL programme. Improving our internal understanding and reporting on FH&SfL programme will support the Government's Opportunity and Health Missions, in particular the Best Start in Life (BSiL) pillar of the Opportunity Mission and the ambition to achieve the healthiest generation of children ever. FH&SfL has been identified as a key delivery priority for the BSiL pillar and if we are to understand what works, support evaluation and continually improve programme delivery we must have access to accurate information on programme delivery and impact being achieved. Data should underpin all of our activity in the programme, yet we are currently restricted in our understanding due to poor quality data and a lack of appropriate technology to support analytical efficiency. The project must be delivered by 31 March 2026 so that the portal is in place should the FH&SfL programme be extended through SR25.
The business problem you need to solve: Bringing all programme data together Improving the data collection Data Transformation Service Improving access to data Risks and challenges Deliverables Alpha (8 weeks) Beta (4 months) PLEASE SEE UPLOADED DOCUMENT FOR MORE INFORMATION UNDER THESE HEADINGS.
First user type: Name of user: (External) Local Authority Data Leads
First user type: Name of user: (External) Family Hub and Start for Life commissioned delivery partners
First user type: Name of user: (Internal) Family Hub and Start for Life Assurance Lead (DfE/DHSC)
First user type: Name of user: (Internal) Family Hub and Start for Life Analyst (DfE/DHSC)
First user type

2. Assessment Criteria
About assessment criteria
About evaluation weightings
Select your pricing model: Fixed price
Additional assessment methods: Presentation
Describe the question and answer session: Contact person: Esther Nelson-Streeter - Esther.NStreeter@dhsc.gov.uk
Create your scoring criteria: 3
How many suppliers to evaluate: 5
Technical competence: 50
Cultural fit: 20
Social value: 10
Price: 20
Essential skills and experience: 20
Nice-to-have skills and experience: 10
Technical questions: 70
Describe the essential skill or experience:: • Evidence experience(s) within the last 3 years of successfully delivering a Beta phase, including passing a Beta Service Assessment, for a public digital service which meets the GOV.UK Service Standard and Technical Code of Practice criteria. (30%)
Enter a weighting for this skill or experience in whole numbers, for example 30: 30
Describe the essential skill or experience:: • Experience of building and deploying cloud-based Web applications and APIs using .NET framework and Next. Preferably .NET 8, .NET 9 or Next JS, SQL Server which are can easily fit in the DHSC IT infrastructure. (30%)
Enter a weighting for this skill or experience in whole numbers, for example 30: 30
Describe the essential skill or experience:: • Clear evidenced experience in conducting user research, designing and developing working large scale digital services, user journey mapping, delivering evidenced, prioritised user stories and designing assisted digital support. (20%)
Enter a weighting for this skill or experience in whole numbers, for example 30: 20
Describe the essential skill or experience:: • Experience of delivering accessible and compliant services that meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1AA and above. (20%)
Enter a weighting for this skill or experience in whole numbers, for example 30: 20
Describe the nice-to-have skill or experience:: • Experience of working with Management Information and delivery data. (50%)
Enter a weighting for this skill or experience in whole numbers, for example 30: 50
Describe the nice-to-have skill or experience:: • Some experience of building on the findings of Discovery phases delivered by another party, to effectively deliver an Alpha phase. (50%)
Enter a weighting for this skill or experience in whole numbers, for example 30: 50
Explain the technical question:: - Explain your proposed methodology and approach to delivering a successful Beta phase with the client team during the length of the contract, including how you will build upon the learnings and recommendations from Alpha (30%)
Enter a weighting for this technical question in whole numbers, for example 30: 30
Explain the technical question:: - Set out a project plan with proposed timelines for delivery within the length of the contract, including identification of risks and proposed mitigation. (20%)
Enter a weighting for this technical question in whole numbers, for example 30: 20
Explain the technical question:: - Describe the structure of your team and explain how this team has the relevant skills and experience to deliver the project. (15%)
Enter a weighting for this technical question in whole numbers, for example 30: 15
Explain the technical question:: -Explain how you would work with a range of stakeholders from across Local Authorities, DHSC and DfE to understand their needs and how the service would integrate with their processes and systems, and how you would guide them through service implementation. (15%)
Enter a weighting for this technical question in whole numbers, for example 30: 15
Explain the technical question:: - You will be asked to present on how you have led successful digital delivery and aligned with the essential criteria. A more specific presentation title will be released at the next stage. (20%)
Enter a weighting for this technical question in whole numbers, for example 30: 20
Your question: - Explain how you will rapidly build expertise of the policy area within the delivery team.(30%)
Enter a weighting for this question: 30
Your question: - Explain how you will transfer knowledge and build capability within a client team with limited experience of agile practices, with evidence of previous experiences.(40%)
Enter a weighting for this question: 40
Your question: - Please describe how you will work collaboratively with the internal team. (30%)
Enter a weighting for this question: 30
Explain the social value question: - MAC 2.2: Employment: • Delivery of training schemes and programmes to address any identified skills gaps and under-representation in the workforce for the contract (e.g. prison leavers, disabled people • Other activities to support relevant sector related skills growth and sustainability such as delivering the following, in relation to the contract. Illustrative examples: careers talks, curriculum support, literacy support and safety talks. (50%)
Enter a weighting for this question: 50
Explain the social value question: - MAC 3.5: Manage cyber security risks: • Understanding of risks affecting the contract, including those affecting the market, industry, sector and country (of origin or of source), and to identify the risks and ways of mitigating and managing them. • Commitment to adopting the required technical standards and best practice as a basis for appropriate cyber security controls (appropriate to the contract and risk profile), such as: ○ the ‘10 Steps To Cyber Security’ advocated by the National Cyber Security Centre for establishing a cyber risk management regime. ○ more stringent cyber security measures in the supply chain where necessary, such as Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certification, and having a specific cyber insurance policy for the contract. ○ NCSC Cloud Security Guidance ○ NCSC 14 Cloud Security Principles ○ Technology Code of Practice (50%)
Enter a weighting for this question: 50

