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

 

Innovative new Automation Marketplace DPS goes live

Public bodies can now access the latest intelligent automation services – enabling them to benefit from a range of innovative technology solutions including business process optimisation, desktop automation, analytics, and much more.  

Crown Commercial Service’s Automation Marketplace DPS opens today, meaning suppliers of all sizes can apply to offer their innovative solutions to public sector customers and customers can begin to buy services.

The agreement includes a stipulation that suppliers offering solutions that involve the use of Artificial Intelligence must declare that they understand and will adhere to a set of ethical guidelines on the use of AI in the public sector. 

The new guidelines are under development. For the time being, suppliers of AI services must follow the Government’s current Data Ethics Framework.

Niall Quinn, CCS Technology Director says:

Automation is becoming increasingly important to Government and by asking suppliers to abide by the AI ethical principles it will assist public bodies and those delivering public-facing services to easily identify AI products and services that meet their ethical requirements.

The agreement has been created in partnership with the Cabinet Office to replace its current Robotic Process Automation contract, which expires in August 2020. It has been designed as a Dynamic Purchasing System, meaning suppliers can join at any point during its lifetime.

The Automation Marketplace will enable public sector customers to use the latest technology to transform business processes with automated solutions that include some AI and machine learning services.

Artificial Intelligence

In February, The Committee on Standards in Public Life published its report on Artificial Intelligence and Public Standards.

The report says that artificial intelligence will transform the way public sector organisations make decisions and deliver public services. 

It calls on Crown Commercial Service to introduce practical tools as part of its new AI framework that help public bodies, and those delivering services to the public, find AI products and services that meet their ethical requirements. 

CCS is currently developing a specific commercial agreement for artificial intelligence, which is being designed to take into account the Committee’s recommendations on ethics. 

Find out more

To find out more about the Automation Marketplace, visit the DPS website.

Save time and money deploying your local authority’s Apple devices

Feedback from our local authority customers has shown that some believe they need to turn to 3rd parties for services such as imaging to help deploy Apple devices. We wanted to bust that myth to help you save time and money by letting you know about the Apple device enrolment programme which enables devices to be ready within minutes rather than days or weeks.

Whether you have ten Apple devices or ten thousand, it’s easy to deploy and manage them with Apple Business Manager. This free web-based portal works seamlessly with mobile device management solutions, so you can set up Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV over the air— without any need for manual configuration.

Device enrolment is a feature of Apple Business Manager that provides a fast, streamlined way to deploy iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac. Apple devices are automatically enrolled into your mobile device management (MDM) system, wirelessly as part of the normal out-of-the-box setup—without any manual configuration.

What are the benefits?

The automated device enrolment feature of Apple Business Manager provides the following key benefits to your users:

  • an easy unboxing experience
  • zero-touch device configuration for IT
  • streamlined, customisable device setup
  • a centralised portal to manage device deployment, purchase and distribute content, and
  • manage roles in the organisation
  • mandatory and non-removable MDM enrolment
  • iPhone and iPad supervision to enable additional capabilities like clearing Activation Lock

Find out more

For further information to ensure you’re getting the most out of your Apple devices and Apple Business Manager, please contact Colin Hammond, Head of UK Public Sector at Apple, at colin.hammond@apple.com.

Devices from Apple and other suppliers are available through our Technology Products and Associated Services framework. If you have any questions about buying IT hardware, off-the-shelf software and associated services at the best price through CCS, please get in touch.

We also run a regular programme of IT hardware aggregations where we combine customer requirements to achieve even greater savings. To find out more about aggregation, go to our aggregation page.

Suppliers named for new public sector Communication Performance agreement

The Communication Performance, Auditing and Analysis framework, designed in collaboration with the Government Communication Service (GCS), customers, and industry experts, promises to improve campaign outcomes for public sector marketing and communications teams.

It is more comprehensive than previous agreements, allowing for the review of total end-to-end campaign spend and the real-time measurement of performance.

CCS spoke to potential customers and suppliers during 2019 and the subsequent agreement reflects their feedback, increasing transparency on the effectiveness of spend, in line with the government’s marketing policy agenda, while making it as simple as possible for SMEs to bid.

5 agencies have been appointed to deliver services through the agreement, including 3 SMEs.

Philippa Hutchins, CCS Media Category Manager, said:

The industry has moved on significantly since our last agreement was launched. The thinking around auditing and assurance has changed. Customers have told us they want to be able to measure outcomes and performance to optimise campaigns while they are live.

This new agreement drives better value for taxpayers across all paid communication activity, establishes best practices, identifies inefficiencies, and raises standards even higher for all communications teams across the public sector.

David Amstel, Head of Campaigns, Cross-Government Campaign Services at Cabinet Office said:

This new framework aids the measurement and evaluation of the whole campaign delivery cycle. It is more important than ever that we are able to prove the value and outcomes of our work as communicators, a task made easier with the support of the excellent range of suppliers available.

The agreement includes increased access to more manageable, low-value opportunities, strengthening specialist and local supply chains – important for customers looking at social value opportunities.

CCS supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2018/19, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits worth £945m – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers.

Take a look at the new Communication Performance Audit and Analysis agreement.

CCS launches new Cyber Security Services 3 dynamic marketplace

The Cyber Security Services 3 DPS offers a new, flexible way of purchasing services which gives buyers the opportunity to filter their requirements via a simplified procurement procedure to accommodate their business needs.

Different from the Cyber Security Services 2, the DPS is versatile and allows suppliers to join at any time, increasing the range of competition throughout the life of the agreement.
The benefits include:

  • agility and flexibility to meet the public sector’s cyber security requirements
  • accessible route for suppliers to apply to join at any time
  • a dynamic filtering system, giving customers flexibility based on requirements
  • the filter system enables the right suppliers to be matched and hear about the right opportunities
  • quality and price can be assessed based on an individual customer’s requirement
  • a dynamic pool of suppliers that will grow and evolve with the market
  • fully compliant with UK and EU regulations

If you want to find out more about our Cyber Services 3 DPS visit the agreement page. 

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