Education Technology | Crown Commercial Service

Education Technology is now live

The new Education Technology framework, developed in collaboration with the Department for Education is now live. Schools, multi-academy trusts, universities and colleges can all use the framework to buy a broad range of technologies and services.

Replacing ICT Services for Education, which expired earlier this year, Education Technology gives you access to 44 suppliers, 79% of which are SMEs.

What you can buy

  • ICT solutions – specialist suppliers for fully or partially managed ICT services offer ICT refresh or a complete new build solution
  • broadband fibre infrastructure – design and installation of broadband fibre infrastructure
  • broadband services – connectivity services including full fibre broadband (both new services and upgrades), support and maintenance, internet filtering, firewall, eSafety and IP connectivity
  • hardware – from laptops, desktops and tablets to servers, networking cables and routers
  • audiovisual –  provision and installation of sound and/or visual equipment, such as interactive whiteboards and tables, digital signage, TVs, audio visual software and auditorium solutions

Best value

Buying through this framework means you can take advantage of:

  • exceptional value for money with competitive product and service pricing
  • easy to use templates and guidance to help you on your procurement journey
  • access to suppliers with the knowledge, skills and the capability to help you ensure a modern digital learning environment

Plus, coming soon: an online catalogue for fast and efficient purchase of small volumes of hardware and audio visual equipment.

Join our free webinar

We’re hosting a webinar on 25 September at 10.30am to tell you more about the framework and how to get started. Please join us if you would like to find out more:

Book your free place

If you can’t join us but have a question you can get in touch in a number of ways:

Call us on 0345 410 2222

Learn about Spark’s new technology innovation offerings – Crown Commercial Service

Do you have a need for new and emerging innovative technology products?

Spark was launched in April 2019 to provide a smarter way for public sector customers to access the very latest and proven technologies. It is a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) enabling suppliers to join Spark and add new service offerings at any point during its lifetime. This includes a filter system to help customers search for products and shortlist relevant suppliers for their bespoke further competitions. As our current appointed suppliers will testify, it’s a simple and quick application process, helping SMEs and startups to remove barriers to doing business with the public sector; enabling true exploitation of innovation.

The number of appointed suppliers has been steadily growing since April and there are now 21, 15 of whom are SMEs, offering a wide range of proven technologies, which are predicted to have the largest impact over the next 2 to 5 years.

The suppliers’ innovation offerings are not just new and exciting but improving and simplifying everyday life. They cover: the Internet of Things (IoT), AI and automation, simulated and enhanced environments, engineering and materials science, data, wearables, transport, and security. Below are some of the examples;

  • among the SMEs, Connexin specialises in delivering smart city and internet of things (IoT) technology services to local authorities
  • Intechnology also provides smart city products designed to add social value, increase sustainability and protect the environment.
    • it has rolled out one of the UK’s first city-wide networks for the IoT in Coventry to pilot high-tech public services to improve air quality, pest control, waste management and street lighting
  • some of the other types of innovation on offer from SMEs include GDS Digital Services’ provision of a platform to support IP-based telecare, telemedicine and IoT devices within a social care context
  • Ocasta provides a ‘gamified’ learning system called ‘Albert’ to improve knowledge among public-facing staff which uses ‘spaced learning’ to counteract the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve effect, where knowledge is lost over time
  • Codebase8 provides software development capabilities, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA) technology, automating the low value, mundane and repetitive administrative tasks within businesses
  • Placecube develops integrated digital services, turning them into reusable products that government can more easily consume
    • co-designed with government, Placecube has already created quick-to-deploy, reusable solutions for local public services, community collaboration and place-based service directories
    • all their solutions are based on leading open source technologies and an open ecosystem of reusable digital components
  • Becrypt provides Paradox, an operating system developed in collaboration with the UK government that reduces cyber security risks
    • and ensures that endpoint devices (desktops, laptops, thin clients, kiosks) always boot into a ‘known good state’ free of any malware or compromise
    • updates to the operating system and full application stack are also provided by Becrypt
  • among the larger suppliers, Fujitsu focuses on fast IT technologies such as IoT, analytics, AI, blockchain and quantum inspired computing
  • Kainos’ experience spans across emerging technologies including AI, machine learning, security, IoT and data
    • helping to transform citizen experiences and meet user needs by securely embedding intelligence into software to assist human decision making
  • Pinacl Solutions focuses on IoT and Smart Places, whose expertise extends to smart street lighting, environmental monitoring, waste management, smart traffic, smart housing and smart parking

The appointed suppliers are based all around the UK from Brighton, Bristol, Reading, Oxford, Belfast, Manchester, Harrogate, Hull and London. All offer both levels of security classification.