3. Timeline
Publication of stage 1: July 18, 2025, 3:17 PM
Clarification period closes: July 23, 2025, 3:00 PM
Deadline for suppliers to submit their stage 1 responses: July 29, 2025, 3:00 PM

Clarification questions and responses

There are 26 questions and clarifications relating to this opportunity.

1. Good afternoon, Please can you confirm if the indicated £400k budget is to cover all three stages (Discovery, Alpha and Beta)? Kind regards

Yes, the £400k budget is for all 3 stages.

Last Updated: 8 July 2025, 15:01

2. Good Morning Please see below another CQ Please could you confirm what its being built on i.e Azure, AWS? Kind Regards

DHSC is a Microsoft based organisation currently on Azure so will be expected to be built on Azure.

Last Updated: 8 July 2025, 14:59

3. Good Morning Please see below our clarification questions. 1. Does the organisation have a preference on the tech stack they wish to use for this procurement? i.e MFST 2. Will a data cleanse be required or will this be done beforehand? 3. Will the organisation need to follow a security framework i.e ISO or CAF? 4. Will a further discovery be required? 5. Is SC a requirement or is BPSS sufficient? 6. Is it preferred to have UK resources only, or will near shore be considered? Kind Regards

1. To match our standards, we are currently looking at enforcing .NET and a JavaScript based framework (preferably React/NextJS) across every new bespoke application to smooth support provisions in the future 2. We are looking for quotes to include details of migrating our existing data collected through our legacy approach to the platform, as each quarter builds upon the previous one. This may require some data cleansing, to match the legacy data to the new data framework being designed for the portal. 3. We’re implementing the new infrastructure currently to CAF standards. 4. This tender is for the Discovery, Alpha and Beta phases, with expected deliverables from each phase provided in the additional information available to download. 5. BPSS will be sufficient as the data to be handled is largely pseudonymised or aggregated. 6. UK resources only are preferred.

Last Updated: 8 July 2025, 10:13

4. Good morning, Please could you confirm if this tender is for discovery only? Additionally, could you please confirm/provide further clarification on the definition of Management Information and delivery data in regards to Nice to Have Q1? Kind regards

This tender is for the Discovery, Alpha and Beta phases, with expected deliverables from each phase provided in the additional information available to download. The Management Information data is quarterly data collected from local authorities participating in the FH&SfL programme concerning the delivery of the programme. It covers areas including service delivery, workforce, training and outcomes for service users. The Delivery Plans are annual returns by LAs setting out how they will allocate their funding across the programme strands and priority areas. The data is currently collected through excel, with multiple tabs for the different aspects of the data collection, with over 100 total questions/data items for LAs to respond against.

Last Updated: 8 July 2025, 10:07

5. Question 2 asks for experience in .NET. My question is therefore does the development have to be in .NET? Reason I ask is this could be an ideal development for using OutSystems low code platform, and wondered if this could be an option assuming it meets all the functional / non functional requirements? If .NET has been chosen as the development path can you confirm why this is?

