Department issues contract notice for organisation that can provide an array of commercial and project-management capabilities

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The Home Office is seeking a commercial partner to ensure its technology platforms and services are ready to meet the demands of “an unprecedented number of challenges” faced by the department – mostly related to Brexit.

The department has issued a contract notice looking for a company that can “provide a digital portfolio office… with additional burst capability to coordinate and support the delivery of a range of new and emerging policy initiatives in relation to EU Exit”.

The notice said that the Home Office is seeking external support as it needs to meet more challenges than it has ever faced before. These difficulties are “mainly but not limited to, the delivery of new and amended digital and legacy ICT systems and services that support front-line and back-office services in response to EU Exit”.

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The department said: “The Home Office is required to respond to a high volume of new policy challenges, emerging as a result of EU Exit. A delivery partner is required to quantify and coordinate our response to these requests, working with teams across the department to determine what impact they will have on our current and planned services contracts and associated systems including planned digital/technology platforms.”

It added: “This capability will also be responsible for tracking risk across the portfolio; producing coordinated plans; responding to data requests; and coordinating engagement with other government departments. It may also be required to provide suitably qualified resources to support the delivery of the outcomes proposed.”

Details – of the projects on which the chosen partner will be working, or the precise level of support it will need to provide – are scarce. 

But, over the course of a discovery phase, the Home Office has identified eight or nine “work streams” on which it requires assistance. Within each of these there may also be “multiple options for delivery”.

The winning bidder will need to supply one programme manager, up to two project or delivery managers, and “strong commercial capabilities at different levels and resources, with service management and communications experience”. Work will primarily take place at the department’s locations in Westminster and Croydon.

The Home Office is seeking to award a two-year contract worth an estimated £3m. The company appointed will replace an unspecified incumbent supplier.

Bids for the work are open until midnight on 30 October, ahead of a scheduled contract start date of 12 December.