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The NHS Test and Trace scheme has signed an £8m contract with a digital transformation specialist to help provide technology leadership.

The deal, which came into effect concurrently with the programme’s subsumption by the newly formed UK Health Security Agency, is intended to provide “a client-side partner that will work alongside the leadership of Trace Digital and Technology team, within the… CIO function”, according to newly published procurement documents.

“The CIO Trace Technology and Digital portfolio have a circa 300-strong supplier personnel [base] delivering core digital services on a daily and weekly basis – there are a number of services which are live and continue to evolve,” the contract notice said. “Other services will be new and yet to be designed and built,” the contract said.

Leeds-based tech outfit Axiologik, which won the deal, will be “directing the delivery capabilities” of these other suppliers.

The engagement will be worth £4.5m over its first year, plus a potential additional £3.5m if it is extended for a further 12 months. Two firms – Nasa and Fruition – are listed as key subcontractors.

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The companies have been tasked with fulfilling various tasks and objectives, including the creation of two delivery handbooks; the first will focus on people, and will cover areas such as how teams should be organised and what roles might be included, while the second will address processes and project management for digital initiatives.

Axiologik will also be expected to assist in the creation of “standards and principles for project and product governance, architecture and code quality” as well as helping UKHSA in “taking the wider operating model framewrk and creating delivery toolkits that interface”.

A major objective of the contract is “supporting in the creation of a sustainable digital leadership function, creating a permanent digitally capable workforce”, the document said.

The Test and Trace programme’s digital leaders were seeking a supplier that could “support them in leading, designing and delivering digital and technology capability”.

“This engagement will require flexibility as the services and team evolve and transform as part of the core digital delivery capability of UKHSA.”