If you would like to find out more, you can:

Agency staff placements during the COVID-19 pandemic: guidance for NHS trusts and suppliers

NHS England and NHS Improvement have worked with the Department for Health and Social Care, Workforce Alliance and HealthTrust Europe to provide shared guidance for NHS trusts and suppliers on agency staff placements during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

This guidance was published on 27 March to ensure agency staff are placed efficiently to support the provision of a safe and high-quality temporary workforce, whilst maintaining essential compliance, at this critical time. Following its publication there have been further updates relating to pre-employment checks and temporary facilities and estates staff (see below for full details).

Framework suppliers:

The Workforce Alliance also wrote to suppliers on 30 March about contingent labour pay in the wider public sector at this time:

NHS trusts:

Updates to the guidance

30 March: NHS Employers issue temporary guidance on pre-employment checks

NHS Employers has updated the pre-employment checks section of their website with temporary guidance related to the current situation. This replaces the guidance for both trusts and suppliers in the section headed ‘measures to support rapid onboarding of staff’ set out in the documents above dated 27 March. It should be applied with immediate effect.

6 April: NHS England and NHS Improvement amend rules on use of agency workers for facilities and estates shifts

In response to the current demand for facilities and estates staff (particularly cleaners, porters and security staff), NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I) has amended the rule that trusts should only use substantive or bank workers to fill facilities and estates shifts, unless exempt under certain conditions. 

This means that rather than request an exemption, trusts can now use agency workers. They should inform NHSE/I of their plans and they will record this information. This can be done retrospectively, if required.  

NHSE/I recommend that staffing managers work with agencies appointed to NHSE/I approved frameworks, such as the Workforce Alliance’s Non-Clinical Temporary and Fixed Term Staff Framework (RM6160).

If you have any questions about this guidance, please contact your CCS customer or supplier lead or email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk.

New Digital Outcomes and Specialists 4 agreement goes live

Digital Outcomes and Specialists helps public sector organisations find suppliers that can buy, design, build, test and deliver software, supporting the delivery of world-class public services that meet the needs of citizens.

There are 4 solutions available to customers:

  • digital outcomes
  • digital specialists
  • user research studios
  • user research participants

Niall Quinn, CCS Technology Director says:

DOS 4 will continue to help facilitate digital transformation for our customers while creating opportunities for collaboration with a wide range of suppliers. For this new version we have been able to enhance the framework and make some improvements to the Digital Marketplace in line with customer and supplier feedback, to improve their experience.

3,475 technology companies have been handed places on the latest iteration of the framework, 94% of which are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Public sector organisations have so far spent £1.5bn through the 3 previous agreements, with 32% going directly to SMEs. More than £200m has been spent with micro-SMEs.

DOS4 is accessed through the Digital Marketplace, created in 2014 by CCS and Government Digital Service (GDS) to make government procurement easier and more transparent.

To find out more about DOS4, visit the framework page. Got a question? Get in touch and one of our experts will be happy to help.

What can we learn from how Dubai ‘does’ financial services?

As part of their visit to the UK they wanted to understand what role we played in encouraging innovation in financial services, especially in the payments sector.

I thought it sounded like a great idea and a chance for me to understand more about global financial services based on their experiences.

So, after brushing up on important Arabic customs and greetings I welcomed them to the HM Treasury building for what was a really interesting discussion.

Leading the group was Ms Amna Mohamed Bin Lootah, Director of Dubai’s Smart Financial Services division (SFS). She explained her role as delivering outstanding and smart financial services so that a citizen’s experience of paying for public services in Dubai is as positive as possible.

