The department has picked suppliers to fulfil contracts providing design, data, testing and product delivery assistance to a range of major projects supporting schools in areas including procurement and construction
The Department for Education has signed a quartet of multimillion-pound contracts to provide digital support to various programmes supporting the work of schools across the country.
The DfE’s Operations and Infrastructure Group (OIG) has this month entered into agreements with a range of tech firms. Between them, the engagements could be worth a cumulative total of up to £64m to the chosen suppliers.
The OIG unit is currently comprised of four major workstreams, respectively composed of programmes supporting schools in the areas of: procurement and planning; deploying and getting the most out of digital technology; data returns and compliance; and large construction projects.
To assist with the digital element of these programmes, the department has signed contracts for the provision of services related to user-centred design, testing and assurance, product delivery, and data capability.
The user-centred design deal, which was awarded to Engine Partners, is the largest of the four, with a value of £13m, plus VAT, over its initial two-year term – plus a potential additional £6.5m via an optional one-year extension.
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An agreement for “technical and quality assurance testing services” was signed with Airelogic. The firm has also been retained for two years on a £13m contract, which can be extended for six months at an additional cost of £3.25m.
The other two digital deals awarded by the DfE are each worth £7m over the next two years, plus a possible extra £1.75m if a six-month extension is put into effect.
Engine Partners has once again been selected to support the work of the OIG with an arrangement dedicated to product delivery services.
The final agreement of the four is focused on “data capabilities”, and was awarded to Solirius.
All of the contracts came into effect on 18 November and, once VAT is included, could be worth up to £63.9m. More than half of this – £33.9m – is accounted for by the two contracts won by Engine Partners.
According to commercial documents published earlier this year “digital and data are crucial for enabling the [OIG] portfolio’s work” supporting schools with procurement, IT, data, and “billion-pound construction projects”.
“The portfolio has projects in all phases of the lifecycle – from discovery to live,” the document adds. “New projects might also include policy lab and design sprints. We work closely with school leaders and business professionals, local authorities, policy, commercial , education estates and other areas of DfE… new programmes… may join the portfolio and additional DfE requirements where necessary.”
