Government's Digital by Default agenda gathers pace with £40m tender

Notice for digital services suppliers published despite criticism levelled at Whitehall earlier today

The government has issued a £40m tender for digital services as its Digital by Default agenda picks up pace.

The strategy, which was criticised today by the House of Commons' Science and Technology Committee, was first announced by Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude in June last year. It aims to push through digital public services and eventually replace telephone and in-person transactions.

The government said it is inviting suppliers "of all sizes" to join a new procurement framework that will enable them to bid for government contracts to provide digital project build services across the UK.

The Digital Services Framework was put together by the Government Procurement Service (GPS) and the Government Digital Service (GDS).

UK public sector bodies including central government departments, non-departmental public bodies, NHS bodies and local authorities will be able to use the framework agreement. It will be offered as a managed service, with all services under the framework procured centrally through the GPS.

The Official Journal of the European Union notice said that the capabilities to be supplied through the digital services framework included: software engineering, product development and service design, agile delivery management, front-end design and interaction design, content design and development, system administration and web operations, and embedding agile.

The government is looking for suppliers who work in an agile way.

"Suppliers must develop digital services adhering to the government service design manual that meet the Digital by Default services standards," the tender reads.

Suppliers are required to develop digital services to open standards, and when there is no significant cost difference between open and non-open source products that fulfil the minimum and essential capabilities, open source will always be selected on the basis of its "inherent flexibility", it added.

"To deliver the efficient and responsive public services that users demand, we must ensure that government has access to the most innovative and cost-effective digital solutions," said Cabinet Office minister Maude.

He added that SMEs would have a greater chance of being able to bid for contracts within the framework.

"Often, these services will be provided by smaller firms that in the past have been locked out of public sector business by complex and expensive pre-qualification requirements.

"The Digital Services Framework is an example of government procurement that is faster, simpler and easier to do business with," he said.

The duration for the contract is nine months, and interested applicants have until 7 August to apply.

The notice has been published just hours after MPs questioned the potential savings promised by the strategy (£1.7bn to £1.8bn per year), and the implications of the agenda for personal data security.