We both agreed that there is definitely a role for organisations like ours to encourage innovation, as evident in the world of payments. Whilst the public sector has very little to no competition when it comes to accepting payments (when I need to renew my car tax there’s only one place I can buy it from), that shouldn’t stop us looking at how we can make citizens’ experiences of using our services as slick as possible. It was interesting to discover that there is a body similar to our Government Digital Service (GDS) in Dubai.

Just as CCS financial services team works closely with GDS on payments innovation and increasing cashless payments, the SFS of Dubai works closely with their own digital counterparts.

We spoke about open banking – which has been pushed by recent EU legislation and will, eventually, affect everyone who banks here including consumers and businesses. While open banking is still in its early stages the team is attempting to support and more importantly encourage it in the public sector by looking for innovative services in our next Payments Acceptance framework. As an example, we’re seeking Payment Initiation Service Providers, or PISPs (who in this area are predominantly small fintechs) which provide a quicker and simpler way of making a payment. For anyone taking a non-cash payment for goods and services they are also cheaper.

It’s obvious that there’s a lot we can learn by listening to the experiences of others, but it’s also interesting to hear about the challenges we share in two countries as seemingly different as the UK and Dubai.

Now that the relationship with the SFS of Dubai has been established I’ll be keeping in touch to carry on sharing and comparing how they and we continue to push innovation.

Want to know more?

If you have any questions, get in touch and speak to one of our experts today. For information about how our Financial Services frameworks can help you optimise your finances so you can bolster frontline funding, take a look at our Financial Services page.

A message to our customers (COVID-19)

Dear Customer

SUPPORT WITH URGENT COVID-19 RELATED COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY

As the UK faces the challenges that COVID-19 is bringing, Crown Commercial Service has taken steps to ensure we can continue to provide assistance to customers who require urgent commercial support to maintain public services, as we tackle the threat posed by the spread of the virus.

Crown Commercial Service recognises that, as a result of the continued disruption caused by the COVID-19 virus, you may have critical and/or unusual or one-off procurement requirements. If you urgently need commercial support or advice that you feel we can help with please do contact us. 

We can assist with commercial category expertise, reviewing existing contracts, looking at the feasibility of direct awards and running accelerated further competitions. 

To let us know what support you need, please email us at info@crowncommercial.gov.uk and title your message COVID-19 URGENT PROCUREMENT. We will review your needs and a colleague from Crown Commercial Service will be in touch with you as a matter of priority. 

A new Policy Procurement Notice has been posted and is attached to this communication for reference. This PPN sets out information and guidance on how you can use the public procurement regulations effectively in responding to challenges faced during these exceptional circumstances.

We appreciate also that where your needs are not COVID-19 related, they may still be business critical. Where you would normally reach out to Crown Commercial Service, please do continue to do so in the usual way. This may include talking to the relevant Customer Experience colleagues or Category Lead. If you are unsure about how to get in touch, you can also email us at info@crowncommercial.gov.uk. All emails received will be triaged to ensure that the most urgent needs are dealt with as quickly as possible.  

Please be assured that over the coming weeks and months we will work with you and help in whatever way we can as we face these challenges together. Please do not hesitate to contact us and let us know what you need.

 

Tracy Clark
Director Customer Experience
Crown Commercial Service

Network Services 2 framework for telecommunications now live

The new agreement provides access to mobile, voice, video and data services including security and surveillance.

It was designed with help from suppliers and customers across the UK, as well as through workshops hosted in partnership with trade body Innopsis and techUK.

The following services are available under 13 lots:

  • data access services
  • local connectivity services
  • traditional telephony services
  • inbound telephony services
  • IP telephony services
  • mobile voice and data services
  • paging and alerting services
  • video conferencing services
  • audio conferencing services
  • unified communications
  • radio services
  • security and surveillance services
  • contact centre services

After listening to customer feedback, the maximum term length for some lots, such as data access where installation and migration can be costly and time consuming, has been extended to 10 years.

