Workplace Services helps HMRC appoint security services partner

The requirement

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has an ambitious 10-year plan to modernise its estate through the Government Hubs Programme. The programme aims to create a modern, flexible estate for the Civil Service. Government hubs are designed to be shared spaces that encourage smarter ways of working through technology and workplace design. 

As part of the programme, HMRC needed a holistic national security services partner that would support their changing estate. They wanted to work with a supplier that would provide an improved customer experience. They also needed the supplier to have the versatility to add new properties to the contract, while maintaining high service standards.

The solution

HMRC chose to use the CCS Workplace Services framework to put in place a national contract for their security services. They chose the framework as it provides access to specialist security suppliers who offer both physical and technical security with the ability to provide service over complex estates.

Mitie was awarded a 5-year contract to become HMRC’s security services partner. They have developed a modern and fit-for-purpose security service that fulfils HMRC’s vision for the hubs, with customer experience at its core. Its flexibility means HMRC can work collaboratively with Mitie to respond to the needs of their changing estate, as well as emerging risks. 

The end-to-end solution includes best-in-class threat mitigation using a range of technology-led solutions and expert input from intelligence analysts. These enhanced security offerings range from dynamic threat assessment and incident management to horizon intelligence gathering. 

The results

Mitie’s security solution has ensured HMRC can meet the needs of the Government Estate Strategy, the Transforming Government Security Programme, and their own ‘Best Estates Function in Government’ objectives.

Mitie’s national delivery model is supported by strategic governance, challenging social value and sustainability objectives, and accountability for innovation and continuous improvement.

Under the terms of the contract, Mitie is committed to ensuring at least 10% of the contract workforce will be apprentices, aligning with the government’s target to increase the number of apprenticeships in the UK.

Add power to your procurement with CCS

To find out more about the security services available through our Workplace Services framework:

Visit the framework web page

Call us on 0345 410 2222

Email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk

Fill in our online form

You can also find a full list of all the commercial agreements we offer, alongside details of how we can help you build policy considerations into your procurement, in our interactive digital brochure.

Changes to our agreements in December

Welcome to our monthly framework update to help you with your procurement planning. We will publish it online each month and also share it in our newsletters and on our social media channels.

The update provides a brief summary of what has been awarded, extended or expired during the previous month. It also outlines what is due to expire in the next 3 months.

You can also get an overview of all of our live frameworks in our interactive digital brochure.

Agreements awarded in December  

Agreements extended in December

Agreements that expired in December 

Agreements due to expire in the next 3 months

Further information

If you need further details about any of these agreements please get in touch.

You can also find out what new procurements we are working on by exploring our upcoming deals page.

If you don’t currently receive our monthly customer newsletter why not also subscribe to receive these updates and more directly to your inbox? Just fill in this short form.

How Payment Initiation Service Providers are changing the way citizens pay online

A Payment Initiation Service Provider (PISP) bypasses the requirement for payment through third party services, such as Visa or MasterCard. Instead, PISP enables users to pay from their bank account to the merchant with excellent security and transparency.

How it works: local authority case study

A consumer needs to pay for a service online such as a penalty charge notice. The consumer initiates the transaction by selecting the product/service required, which can be triggered in different ways, such as accessing a QR code or an online payment page.

When prompted, consumers are given the option to pay via their own bank account. PISPs will only initiate these account services if the consumer gives consent by selecting the ‘pay by bank method’. 

This payment process uses a banking Application Programming Interface (API) which enables an easy and secure way of exchanging data. The PISP uses the banking API to pay from the consumer’s bank account (i.e. it pushes the funds from the consumer’s account to the local authority’s account).

Top 5 FAQs

We recognise that this service is new to many customers. To help you understand how PISP can benefit your organisation, our customers have suggested some frequently asked questions which we have answered below:

What are the benefits from using PISPs?

There are many benefits. These include:

  • better user experience: customers can simply authenticate payments using their banking app, resulting in a shorter payment journey
  • increased transparency: customers can see their account balance before payment and choose which bank account to use
  • immediate withdrawal: customers no longer have to wait 2 to 3 days for payment withdrawal from their bank account

For CCS customers, additional benefits include:

  • significant savings: a fixed pence fee as opposed to  a variable % fee, by using account to account (A2A) payments
  • no additional costs such as chargeback fees
  • lower risk of fraud: no need to share financial data outside your own bank

How can the providers help with the integration of these services?

