Government announces £2 billion big data and analytics procurement framework
The framework will run for four years and aims to raise the use of data analytics in government
The Crown Commercial Service (CCS), a government body responsible for the acquisition of goods and services, is planning to create a procurement framework for big data storage and analytics projects, with a projected value of up to £2 billion over a four-year period.
In an early procurement notice, the executive agency and trading fund said it intends to put in place a pan-government agreement for big data projects. The notice states, 'It is intended that this commercial agreement will be the recommended vehicle for all Big Data & Analytics required by UK Central Government Departments.'
As well as central government, other public sector bodies will be able to use the framework, including local authorities, police, health, education, fire and rescue, and devolved administrations.
The procurement will run from April 2022 to April 2026, with the budget spread evenly across the four-year period.
It will be divided into two lots: one for services and one for software.
Lot 1 will enable the provision of 'design, build and run' professional big data and analytics services, including advanced analytics and cognitive solutions; data management and acquisition; reporting and dashboards; data risking; platform services; and search and discovery services.
Lot 2 will offer commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software for big data and analytics capabilities, including big data management; machine learning and AI; data mining, risking and science; search and discovery; and reporting and analytics.
Big data and analytics is an emerging capability, though at this point a mature one in the commercial space. The public sector is also realising its value, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic: it's fast becoming recognised as a key business function, with many government departments now employing chief data officers.
The government's National Data Strategy (NDS) - which Oliver Dowden, minister for culture, media and sport, launched in September last year - also requires organisations to access and analyse government data more effectively to improve public services.
The NDS outlines the government's vision for unlocking the power of data to create new jobs, boost innovation, and improve public services across the country. It aims to put data at the centre of the country's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, so government organisations and private companies can boost their performance.
While big data systems are generally not used for transaction processing, they often store transactions, financial information, customer records, and other forms of structured data for analytics.
The CSS is expected to release a contract notice form enabling suppliers to bid for the work on 8th October 2021. The agency aims to award places on the framework in early 2022.