To match our standards, we are currently looking at enforcing .NET and a JavaScript based framework (ideally React/NextJS) across every new bespoke application to smooth support provisions in the future.

Last Updated: 8 July 2025, 09:22

6. For the avoidance of doubt, can you please clarify whether the supplier (not sub-contractors) is required to have Cyber Essentials Plus, or will Cyber Essentials suffice? Thank you.

This would depend on what either the main contractor is providing; similar to the subcontractor, if the main contractor are providing the delivery or design of any part of the project related to the gathering, transmitting, storage or use of data then yes. Especially if any of the data being held has PII or is marked as Official or above. Or if they are providing any security functionality or services.

Last Updated: 7 July 2025, 16:14

7. Hello, We note the Essential Skills and Experience Question in relation to building and deploying cloud based web applications and specifically the text that notes "can easily fit in the DHSC IT infrastructure". From this are we to infer that the solution created must be hosted within the DHSC Infrastructure or would the buyer be open to using an externally hosted cloud service which meets all of the noted functional and non-functional requirements? Thanks

DHSC preference would be for something to be built within the DHSC IT infrastructure, but we are open to quotes which include externally hosted cloud services which meet all requirements.

Last Updated: 7 July 2025, 15:56

8. Good morning, Many thanks for launching this opportunity. If possible, please may we raise the following clarification question: Does the Buyer require a short (i.e. 4 week) Discovery phase to be undertaken as part of this work, or does the Buyer require the Supplier to undertake Alpha and Beta only, using the outputs of the Buyers Data and Digital Incubator teams recent 10-week project to assess the requirements for the Family Hubs and Start for Life MI as the basis for the Alpha phase? Thanks and kind regards

We require a 4-week Discovery phase to be undertaken, which can build on the work carried out by the Data and Digital Incubator team (all reports from that project will be made available). Full details of required phases and high-level outputs from each phase should be available in the Word document uploaded as part of this project which can be downloaded from the DOS6 commercial portal.

Last Updated: 7 July 2025, 11:08

9. Good morning, Please can you confirm whether subcontractors would be required to hold Cyber Essentials Plus certification? Kind regards

This would depend on what the Sub-contractor is providing, if they are involved in the delivery or design of any part of the project related to the gathering, transmitting, storage or use of data then yes. Especially if any of the data being held has PII or is marked as Official or above. Or if they are providing any security functionality or services.

Last Updated: 7 July 2025, 10:53

10. Hi, The link for the updated Clarification Questions and answers is not working. Please see attached error message. Many thanks

Dear Supplier - whilst this stage of the event is ongoing, the system does not allow us to make changes and that includes uploading any other document other than the one which was uploaded before the event was published. For suppliers not able to access the clarification questions, please contact Crown Commercial Service directly as this seems to be a system issue and the system is managed centrally by them and not by the individual Authority. We have also forwarded the received messages from our side to CCS so they can action. Kind regards.

Last Updated: 17 July 2025, 11:45

11. Good morning, When we try to follow the link to the updated clarification questions we receive an error message that there is a problem with the service. Is it possible for you to upload the responses as a document so that we can check them today before submission? Thanks in advance

Last Updated: 17 July 2025, 11:37

12. Hi Team, Could you please upload the questions-and-answers document for this project? The link you provided isn’t working—please see the attached screenshot for details. Kind regards

Last Updated: 17 July 2025, 11:35

13. Good afternoon. We are keen to proceed and understand that we are required to complete the Attachment 3 template and submit a single consolidated file. However, we have noticed that the template does not include any sections for company details. Could you please confirm whether company information is not required at this stage of the submission process? Kind regards

I believe when you submit your response by the deadline date, the Authority will be able to pick this up and identify it by the company details you used when you first registered on the Crown Commercial Service DOS platform. As your question is more a DOS system issue, I would advise you check with the CCS team responsible for the platform if in doubt.

Last Updated: 16 July 2025, 16:04

14. Hi there - we sent this question on 11-7-25. When should we see a response please? We note you have answered other questions from around this time but not this question (unless we have missed it) yet. DHSC IT infrastructure Message Given your answer to Question 3 within Questions and Clarifications - "DHSC preference would be for something to be built within the DHSC IT infrastructure", please could you confirm if respondents who have specific experience of integrating with DHSC IT will score more highly in yoiur evaluation and conversely, those that do not have that specific experience will score less highly? Or would experience integrating with other Gov IT infrastructures score as highly as those with DHSC IT integration experience? Kind regards

The Authority will use the 4 level scoring criteria as outlined in the DOS platform to score suppliers' responses in relation to the Authority's requirements.

