Strategic Digital Partner

{
  "awards": [
    {
      "aboveThreshold": true,
      "contractPeriod": {
        "endDate": "2028-07-24T23:59:59+01:00",
        "maxExtentDate": "2030-07-24T23:59:59+01:00",
        "startDate": "2025-07-25T00:00:00+01:00"
      },
      "date": "2025-07-09T00:00:00+01:00",
      "documents": [
        {
          "datePublished": "2025-07-10T09:13:50+01:00",
          "description": "Contract award notice on Find a Tender",
          "documentType": "awardNotice",
          "format": "text/html",
          "id": "038798-2025",
          "noticeType": "UK6",
          "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038798-2025"
        }
      ],
      "hasOptions": true,
      "hasRenewal": true,
      "id": "1",
      "items": [
        {
          "additionalClassifications": [
            {
              "description": "Internet or intranet client application development services",
              "id": "72421000",
              "scheme": "CPV"
            },
            {
              "description": "World wide web (www) site design services",
              "id": "72413000",
              "scheme": "CPV"
            },
            {
              "description": "Application service providers",
              "id": "72416000",
              "scheme": "CPV"
            },
            {
              "description": "Systems support services",
              "id": "72253200",
              "scheme": "CPV"
            },
            {
              "description": "Programming services of systems and user software",
              "id": "72211000",
              "scheme": "CPV"
            },
            {
              "description": "Internet and intranet software development services",
              "id": "72212220",
              "scheme": "CPV"
            },
            {
              "description": "Customer Relation Management software development services",
              "id": "72212445",
              "scheme": "CPV"
            }
          ],
          "deliveryAddresses": [
            {
              "country": "GB",
              "countryName": "United Kingdom",
              "region": "UK"
            }
          ],
          "id": "1",
          "relatedLot": "1"
        }
      ],
      "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
      "milestones": [
        {
          "dueDate": "2025-07-24T23:59:59+01:00",
          "id": "1",
          "status": "scheduled",
          "type": "futureSignatureDate"
        }
      ],
      "options": {
        "description": "The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) reserve the right to award a support contract to the successful supplier as advised in the transparency notice."
      },
      "relatedLots": [
        "1"
      ],
      "renewal": {
        "description": "The contract includes the optional extension period of 2 years, on a 1-year plus 1-year basis.\nThe extension period will include any additional development work plus support costs."
      },
      "standstillPeriod": {
        "endDate": "2025-07-22T23:59:59+01:00"
      },
      "status": "pending",
      "subcontracting": {
        "subcontracts": [
          {
            "description": "Name: Bluelight Trustees Limited\nAddress: Suite 01 60 Churchill Business Square, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4YU\nNotified: 13/12/2024\nNature of control: \n- The relevant legal entity has the right to exercise, or actually exercises, significant influence or control over the activities of a trust, and the trustees of that trust (in their capacity as such), hold, directly or indirectly, 75% or more of the shares in the company.\n- The relevant legal entity has the right, directly or indirectly, to appoint or remove a majority of the board of directors of the company.\n- The relevant legal entity has the right to exercise, or actually exercises, a significant influence or control over the activities of a trust, and the trustees of that trust (in their capacity as such) hold, directly or indirectly, 75% or more of the voting rights in the company.",
            "id": "3",
            "mainContractors": [
              {
                "id": "GB-COH-09740281",
                "name": "BlueLight CRM Ltd"
              }
            ]
          }
        ]
      },
      "suppliers": [
        {
          "id": "GB-COH-09740281",
          "name": "BlueLight CRM Ltd"
        }
      ],
      "title": "Strategic Digital Partner",
      "value": {
        "amount": 582653,
        "amountGross": 728316,
        "currency": "GBP"
      }
    }
  ],
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-PPON-PTPV-9936-RPRN",
    "name": "The Education and Training Foundation"
  },
  "date": "2025-07-10T09:13:50+01:00",
  "id": "038798-2025",
  "initiationType": "tender",
  "language": "en",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-050b01",
  "parties": [
    {
      "address": {
        "country": "GB",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "locality": "London",
        "postalCode": "SW1W 9SP",
        "region": "UKI32",
        "streetAddress": "157 - 197 Buckingham Palace Road"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "tenderqueries@etfoundation.co.uk",
        "name": "Commissioning and Procurement team",
        "telephone": "+442037408280"
      },
      "details": {
        "classifications": [
          {
            "description": "Public authority - sub-central government",
            "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
            "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE"
          }
        ],
        "url": "http://www.et-foundation.co.uk"
      },
      "id": "GB-PPON-PTPV-9936-RPRN",
      "identifier": {
        "id": "PTPV-9936-RPRN",
        "scheme": "GB-PPON"
      },
      "name": "The Education and Training Foundation",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ]
    },
    {
      "address": {
        "country": "GB",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "locality": "Kings Hill, West Malling",
        "postalCode": "ME19 4YU",
        "region": "UKJ46",
        "streetAddress": "Suite 01 60 Churchill Business Square"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "marios@teambluelight.com"
      },
      "control": {
        "description": "Name: Bluelight Trustees Limited\nAddress: Suite 01 60 Churchill Business Square, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4YU\nNotified: 13/12/2024\nNature of control: \n- The relevant legal entity has the right to exercise, or actually exercises, significant influence or control over the activities of a trust, and the trustees of that trust (in their capacity as such), hold, directly or indirectly, 75% or more of the shares in the company.\n- The relevant legal entity has the right, directly or indirectly, to appoint or remove a majority of the board of directors of the company.\n- The relevant legal entity has the right to exercise, or actually exercises, a significant influence or control over the activities of a trust, and the trustees of that trust (in their capacity as such) hold, directly or indirectly, 75% or more of the voting rights in the company."