Firstly, all suppliers on lot 5 of our Payment Acceptance framework offer a sandbox environment. This allows for production-like testing such as integration, realistic end-to-end performance and capacity testing. You are then well prepared before launching a new service.

From onboarding to post-launch, all providers offer dedicated teams to support you throughout the journey. They even offer support or advice on marketing the service.

In addition, providers offer technical documentation, and service go-live can be achieved in as little as 2 to 3 weeks, depending on customer  requirements.

How does integration work with an existing payment acceptance strategy/model?

All providers offer integration with existing payment strategies through checkout pages and third party payment providers. They also support the customer’s existing payment notifications.

It provides an additional choice that is more secure and risk-free for the consumer, cheaper, and highly converting for the merchant as customers are more likely to complete the purchase.

In general, payment acceptance strategies should centre around user experience and user needs. There have been many payment innovations in recent years serving more varied user needs. PISP services combine the security and cost-effectiveness of manual bank transfers with the ease of card and mobile payments.

What is the pain and gain calculation for customers?

There are pains and gains with all new services and customers have to decide whether it is worth adopting those new services.

Because this payment method is fairly new, the merchant may need to provide information on their website checkout page to explain what is involved. To reap all the benefits, merchants need to provide information about PISP payment to reassure and advise customers.

Despite this, some providers have seen a 46% conversion in customers using this payment method. PISP payments are simple to use and completed in just a few quick clicks, with no account set-up needed. Customers also benefit from bank-grade security as no payment details are stored by any party.

Are there any examples of PISP payments?

The suppliers on lot 5 can provide examples of existing payment journeys. We recommend that you approach all providers in lot 5 for examples as they can provide these to you as part of their pre-market engagement.

Public sector bodies have already adopted this solution in their payment offerings, specifically in the education, government and charity sectors. But, despite this, some providers have seen a 46% conversion in customers using this payment method. PISP payments are simple to use and payments are completed in just a few quick clicks, with no account set up required. Customers also benefit from bank-grade security as no payment details are stored by any party.

We’re here to help 

If you want to learn more about our Payment Acceptance framework: 

How we work with logistics suppliers to mitigate the risk of modern slavery

Modern slavery isn’t just something that happens in countries far away, it happens in the UK too and is often hard to spot. At CCS, we want to do all we can to work with our suppliers to address and mitigate the risks of modern slavery.

As logistics and warehousing is classed as a high-risk sector, we have carried out a modern slavery assessment on the framework suppliers.

How the assessment was carried out

All suppliers were assessed using the government’s Modern Slavery Assessment Tool. The tool helps to identify risks, suggest improvements, and provide guidance on how to work on any improvements identified.

Once the assessment was issued, we followed up with suppliers to check on their progress.

The results of the assessment and next steps

Each assessment was given a percentage score and a colour status:

  • green, 70% to 100%
  • orange, 40% to 69%
  • yellow, 20% to 39%
  • red, 0% to 19%

The average score was 60% which puts the framework in the orange zone. Breaking down the scores by company size and lots helped us to identify the top 5 risks and improvements suggested, and seek advice from our policy team on how to tackle these areas.

This highlighted areas where continuous improvement could be achieved by the framework suppliers. We then worked with suppliers to understand what they were doing to mitigate their modern slavery risks, and how they would take on board the suggested improvements. 

Why use the Logistics and Warehousing framework?

We carry out the due diligence checks on suppliers for you. We don’t just review what they are doing to help mitigate the risks of modern slavery: we also review what they are doing on other key policy objectives, such as social value and carbon net zero.

Find out more

To find out more about the services and solutions offered, please visit our Logistics and Warehousing framework page. 

If you would like to speak to a category expert at CCS, please complete our short contact form and we will be in touch. You can also email us at info@crowncommercial.gov.uk or call us at 0345 410 2222.

Your route to minibus procurement

Minibuses are an important part of fleet in both the public sector and the third sector. Their flexibility can meet the needs of your diverse passengers. But the procurement process can be daunting and complicated.

There are a number of legal requirements and decisions to make – from the vehicle’s specification to licensing. Crown Commercial Service is here to help you source a minibus that meets your needs.