Last Updated: 16 July 2025, 15:55

15. Please answer the following clarifications to help us with our bid: 7. What security and data governance standards must the portal follow? 8. Are there specific requirements for data encryption and data-at-rest security? 9. Should the portal be built to scale for more LAs or future data types? 10. Are future integrations with other systems or services expected? 11. Are there key milestones or deliverables for Alpha and Beta phases? 12. What testing and user acceptance activities are expected from LAs and Family Hubs?

7. The solution should follow the standards laid out in Cyber essentials+ and ISO 27001. 8. For data in transit a minimum of TLS v1.2 or better is required over established, trusted connections. Data at rest should be encrypted with AES-256 or equivalent. 9. Yes, scalability is crucial. The government has announced expansion of the Family Hubs programme to all remaining LAs from April 2026, this will require 78 additional LAs to be onboarded into the portal once they begin delivery of their programmes. We also anticipate the data needs of the programme growing and changing as this is a transformation programme early in its implementation. Potential future uses could include collecting user data directly from service users through surveys hosted in the portal and bringing online new collections for the LA. 10. The portal is intended to be hosted within DHSC existing infrastructure. 11. Planned milestones and deliverables are detailed in the additional documentation available to download through the commercial portal. 12. We welcome recommendations from suppliers on the testing and user acceptance activities required to ensure the portal will meet objectives.

Last Updated: 14 July 2025, 11:05

16. Please answer the following clarifications to help us with our bid: 3. What user roles and permissions will the portal need to support? 4. What current issues do Local Authority Data Leads face with manual submissions? 5. What data validation rules are expected at the point of entry? 6. How will data completeness be checked and will there be auto-notifications for gaps?

3. The portal has the following identified users: o Local authority data leads, who will be the primary person responsible for data entry for their LA. They will need to have permission to enter/upload data and view dashboards related only to their LAs progress/delivery. o DHSC/DfE analytical team who will require CMS access to edit/add/remove data items from the portal and add new features to any dashboards. This team will also require ability to upload documentation to the portal (e.g., LA MOUs in .pdf format). o DHSC/DfE programme team who will require access to the LA data submitted through the portal. Full user roles and permissions are expected to be determined through Discovery. 4. As the current data is collected in excel, LAs experience the following issues: o They are sometimes unable to use the spreadsheet as it is macro enabled, without seeking additional approvals from their internal IT teams. o They ‘break’ the validation rules imposed by the spreadsheet, meaning that their data is invalidated when processed. o They are collating data internally from a number of different commissioned partners, requiring them to create multiple versions of the spreadsheet to share with these partners. o They are required to provide or validate data the same data at each quarter, even if nothing has changed in their delivery. 5. Currently identified validation rules include: o Checks against accepted values, o Selection from given drop-down (without ability to overwrite or enter free text) o Lookups to previously entered data or reference lists o Checks that data follows the correct logic, e.g., workforce in individual teams should not be a larger value than the total workforce entered o Question routing so that certain questions are only asked if previous conditions have been met. 6. Progress checking for completion would be a useful tool for the LA and there should be auto-notification if a form has not been completed.

Last Updated: 14 July 2025, 11:03

17. Please answer the following clarifications to help us with our bid: 1. What data sources need to be integrated, and are any legacy systems involved? 2. Are there any accessibility needs beyond WCAG 2.1 AA, e.g. for screen reader users?

1. The programme currently collects several datasets from Local Authorities. Identified for inclusion in the development of the Portal this financial year is the programme Management Information (MI) and Delivery Plans. These datasets have been collected in macro-enabled excel spreadsheets. Feasibility of migration of the data is expected to be determined during Discovery. 2. The Portal will need to meet Government Digital Standards for accessibility - match GDS Accessibility Guidelines. Making your service accessible: an introduction - Service Manual - GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/helping-people-to-use-your-service/making-your-service-accessible-an-introduction. To meet government accessibility requirements, digital services must: • meet level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2) as a minimum: https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/helping-people-to-use-your-service/understanding-wcag. • work on the most commonly used assistive technologies - including screen magnifiers, screen readers and speech recognition tools: https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/technology/testing-with-assistive-technologies. • include disabled people in user research: https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/user-research. • have an accessibility statement that explains how accessible the service is - you need to publish this when the service moves into public beta: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/make-your-website-or-app-accessible-and-publish-an-accessibility-statement#decide-if-anything-is-a-disproportionate-burden-to-fix-right-now.