There is also a new radio lot for users needing private channels. A lot for security and surveillance is available to provide CCTV and premises monitoring services, traditional and IP-based, as well as image recording and archiving. Plus, the paging lot has been expanded to now include alerting services.

Customers using the previous Network Services agreement achieved average savings of 8%, and can expect this figure to be the same or even higher under the new agreement.

If you want to find out more about Network Services 2, visit the new framework page.

Got a question? Get in touch and one of our experts will be happy to help.

IT hardware and audio visual catalogue launched

The catalogue is part of the new Education Technology framework, which was launched over the summer and is supported by the Department of Education. It has been developed to provide online access to competitively priced off-the-shelf IT and audio-visual products.

No need to shop around

Buying through the catalogue is ideal if you only need to buy a small number of items or need a quick turnaround. You will benefit from:

  • great prices that are checked daily and are only available to education customers
  • no need to get 3 quotes – we’ve done all the hard work already and on most products you will immediately get at least 3 prices
  • industry benchmark pricing will help you know you’re getting a good price
  • quotes can be held for 30 days with the prices fixed

What you can buy

You can buy a wide range of hardware products such as laptops, desktops, and printers. Audio-visual options include interactive whiteboards and tables, digital signage, TVs and auditorium solutions.

Getting started

You will first of all need to register for access to the catalogue.

Depending on your internal buying processes there are 2 types of accounts you can choose from:

  1. Quote and buy – user can make online purchases by card payment on catalogue purchase order
  2. Quote only – user can’t make any online purchases. The process is taken offline after retrieving a quotation so you can raise a purchase order via your own internal system

Then you can search, click and buy – it’s as simple as that.

Get in touch

If you have any questions about the catalogue please get in touch.

 

Gigabit Capable Connectivity is now live – Crown Commercial Service

Are you looking to upgrade your broadband or site connectivity?

We’ve teamed up with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to bring you our new dynamic purchasing system (DPS), giving you access to the latest fibre optic infrastructure and services, including gigabit capable fibre broadband. Suppliers are always joining, bringing you the latest innovations and connectivity solutions.

Find out more about the new DPS or register your interest in one of our customer webinars. Find out more, send us an email and quote ‘Gigabit Capable Connectivity’.

Build a better future with CCS

The Construction Works and Associated Services agreement helps build things like new schools, hospitals, office buildings, universities, prisons, and houses as well as refurbish existing properties, undertake repairs and demolition, and decommission redundant assets.

It is the first government-led construction agreement which can be used by the whole public sector and prevents public bodies having to run their own costly and time-consuming procurement exercises.

What are the benefits?

  • Supports key industry objectives – organisations are able to address objectives outlined in the Government Construction Strategy, Construction 2025 and Industrial Strategy
  • Access to SMEs – offering a level playing-field for SMEs: there are lots for different contract values and regional suppliers, to ensure that smaller companies can compete
  • Social Value – ability to define and measure social value requirements
  • 7 year framework – providing customers and suppliers with the assurance they need to complete long-term construction projects
  • Flexible Application at call off –  supports the use of all commonly used construction contracts and procurement strategies
  • Framework Alliance Contract (FAC) – an approach to contracting which prioritises collaboration, early contractor engagement and performance management, which systematically reduces costs, shortens project timescales, and reduces health and safety incidents on sites
  • Sub-alliance capability – a unique and innovative way of integrating and connecting various projects and parties to ensure consistency, increase efficiency, improve value and embed lessons learned
  • Advice and support from industry experts
  • Free to use and offering significant savings

Sam Ulyatt, Commercial Director, Buildings at CCS said:

This new agreement provides a solid foundation for public sector bodies to achieve the best outcomes and value for their investment across the whole construction lifecycle.  The principles of this agreement are collaboration and integration with supply chains, boosting innovation at a critical time and supporting the government’s work towards achieving a zero carbon 2050 target.

Find out more   

To find out more, visit our webpage or register for our ‘Introduction to Constructions Works and Associated Services’ webinar to learn what you can buy and how to buy it through the framework:

2 April at 10am – Register here