Getting the right licence

First things first. You will need a driver who is legally permitted to drive the minibus. The driver must be at least 21-years-old and have held a driving licence for 2 or more years.

Drivers who passed their test before 1 January 1997 can drive any 9 to 17-seater minibus, of any legal weight without an additional permit. But the rules are different for those who passed after 1 January 1997. They can only drive a minibus with up to 8 passenger seats. And those drivers will need to pass an additional test, or apply for a special minibus permit. You can find out more about minibus licences on the government website.

Room for everyone

Your new minibus must be fit for purpose – with room for everyone and everything you need to transport. Firstly, make sure you select a minibus with an adequate gross vehicle weight (GVW). The standard GVW for a minibus is 3,500 kilograms and this increases to 4,250 kilograms if you transport specialist accessibility equipment. If you are travelling with heavy equipment and/or your passengers are adults, you may need a larger minibus with a higher GVW.

Your next big decision is the vehicle’s capacity. A minibus can carry between 9 to 17 people, including the driver. But flexibility is a key feature of the minibus. And this is particularly important for community transport where you may need space for wheelchair users, or the facility to remove or adjust seats.

Passenger needs

Your vehicle must always meet the needs of passengers. If they are adults, or teenagers, you may want a high-roof minibus. And if passengers use wheelchairs, you will need a lift at the rear of the vehicle, or a removable wheelchair ramp, with wheelchair tracks. You may also want additional storage in the minibus if passengers are likely to carry large equipment. Or you may choose seating and flooring that is hard wearing or has particular hygienic qualities – again, depending on your passengers’ needs.

Safety first

Safety is key and you will be legally responsible for the safety of the minibus. If the minibus is less than 12-years-old, a technically-competent person must carry out a regular in-depth safety inspection every 10-weeks. This increases to every 6-weeks if the minibus is more than 12-years old. And if your minibus has wheelchair access, then additional safety checks will be necessary. You must also carry out a daily pre-use walk-around to check the functionality of lights, tyres etc.

These checks and inspections are your legal responsibility but you may be able to outsource some of them to a lease provider, or build them into your manufacturer’s support package. This option may be beneficial where the driver works in social care or education but does not have specialist experience in vehicle care. You can find out more information about your legal responsibilities on the government website.

Your route to market

Once you have a clear idea of your needs, you will be ready to progress to the next stage and select your preferred route to market. If you are building a minibus you will need the services of a minibus converter. Converters often specialise in modifications such as wheelchair accessibility, storage or premium upgrades. You can select a manufacturer’s base vehicle and instruct the manufacturer to work with a converter to build your minibus. But, if you prefer, you can select your own vehicle base and work with a converter directly. You can choose to buy your minibus outright or sign a lease for 2 or more years. But if you do not want a long commitment you can, simply, rent a minibus for any length of time – from one single day to 12 months.

When procuring a minibus there is a lot to consider. But you will want to make sure that your passengers fully benefit from the adaptable features available in this most flexible of vehicles. And, whatever your needs and whichever procurement option you choose, Crown Commercial Service is here to help.

Power to your procurement

Crown Commercial Service can offer multiple routes to market for minibus procurement – from purchase or long-term leasing to short-term rental.

Find out how you can buy, lease or rent a minibus – with information from Fleet Acquire solutions at Crown Commercial Service.

Sign up to Crown Commercial Service’s Fleet newsletter for the latest news and industry insights.

(First published in LAPV)

Our new sustainable ‘one stop shop’ travel and venue solutions agreement launched

The Travel and Venue Solutions (RM6217) agreement will provide a complete range of UK and global corporate booking services including the introduction of virtual, digital and hybrid meeting solutions to further enhance the customer ‘one-stop-shop’ journey.

It consolidates two existing CCS commercial agreements – Public Sector Global Travel and Venue Solutions and Public Sector Travel and Venue Solutions (the latter expiring in February 2022), whilst meeting additional requirements such as private charter services,  and COVID-19 travel test kit solutions. 

For the first time, as the public sector increasingly focuses on ways to cut carbon emissions through responsible business travel, a scoring system has been introduced into the procurement process that will ultimately award suppliers who are driving innovation in the CNZ arena. 