Last Updated: 14 July 2025, 10:58

18. 1. What are the roles and involvement levels of DHSC and DfE stakeholders? 2. Will collaboration with other departments or vendors be required? 3. Are there minimum scores required for cultural fit or social value criteria? 4. What level of post-go-live support and maintenance is expected?

1. The project will be managed by the DHSC and DfE analytical team, with the Data Lead for the Start for Life programme taking the lead on project management. The analytical team is supported by a Steering Group of the programme SLT who will be reviewing progress, informed of key milestones and supporting to manage risk across the project. Wider stakeholders who will need to be included in the project include the DHSC and DfE programme, assurance and policy teams who rely on programme data for their work. The project will also be supported by technical teams within both DHSC and DfE who will feed in requirements and assess feasibility of proposed solutions as needed. Exact teams to be determined once the final scope of the project has been agreed through the procurement process. 2. Other than the teams given above and the LAs themselves, no wider collaboration is currently expected. 3. Currently overall weighting for cultural fit is set at 20% and overall weighting for social value is set at 10%. 4. This procurement is for the 25/26 financial year only. We will separately be procuring an ongoing maintenance contract once departmental budgets for the 26/27 financial year have been confirmed in the autumn.

Last Updated: 11 July 2025, 15:40

19. 1. Is the £400,000 budget fixed, or is there scope for flexibility if requirements change? 2. Will payments be milestone-based or follow another structure? 3. How will Price per Quality Point (PQP) be scored in relation to quality and price?

1. The £400,000 budget should be considered the maximum possible spend available for this project. 2. The Authority's preferred pricing mechanism is Fixed Price with a Schedule of Payments against Milestones. 3. To score the PQP, we will be dividing each shortlisted bidder’s price by its quality score.

Last Updated: 11 July 2025, 15:30

20. 1. Is the £400,000 budget fixed, or is there scope for flexibility if requirements change? 2. Will payments be milestone-based or follow another structure? 3. How will Price per Quality Point (PQP) be scored in relation to quality and price?

Last Updated: 11 July 2025, 15:29

21. Hi Procurement team, We are very interested in the Family Hubs and Start for Life project. So that we best understand your needs and the context of the project, we have some clarification questions: 1. Does DHSC have pre-existing ideas from discovery work to date about specific design concepts it wants to prototype and test in Alpha? If so, what are they? 2. At what stages will Service Assessments be carried out? In particular, if there is a Discovery assessment, will the existing incubator team be available to represent their work? 3. Given that users from both DHSC and DfE will need to access the data, will there be a requirement to implement Single Sign On (SSO) from both organisations? 4. What current data quality issues are DHSC/DfE aware of in existing submissions? Many thanks,

1. Initial wireframes were developed by the incubator team to visualise key requirements identified during their sprint which we will look to share with suppliers at Stage 2 of the procurement. 2. Assessment will be carried out at end of Alpha phase against success metrics identified during Discovery. More detail is provided in the supporting documentation available to download through the procurement portal. We can ask follow-up questions to the incubator team for clarification on their report if needed. 3. Yes, or some other access arrangement, we welcome supplier recommendations. 4. Data quality issues include: • Where LAs are missing data or are not able to provide data for the quarter, there is not a simple way for them to indicate this is the case, instead they sometimes enter ‘N/A’, leave blank or enter 0. • LAs do not consistently interpret guidance provided, or are not able to follow the guidance due to data availability within their LA, meaning that often LAs are calculating aggregates using different methodologies and received data is therefore not comparable between LAs. • LAs do not follow the template drop-downs provided and over-write with their own response which cannot be easily validated • Some LAs will provide data relating to a different time-period depending on the data they have available locally. • Some LAs are not able to receive data from their commissioned partners which creates gaps in reporting.

Last Updated: 11 July 2025, 15:09

22. What data sources need to be integrated, and are any legacy systems involved?

The programme currently collects several datasets from Local Authorities. Identified for inclusion in the development of the Portal this financial year is the programme Management Information (MI) and Delivery Plans. These datasets have been collected in macro-enabled excel spreadsheets. Feasibility of migration of the data is expected to be determined during Discovery.

Last Updated: 11 July 2025, 14:54

23. Good afternoon, Thank you for this question. I just wanted to check – could you please share a bit more about what you’re hoping to see in the response? For example, are you looking for experience specifically in: • Reporting & data handling • Service iteration • Service operations Or perhaps something else? With the character limitations in mind, it would really help to understand what would be most useful for you. Many thanks in advance.

