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Procurement details

Procurement details: SMC Website Development

17

Applications submitted

££20,000.00 including VAT

Indicative Budget

Outside scope

Off-payroll status

09 May 2025

Application Closing Date

1. Context and requirements

Work done so far: The in-house team has undertaken an audit of the site to make refinements using the existing site architecture, based on user testing and stakeholder feedback. Further user testing will be conducted prior to the commencement of this contract to inform this brief. Alongside this work the SMC is working with a third party supplier to develop a new corporate identity for the Commission. We expect that the learnings from the discovery phase of this work will inform the design and development of this brief.
Which phase the project is in: Not started
Existing team: Deputy Director, Communications and Digital - Oversight of all external SMC communications Head of Campaigns and Digital Communications - Lead for digital communications and website Senior Campaigns and Digital Communications Manager - responsible for day to day management of the Commission’s social media channels
Address where the work will be done: The Commission's staff are based in different locations across the country with its head office in Westminster. It is expected that work will take place remotely.
Working arrangements: We expect that work on this project will take place remotely. Ad-hoc in person meetings may take place if practical with all travel and subsistence will require prior approval.
Provide more information about your security requirements: No security clearance needed
Latest start date: 2025-05-27
Enter the expected contract length: 4 months
Extension period: 2 months
Write the term or acronym: SMC
Are you prepared to show your budget details?: No
Indicative maximum: £20,000.00 including VAT
Indicative minimum: £0.00
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: The Social Mobility Commission (SMC) requires a refresh of its website, built on WordPress, to bring it into alignment with its new corporate identity and to improve its functionality. Improvements to the existing functionality of the site will be based on internal stakeholder requirements and user testing. User testing has been conducted internally using the in house expertise with further testing scheduled for prior to the commencement of this contract. Successful delivery of this project will help the SMC to speak in a clear and consistent way throughout our audience journeys, ensuring our audience - Thinks - the SMC has interesting and engaging content, which they want to explore further - Feels - the SMC is a dynamic, authoritative and expert voice in social mobility - Does - digest reports / publications /calls to action, takes away key messages and promotes/amplifies the SMC’s positions
Where the supplied staff will work: No specific location (for example they can work remotely)
Who the organisation using the products or services is: Social Mobility Commission
Why the work is being done: The new corporate identity is currently under development by a specialist third party supplier and will support the delivery of the SMC’s strategic objectives - To change the debate on social mobility - To provide statutory, and independent advice to policy and decision makers cross-sector, so they understand how to consider socio-economic disadvantage as part of their work To catalyse meaningful and measurable action by local and national government that can improve outcomes for all There are no legal or regulatory changes influencing this work. Our target is for this work to be delivered by September 2025 though there is scope for flexibility on this subject to conversations with suppliers.
The business problem you need to solve: Our current site has received negative feedback from internal and external stakeholders who have reported that key information and publications are hard to find. The in-house team has undertaken an audit of the site to make refinements using the existing site architecture, based on user testing and stakeholder feedback, however new functionality is needed to meet these user needs. Additional external developer support is needed to implement cosmetic changes to the website which will be required to bring the site into alignment with the SMC’s new corporate identity which is currently being developed. Expected deliverables - Overall restructure - the design of which is to be tied to the results of user testing - New homepage layout - To support the strategic objectives of the SMC and the implementation of the new corporate identity - Revised news functionality - to showcase the SMC’s activities and publications - Content categorisation, search and tagging functionality - Incorporation of new brand elements into new site structure - Functionality to quickly host HTML versions of reports for accessible reading Expected outcomes - To support the strategic objectives of the SMC by increasing awareness of the SMC and its positions, increasing interest in and engagement with the commission’s reports and publications and building advocacy for the implementation of its recommendations. - To change the debate on social mobility - To establish the SMC as a unique, statutory, and independent voice that inspires collaborative action, cross-sector, to improve socio-economic outcomes for all - Through our statutory monitoring and research powers, create the foundations for a clear pathway to action that local and national government can follow to deliver meaningful and measurable policies that can improve outcomes for all
First user type: Priority audience group - Politicians / parliamentarians - Employers (HR / DEI professionals) - Policy makers / officials (local and national) - Academics and students
First user type: Our secondary audience group is journalists / the general public, though we do not consider these to have specific user needs in addition to those listed above.