Bidders were asked to set out how they will report on CO2 emissions per trip and how they will offer the most environmentally efficient solution through online booking tools, enabling customers to make more sustainable choices. 

It is just one of a range of solutions from CCS designed to help customers with decarbonisation across their procurement portfolio.  

Travel and Venue Solutions will go live on 15 December and will run for up to 4 years. Customers can call-off at any time during the lifetime of the framework.  

Richard Denney, Commercial Director, Corporate Services Pillar, CCS says: 

The new framework provides customers with an end-to-end solution for all their travel and venue needs, recognising that the UK public sector is paying more attention than ever to sustainability.  

It is another example of how CCS is working with customers to help them overcome their net zero challenges and help the UK to build back greener.

Innovations

  • the new lotting structure provides a broader offering in one consolidated framework, reducing the need for customers to separate their requirements across multiple agreements
  • lots have been separated to make it easier for customers to direct award and to reduce the implementation period
  • the scope of the framework has been expanded to include but not be limited to:
    • introduction of additional services to cover security, crisis management such as repatriation, emergency evacuation and exclusive use accommodation
    • additional services specifically for air/boat/heli charter services covering passengers and cargo
  • access to market-leading suppliers with the capability to provide the latest innovations in travel solutions technology through their online booking tool (OBT)  

Travel and Venue Solutions: Lotting structure

The lots will comprise: 

Lot 1 – Booking Solutions Point of Sale UK

Lot 2 – Booking Solutions Points of Sale UK & Overseas

Lot 3 – Booking Solutions Specialist Needs

Lot 4 – Booking Solutions Venues & Events

Find out more

To find out more about Travel and Venue Solutions visit the agreement webpage or contact the CCS Service Desk at info@crowncommercial.gov.uk or 0345 410 2222.

Don’t forget, you can find a full list of all the commercial agreements we offer, alongside details of how we can help you build policy considerations into your procurement, in our interactive digital brochure.

Changes to our frameworks in November

Welcome to our monthly framework update to help you with your procurement planning. We will publish it online each month and also share it in our newsletters and on our social media channels.

The update provides a brief summary of what has been awarded, extended or expired during the previous month. It also outlines what is due to expire in the next 3 months.

You can also get an overview of all of our live frameworks in our interactive digital brochure.

Frameworks awarded in November  

Frameworks extended in November

Frameworks that expired in November 

Frameworks due to expire in the next 3 months

Further information

If you need further details about any of these frameworks please get in touch.

You can also find out what new procurements we are working on by exploring our upcoming deals page.

If you don’t currently receive our monthly customer newsletter why not also subscribe to receive these updates and more directly to your inbox? Just fill in this short form.

IT hardware aggregation achieves customer savings of up to 30% in 2021

The requirement

Due to the increase in working from home, the pandemic has caused a rise in demand for IT hardware for organisations across the public sector. 

With budgets stretched like never before, we strive to help our customers make the most from every penny spent. That’s why, through our aggregation team’s regular bulk buying opportunities, we can provide you with the technology you need at the best price possible. 

After combining all customer requirements, we run an aggregated procurement process. We then benefit from competitive prices, discounts and favourable terms from suppliers. After taking the aggregated requirements to market, we can provide customers with contracts following a fully compliant tender exercise.

Contracts are delivered through further competitions in lot 2 of the Technology Products and Associated Services Framework.

Our latest aggregation

This summer’s IT hardware aggregation required the bulk buying of many different technologies such as: laptops and desktops; mice and keyboards, and tablets and iPads.

An NHS Trust, 2 schools and a statutory consumer body were some of the customers involved in this aggregation.

The solution

Before the aggregation, we reached out to the public sector to understand the level of interest in the upcoming opportunity. Based upon approximate volumes, we were able to identify the minimum indicative savings and ceiling prices. These are minimum savings that customers can expect.

Customers could then confirm how many items they wanted to buy, along with any required services, and state whether the items were necessary or optional by signing a call-off order form and letter of intent. Once volume was confirmed we ran the aggregation, identified the supplier who offered the best quality and price, and presented each customer with a standalone contract. 

It normally takes around 6 weeks from customer confirmation to award.