The skills and experience and technical questions are set out in the procurement documentation. We are looking for experience with delivering projects through Beta phase with the required technologies and demonstration of ability to work with identified stakeholders and manage risks effectively.

Last Updated: 11 July 2025, 14:51

24. Hi, we have a number of questions for you please.... 1. At what stage will the pre-work carried out by the Data and Digital Incubator team be provided? 2. Did you have any third-party supplier staff supporting the discovery? 3. Who comprised the Data Hub team, and how does it work? 4. Can you provide the current draft data models and schema documentation produced by the DfE Digital Incubator team to inform accurate scoping, particularly for the MI, MSA, and Delivery Plan modules? 5. Which specific DHSC and DfE systems and pipelines must the portal integrate with (e.g. cloud data platforms, authentication systems)? Are APIs for these systems currently available and documented? 6. Does the £400k budget include Discovery, Alpha, Beta, data migration, and initial training deliverables in full, or is post-Beta support and future enhancements expected to be contracted separately? 7. You mention existing government cloud architecture. Is there a preferred cloud environment (e.g. Azure, AWS, GCP) and are there existing hosting contracts we must deploy within? 8. Can you confirm the security classification of data (e.g. Official, Official Sensitive) to determine encryption, access control, and hosting compliance requirements? 9. The ITT references .NET and Next.js; are these mandatory, or can we propose alternative stacks aligned with GOV.UK and DHSC standards if they deliver faster or more cost-effective outcomes? 10. Can you clarify the volume, structure, and location of legacy data to be migrated into the portal as part of Beta? Is data cleansing expected within this contract? Kind regards

1. The report from the specialist DfE team will be made available to the suppliers who are successful at the first stage of procurement and are invited to the presentation stage. 2. We have received clarification from the DfE team that their initial sprint was an exploration of the problem space ahead of the procurement carried out by a specialist team. It did not constitute a full Discovery, though covered some of the areas which would typically be included in Discovery. 3. Central DHSC & DfE teams currently run the MI collection. 4. The report from the specialist DfE team will be made available to the suppliers who are successful at the first stage of procurement and are invited to the presentation stage. 5. Requirements for integration with existing pipelines is to be determined during Discovery. 6. Post-Beta support and future enhancements will be contracted separately from April 2026. This contract is only for the Discovery, Alpha, Beta, priority data migration and initial training deliverables. 7. To be completely determined, but it is likely it’s going into the DAC – an Azure Tenancy held within DHSC. 8. Official Sensitive. 9. The preferred option is .NET and NextJS, however, full-stack NextJS or potentially NodeJS (which is used in another platform is acceptable) – we would not accept anything outside of either JavaScript or .NET. 10. Exact migration requirements to be determined during Discovery including feasibility assessment of migrating existing data resources.

Last Updated: 10 July 2025, 16:24

25. Good Afternoon Please see below our questions. 1. Please could you confirm what assessment you are referring to i.e GDS 2. Please could you confirm if when you talk about Beta, is this private Beta or Public Beta? Kind Regards

1. GDS Service Assessment (both Alpha and Beta) & it will be subject to an IT Health Check and penetration tests. 2. Public Beta.

Last Updated: 10 July 2025, 16:08

26. 1. Q: Given the requirement to integrate with existing DHSC cloud architecture, could you provide further details on the specific systems (e.g., APIs, data pipelines) the portal must interface with? 2. Q: Are there preferred .NET/Next.js versions or SQL Server configurations DHSC mandates for compatibility? 3. Q: Could you share the user research findings from the Discovery phase to ensure our Alpha/Beta delivery aligns with identified pain points? 4. Q: Will there be opportunities for collaborative workshops with LA Data Leads during Alpha to validate user journeys?

1. Requirements for integration with existing pipelines is to be determined during Discovery. 2. Latest versions of both, .NET 8 & 9 and NextJS 14 & 15 are currently being used in new platforms, it would be expected that the supplier keeps these patched during the development period. There are no defined standards for data storage, we have experience of multiple different platforms. We are open to NoSQL, PostgreSQL, MySQL or SQL Server. SQL Server would likely be the preferred option as this is the most common we have right now. 3. The report from the specialist DfE team will be made available to the suppliers who are successful at the first stage of procurement and are invited to the presentation stage. 4. Yes, this would be possible and DHSC will be able to support facilitation. We would also encourage workshops with internal stakeholders within DfE and DHSC.

Last Updated: 10 July 2025, 15:33

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