Following news of the core functions and summer 2025 planned mass launch of government’s first comprehensive digital services app, GDS retains one of its core commercial partners to support development
The Government Digital Service has picked long-time supplier partner Deloitte to fulfil a potential £50m deal to support the delivery of the new GOV.UK App.
The deal came into effect on 24 July and runs for two years, during which time up to £42m – plus VAT – will be spent with the consultancy, equating to a total potential value of £50.4m.
According to the text of the contract, the agreement covers the “provision of a mobile application and web platform to the digital identity unit and GOV.UK” team of GDS.
The accompanying procurement notice adds that Deloitte will be expected to deliver “services to support, maintain and improve [the] existing GOV.UK ID Check mobile app for iOS and Android”. This work will build on a previous £5m deal signed by GDS and the consultancy in 2022 to assist with the creation of the identification app, which supports the operation of One Login – a platform for which Deloitte was also awarded a £10m agreement.
GDS intends that the ID Check system will ultimately be merged into the new GOV.UK App which, for the first time, will offer citizens the ability to access hundreds of departmental services from a single central mobile program. After some delays, PublicTechnology exclusively revealed last week that the app is to set to undergo beta testing in the coming months, ahead of a wide-scale public launch scheduled for next summer.
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The development process will also be supported by Deloitte, with the new £50m deal covering “the delivery of a new and strategic GOV.UK app for the digital identity programme”, according to the procurement notice.
Work undertaken by the supplier will be dictated by the requirements set out in individual statements of work to be issued over the course of the contract. The deal was awarded via the £4bn Digital Specialists and Programmes framework, using the first lot – which covers support engagements for large transformation programmes.
A government spokesperson said: “When it is developed, the GOV.UK App will help people access government services more easily, cutting down the time they need to spend on admin for essential tasks. The GOV.UK App is currently a prototype and we are preparing for further user testing as development work continues.”
Documents released by GDS indicate that the GOV.UK App is intended to provide citizens with “a central ‘hub’ for all [their] government needs which reduces burden on users and allows them to perform tasks on the go”.
PublicTechnology also revealed that the software will incorporate nine core elements of functionality:
- Identity – including the ability for users to log in, then manage an account and their personal preferences
- Store – covering the provision of a digital wallet for credentials and certifications
- Read – a mailbox for messages and other communications
- Ask – incorporating search, chat and navigation services
- Apply – allowing users to make digital applications, renewals and registrations
- Book – for booking appointments, and providing calendar services and reminders
- Approve – enabling citizens to provide consent, sign documents, and verify information
- Notify – covering reminders, alerts, and other proactively provided information
- Pay – including one-off payments, as well as regular or automated payments
According to GDS, these nine areas of functionality are intended to embody three overarching principles: ease-of-use; utility; and personalisation.