2. Assessment Criteria
About assessment criteria
About evaluation weightings
Select your pricing model: Fixed price
Additional assessment methods: None
Create your scoring criteria: 3
How many suppliers to evaluate: We will only be doing stage 1 and stage 2 evaluations together, therefore, we will evaluate all bids. Therefore, in your bid, please include evidence towards the technical essential skills and experience, answers to the technical questions, answers to the cultural fit questions and a breakdown of the price.
Technical competence: 70
Cultural fit: 10
Social value: 0
Price: 20
Essential skills and experience: 50
Nice-to-have skills and experience (optional): 0
Technical questions: 50
Describe the essential skill or experience:: It is expected that the bidders will complete a short 2 A4 page written submission for the essential skills and experience explaining how they meet the criteria below by 10 am Friday 9 May 2025. - Web Design - WordPress - UX design - Creating solutions to host publications in an accessible and engaging format - Content architecture - Project management This section will be scored out of 5, according to the scoring scale below and then times by 7 to get the overall technical competence score out of 70%. 0 - Nil or inadequate response. Fails to demonstrate an ability to meet the requirement. 1 - Response meets less than half the stated requirement. It is partially relevant but generally poor and lacks relevant detail. 2 - Response meets some but not all of the stated requirements. Lacks detail on how the requirement will be fulfilled in several areas. 3 - The response meets the stated requirement. Answers are relevant and acceptable but may lack some detail. 4 - The response fully meets the stated requirement in all areas. Answers are clear, relevant and elements of the response exceed the requirement by offering some added value. 5 - The response exceeds the requirement in all areas. Answers are comprehensive, unambiguous and offer significant added value to the requirement which benefits SMC.
Enter a weighting for this skill or experience in whole numbers, for example 30: 100
Explain the technical question:: It is expected that the bidders will complete a short 2 A4 page written submission for the technical competence explaining how they meet the criteria below by 10 am Friday 9 May 2025. The criteria that you are evaluated against around the technical competence is the following. Therefore, please ensure that this is evident in your completed bid : - technical solution - approach and methodology - how the approach or solution meets user needs - how the approach or solution meets the Social Mobility Commission’s policy or goal - estimated time frames for the work with a clear project plan - how they have identified risks and dependencies, and offered approaches to manage them team structure This section will be scored out of 5, according to the scoring scale below and then times by 7 to get the overall technical competence score out of 70%. 0 - Nil or inadequate response. Fails to demonstrate an ability to meet the requirement. 1 - Response meets less than half the stated requirement. It is partially relevant but generally poor and lacks relevant detail. 2 - Response meets some but not all of the stated requirements. Lacks detail on how the requirement will be fulfilled in several areas. 3 - The response meets the stated requirement. Answers are relevant and acceptable but may lack some detail. 4 - The response fully meets the stated requirement in all areas. Answers are clear, relevant and elements of the response exceed the requirement by offering some added value. 5 - The response exceeds the requirement in all areas. Answers are comprehensive, unambiguous and offer significant added value to the requirement which benefits SMC.
Enter a weighting for this technical question in whole numbers, for example 30: 100
Your question: It is expected that the bidders will complete a short 3 A4 page written submission explaining how they meet the criteria below, and complete evidence in their submission of case studies of previous relevant work by 10 am Friday 9 May 2025. The criteria that you are evaluated against around the technical competence is the following. Therefore, please ensure that this is evident in your completed bid: - Can evidence how they have worked as a team with our organisation and other suppliers - Can evidence how they can work with clients with low technical expertise - Experience working with public sector / non-profit clients - Can evidence how they have a diverse workforce with individuals from a range of socio economic backgrounds This section will be scored out of 5, according to the scoring scale below and then times by 2 to get the overall technical competence score out of 10%. 0 - Nil or inadequate response. Fails to demonstrate an ability to meet the requirement. 1 - Response meets less than half the stated requirement. It is partially relevant but generally poor and lacks relevant detail. 2 - Response meets some but not all of the stated requirements. Lacks detail on how the requirement will be fulfilled in several areas. 3 - The response meets the stated requirement. Answers are relevant and acceptable but may lack some detail. 4 - The response fully meets the stated requirement in all areas. Answers are clear, relevant and elements of the response exceed the requirement by offering some added value. 5 - The response exceeds the requirement in all areas. Answers are comprehensive, unambiguous and offer significant added value to the requirement which benefits SMC.
Enter a weighting for this question: 100

3. Timeline
Publication of stage 1: April 22, 2025, 4:18 PM
Clarification period closes: May 1, 2025, 9:00 AM
Deadline for suppliers to submit their stage 1 responses: May 9, 2025, 10:00 AM

Clarification questions and responses

There are no questions and clarifications relating to this opportunity.

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