      },
      "details": {
        "publicServiceMissionOrganization": false,
        "scale": "sme",
        "shelteredWorkshop": false,
        "vcse": false
      },
      "id": "GB-COH-09740281",
      "identifier": {
        "id": "09740281",
        "scheme": "GB-COH"
      },
      "name": "BlueLight CRM Ltd",
      "roles": [
        "supplier"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "tag": [
    "award",
    "contract"
  ],
  "tender": {
    "description": "Following an unsuccessful tender in 2024, The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) have followed a process for a direct award contract as a follow-on to the original tender.\nThe move to a process for direct award through negotiated procedure was as a direct result of the reasons from the unsuccessful procurement in 2024.\nEssential requirement detailed in the original tender that were not able to be fulfilled included:\n- Digital partners should have an extensive portfolio of clients that are professional membership bodies\n- Compliance with Department for Education (DfE) authority to operate\n- CRM \u0027MUST\u0027 requirements listed in Part 2 TRD excel spreadsheet\nOf the 112 suppliers who registered their interest in the bid, several withdrew for the following reasons:\n- There was concern that there was an existing UX agency partner\n- They had limited experience in the membership organisation space\n- They felt the functional requirements lent themselves more to an off the shelf product rather than bespoke\n- They felt they weren\u0027t the right technical fit\nNote, ETF felt that Umbraco was an essential requirement to avoid security breaches.\nFollowing the failed tender a temporary arrangement was put in place with the incumbent supplier, and a review of the market was then undertaken taking into consideration the particular requirements that led to the unsuccessful tender, and the extremely limited potential market.\nExtensive market research was conducted to identify potential suppliers that could meet the requirements, and then short-listing was carried out based on the necessary capabilities, knowledge and experience, switching the procurement process to a direct award. 21 Umbraco partners recommended on the Umbraco website (https://umbraco.com/partners/?skill=\u0026sector=\u0026country=\u0026level=) were considered for suitability. Suppliers were assessed on their ratings, whether they had membership experience (using dynamics) and whether they have worked in education. Out-of-the-box membership solutions suitable for the education sector were also considered. The list was shortlisted to 7 following this assessment. Digital agencies who could not provide end-to-end solutions with Microsoft Dynamics off the shelf products were excluded.\nIn April (2025), ETF held a series of demonstrations in which suppliers were asked to showcase their membership functionality. Membership requirements were shared will all suppliers. Some suppliers offered both Umbraco services and membership functionality, while in other cases, suppliers were brought together to meet ETF\u0027s needs.\nIt is important to note that these sessions were not sales pitches but rather an opportunity for suppliers to demonstrate how their solution would meet ETF\u0027s specific requirements. No financial discussions were held during these sessions. Focus was primarily on scoring the solution against ETF\u0027s requirements.\nThe short-listed suppliers were approached as it was deemed that they were best placed to meet ETF\u0027s requirement to build a new website as single open front door with updated branding, consolidating the ETF and SET websites. In line with the agreed technology strategy, the website will be developed using Umbraco technology. While ETF will continue to use Microsoft Dynamics CRM, alternative membership solutions were also explored.\nA transparency notice was published to reflects the process undertaken.\nFollowing the demonstrations, top scoring suppliers were short-listed to submit a proposal. Proposals highlighted the development costs would be higher than originally planned; therefore, the contract value has been increased to reflect this. This risk was identified in the transparency notice.\nThe successfully appointed supplier will:\n- Support ETF\u0027s digital transformation programme to achieve our desired target state by implementing and supporting a CMS solution, inheriting our existing membership portal, and building any necessary integrations into CRM for off-the-shelf membership solution, events and CPD with Dynamics CRM.\n- Enhance a Single Sign On (SSO) solution, Azure B2C, across our digital estate.\n- Be a strategic digital partner for the ETF who shares a vision and a roadmap for the future.\n- Launch a CMS solution with strong digital architecture, navigation, useability, governance, and content management features.\n- Ensure the CMS is integrated with Google Analytics ready for launch to align with ETF\u0027s reporting and insight needs.\n- Meet relevant security, compliance, and accessibility standards.\nIt is anticipated that the development work will be completed by 1 February 2026. An option for further development work is included in the transparency notice and in this contract award notice.\nIn addition, ETF will also be awarding the successful supplier a support contract, as expressed in the transparency notice. The provision of the support has increased the value of the contract value published in the transparency notice and has extended the length of the contract detailed previously. ETF include the option to extend the support contract until 31 March 2030 in this award notice.\nIn summary, this contract award notice clarifies the reasonable approach taken to move to a direct award through negotiation following a failed procurement, taking into account the specific reasons for the previous unsuccessful tender, and the following thorough identification, and process for final selection of a suitable supplier.",
    "id": "25-26.DDT-63",
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "scheme": "UKPGA",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
    },
    "lots": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "status": "complete"
      }
    ],
    "procurementMethod": "direct",
    "procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
    "status": "complete",
    "title": "Strategic Digital Partner"
  }
}