The results 

The total customer saving for this aggregation was more than £200,000, with an average saving of 14%. Despite the average, one school benefitted from savings of 30% by combining their requirements with a larger NHS Trust.

By bringing together a range of customers with similar needs, our aggregations help organisations harness bulk buying power to unlock greater savings.

Add power to your procurement with CCS

Taking part in an aggregation means many of the usual further competition procurement steps are handled by us, saving you precious time and resources. We will draft all documentation, build the specification and run the procurement. 

This is a fully managed service, provided and funded by us. It is a tried and tested approach that has delivered significant savings to the public sector. 

Our next IT hardware aggregation (NFC144) is now open for expressions of interest from customers. You have until the end of January 2022 to submit your requirements, with a formal contract award set to take place in March 2022. 

If you would like to take part, please complete our enquiry form quoting ‘NFC144 IT Hardware Aggregation’ in the comment box and a member of our team will be in touch. Or, you can email the aggregation team

Learn more about the framework on our Technology and Associated Services framework web page

To find out more about aggregation with CCS, visit our aggregation web page or watch our Microsoft Licensing Aggregation webinar.

Generate value by responsibly disposing of unwanted assets

With last year’s change in working patterns and more of us permanently working from home, organisations are beginning to dispose of assets they no longer need. Lot 6 of this framework provides a removal service and helps our customers to meet social value objectives.

What is an asset? 

An asset can be anything you own, from a mobile phone or electrical device to equipment and machinery. It can even be high capital value such as property, vehicles and land. 

How can we help?

Through lot 6 of our Courier and Specialist Movements framework, we offer an end-to-end managed service for the removal of unwanted assets of all sizes and weights. 

Our suppliers provide asset assessment, expert advice and alternative solutions on how to dispose of unwanted property. We can manage the moving, recycling, reselling, donating or securely disposing of assets.

Customers can donate and recycle unwanted assets, helping to meet social value targets. Or, customers can resell assets with secure transportation and storage, receiving part of the monetary value. A full audit trail is provided if the asset has to be destroyed.

The benefits

This framework will help you to responsibly remove unwanted assets. You will also be able to: 

  • realise value from almost any asset, including old and end-of-life vehicles, electronic devices or high value items
  • understand how much your assets are worth, with a a full valuation service for all assets prior to any auction
  • realise value from anything confiscated or seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA)
  • free up space for any items, including vacant office furniture, outdated equipment and lost property

With 6 available suppliers on this lot, we are able to move and dispose of any type of unwanted asset. This ranges from small items, such as mobile phones and IT equipment, to larger items including boats, land and buildings. 

Further competition and direct awards are enabled under this framework. You can visit our web page to learn how to buy through CCS, understand pricing and access relevant documents.

Find out more

To find out more about our unwanted assets framework and receive a fully managed service for asset recovery, 

  • visit the Courier and Specialist Movements Framework (RM6171) webpage
  • contact the CCS Service Desk at info@crowncommercial.gov.uk 
  • call us on 0345 410 2222

You can find a full list of all the commercial agreements we offer, alongside details of how we can help you build policy considerations into your procurement, in our interactive digital brochure.

Critical IT vulnerabilities in Apache’s log4j

On Friday 10 December 2021, a worldwide IT vulnerability was discovered in the logging function of an Apache product which the internet and internet-based services use widely.

The government is treating this issue with the utmost seriousness and continues to work to protect the services it relies on.

What CCS is doing

We continue to evaluate all our digital products and services, taking action to mitigate or remediate as necessary: 

  • following the implementation of security measures, access to the DigiTS travel and accommodation booking service has now been restored
  • the digital supplier filtering tools for supply teachers, management consultancy, legal services and facilities management were restored on Friday 17 December

Guidance for customers

All our procurement systems are now fully available. If you experience problems accessing any of our systems, please call us on 0345 410 2222 or email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk.

We continue to monitor responses from framework suppliers to ensure they are following National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) guidance. We advise you to make sure that your own organisation, and any suppliers who provide digital services for you, are also following NCSC guidance.

Guidance for suppliers

All suppliers to government should be following NCSC guidance and ensuring  products and services are evaluated and remediated as necessary. 

Please contact NCSC and gsgcyber@cabinetoffice.gov.uk with details of any affected service, an outline of the issue and the organisation/department(s) that you believe to be affected.