Digital Outcomes for Companies House Transformation CH-1102 (ITT Docs available)

Description

Summary of the work CH requires teams with good knowledge of all technologies: - JSON - Node.js - Java - RESTful API technology - Java+Spring - Kafka - AWS - Docker. To develop, test, run and support web-based and API-based filing services to public Beta providing full end-to-end testing of code and features. Expected Contract Length 24 Months Latest start date Tuesday 4 October 2022 Why the Work is Being Done Full ITT documentation available immediately - Please email kturner@companieshouse.gov.uk. The current share capital, directors, secretaries and PSC (Person of significant control) digital filing are offered on - CH legacy web based filing platform that is reliant on PERL and XML software language - CH legacy API filing platform reliant on XML software language The wider transformation programme aims to re-engineer and re-platform each transaction on modern architecture on newer web-based CHS platform (JSON and NodeJS) and modern RESTful API (JSON), publishing our API specifications for third party software providers to develop their own software solutions. This allows CH to offer modern digital filing options improving the user experience and enable CH to close legacy versions (web and API) of these transactions. We also intend to expand the range of filings that can be filed digitally to include a broader range of event driven share capital updates. The introduction of a register of overseas entities is aimed at tackling economic crime through increased transparency and requires some entirely new web-based services which will be only available via the new platform. The register will also have new compliance and enforcement functionality. Some requirements may change as the legislation goes through Parliament. Problem to Be Solved Event driven changes to a company's directors, company secretaries, PSC's and share capital are required to be notified to the Registrar of Companies by law within a fixed period. Companies, or representatives acting on their behalf, currently have a range of options for filing these notifications with Companies House. All director, secretary and PSC filings are available via our legacy Webfiling service, and via the XML gateway, as well as on paper. In the case of share capital only one filing of >20 is currently enabled for submission via webfiling or the XML gateway. Webfiling also has restricted functionality preventing some users from filing via this service. The current Web offering is also built on legacy architecture which is becoming increasingly difficult to support and maintain for all filing journeys. After the new Register of overseas entities goes live, we will also need to introduce additional filing journeys for the remaining requirements of the Act including for overseas entities to annually update their record (within a deadline) and apply to be removed. These will include processes for financial penalties and offences, dealing with rectification and disclosing protected information to public authorities. Who Are the Users As a director I need to notify CH of changes to my company's director, secretary, PSC or share capital information to comply with the law. Users will include company directors, or professionals acting on their behalf. As a representative of an overseas entity I must annually update the CH record to comply with the law. I also need the ability to remove an overseas entity from the register and to appeal and/or pay a penalty. Users will include overseas entity representatives, or professionals acting for the entity. Users will need: authentication credentials to update company/entity details; the ability to review/update existing details; and appropriate validation to help get it right first time. For UK companies third-party software providers will develop systems to CH API specifications, to support professional clients, who manage large numbers of client companies. CH will expect both platforms to integrate with existing internal systems, including system-based business rule checks, and improved data quality to reduce manual handling of applications. Services will need to meet GDS service standards. CH publishes company/entity details as data and images on CH online services. Both platforms will need to provide users with their application status, and confirm acceptance, or rejection. Work Already Done "Directors and share capital have completed Alpha and has passed Government Digital Service Standard Assessment to proceed to Beta phase (with initial private beta). PSC is not started ROE annual filings/compliance/removals and PSCs are not yet started. Company secretary requirements are very similar to director ones, and will be treated as service iteration." Existing Team Partner teams paired with CH team: Internal team will comprise a full project and delivery team. Development team: software engineers, test engineers, user researcher, content writer, UX designer, product manager, delivery manager, project manager, SRO. Partner teams working independently will be able to draw on guidance/support from CH Lead/senior: architects; developers; product managers, and analysts but will be expected to provide their own resource including leads. Current Phase Beta Skills & Experience • Demonstrate experience providing highly skilled development teams covering a variety of technologies,(See summary of work) • Demonstrate experience of rapid delivery of high quality, secure and accessible web services and API, meeting or exceeding Government Digital Service Standards • Demonstrate experience of collaborative working with ‘in-house’ teams including coaching and mentoring, knowledge sharing, joint development and exchange of re-useable common components Nice to Haves • Agile software development and scrum principles • Agile delivery software such as Confluence and Jira • Experience of successfully completing government Service Assessments Work Location The organisation's base of operations is in Cardiff, Wales. The work can be carried out remotely within the UK. Working Arrangments The supplier teams will keep CH Flexible hours to maximise interaction with the inhouse teams, including expected attendance at stand-ups: Monday to Friday working flexibly between 6am to 9pm, 7.4 hours per day + lunch time. The teams will be subject to CH governance, standards, processes and reviews/checkpoints as our in-house teams including agile working practices. These will evolve as our delivery pipeline improves. Development is cloud based (AWS). CH will supply client devices and access to relevant cloud services. The development is primarily via paired teams, developing services to a schedule agreed with the Head of Profession for Delivery. Security Clearance Varying degrees of protected personal information including super secure information relating to individuals at risk of harm. Certain directors, PSC and ROE data is classified ‘Official Sensitive’. Security vetting and clearance is required to work with the relevant data to SC level. share capital does not fall into this category. Additional T&Cs Any and all expenses must be pre-agreed between the parties and must comply with the Cabinet Office (CO) Travel and Subsistence (T&S) Policy. All vendors are obliged to provide sufficient guarantees to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures so that the processing meets the requirements of GDPR and ensures the protection of the rights of data subjects. For further information please see the Information Commissioner's Office website https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-reform/overview-of-the-gdpr/ No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • Approach to engagement - Details of resource capacity and how this is scaled in response to client demand • Team Structure - Proposed resources in terms of skill set / level and day rates and the value for money they represent • Experience - Evidence of successful operation of similar collaborative delivery models, preferably in the public sector • Risk management - Approach to identifying delivery risks & dependencies and risk management strategy • Estimated timeframes for the work Cultural Fit Criteria • work as a team with our organisation and other suppliers • be transparent and collaborative when making decisions • take responsibility for their work • share knowledge and experience with other team members • challenge the status quo - adaptable, bold and curious Payment Approach Time and materials Assessment Method Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 75% Cultural fit 5% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers 1. Given that we have requested the full ITT documentation twice using the email address provided in the Ad and haven’t received a response, please can you confirm when prospective suppliers will be granted access to the full documentation? All supplier requests received have been responded to. Please check your junk folder and note that the email will contain PDF attachments.If you are still having issues, please email :Kate Turner kturner@companieshouse.gov.ukCheryl Hobbs chobbs@companieshouse.gov.uk 2. Please can you confirm who the current incumbent supplier is? This is no current incumbent - This is a new procurement 3. Please can you clarify the allocated budget for this opportunity? The budget for this opportunity will not be disclosed at this time. 4. What will be the procurement timetable? Please refer to the published documentation 5. What does the word ‘government Service Assessments’ in the Q ‘Experience of successfully completing government Service Assessments’ mean? Are you referring to participating in the GDS assessments, after every stage? Yes 6. The term ‘web services’ in the Q ‘Demonstrate experience of rapid delivery of high quality, secure and accessible web services and API, meeting or exceeding Government Digital Service Standards’ means Govt digital services/digital web applications. Is the understanding right? Yes 7. Can we use more than one evidence in our responses, if required. Yes you may submit more than one piece of evidence up to a maximum number of three (3) 8. Could you please provide us an indication of how many people you would need and of which skill? And who should be SC cleared? Thanks Please refer to ITT document for information on people and skill levels. 9. Is the development limited to API services, or does it also include user-facing journeys and overall digital product design? It will include both API and user-interfacing journeys via web. 10. You ask for evidence of passing Government Service Assessments. Does this include Scottish Government Digital Scotland Service Assessment? We would be happy to include this as evidence as the service standards are very similar. 11. Have any suppliers been involved in delivering Discovery or Alpha? If so which suppliers? No suppliers have been involved in the discovery and alpha - where these have taken place it has been by in-house teams only. 12. If other suppliers have been involved during Discovery and Alpha, what are the reasons to think that alternative suppliers for Beta might genuinely be required? No suppliers have been involved in the discovery and alpha - where these have taken place it has been by in-house teams only. 13. Can you confirm if there is an incumbent supplier as indicated by the existing Partner teams? There is no incumbent supplier. This is a new procurement. 14. Could the Authority confirm whether shortlisted suppliers will have the opportunity to present? Yes, please refer to the published documentation - 'Supplier presentations 07/09/2022' 15. Will the 1st stage scores be included in the overall evaluation scores? The evaluation scores from the first stage will not form part of the overall evaluation score 16. Could you please provide an anticipated timeline for this procurement that includes dates for: 1) Shortlisting Notification for Stage 2 2) Submission Deadline for Stage 2 3) Presentation 4) Evaluation period 5) Award Notification Please refer to the published documentation for the timeline. 17. Could you please clarify what is meant by filing? E.g. an API filing service, and filing journeys. Companies House has 3 main services: Filing, Get Company Information and Intelligence & Enforcement. This work primarily covers the Filing service, which is how companies and corporate entities file their data with Companies House. This could be via a third party company secretarial software package via the API or directly with Companies House via an online web journey. 18. The stated deadline on the DOS advertisement states the 11th August for furst phase. However, within the ITT document it states the 12th August for “Shortlisted interested suppliers and ITT”. To clarify, we are only to respond to the 100-word, MUST and NICE-TO-HAVE, requirements by the 11th August (Not 12th). Then if shortlisted, we will respond to the 13 x Q’s listed in the ITT by the 1st Sep, followed by presentation on the 7th Sep. Please confirm that this is correct? The dates published in the tool apply - we apologise for any confusion that may have been caused in the supporting documentation 19. Would you be opposed to using offshore teams? We currently have restrictions for working outside of the UK which would be problematic for this specific requirement. 20. Some of our in-house resources such as our software/infrastructure architects, managed services team and developers are based outside of the UK, but work remotely within our UK operations, and work in accordance with UK regulations and UK hours, is this acceptable? We currently have restrictions for working outside of the UK which would be problematic for this specific requirement. 21. Our software developers, engineers and architects are based outside the UK but work remotely for our UK clients during UK hours, and so as we are a UK company, would our company fall within the cabinet office's 'work setup' stipulations to work on this project? We currently have restrictions for working outside of the UK which would be problematic for this specific requirement. 22. Is Companies House open to alternative pricing models put forward in response to the Tender yes Companies House welcomes innovative ideas and alternative pricing models may be submitted with your response to this tender 23. What is your requirement by the term ‘rapid delivery’ in the Q ‘Demonstrate experience of rapid delivery of high quality, secure and accessible web services and API, meeting or exceeding Government Digital Service Standards’ ? How quick are you looking for? This information would help us to quote the right evidence. We expect delivery at pace, delivering user stories from a backlog within fortnightly sprint cycles and delivering value within each sprint. 24. Could you please clarify the length of the overall engagement, the extension of the engagement and the trial period? Each of these are represented with ‘xx’ in the documentation provided. As a guideline we anticipate this will be a 24 month engagement in total - this will be further validated during the trial period which we anticipate will be up to a maximum 2 months. Work will commence in line with the outline plan. 25. Please detail how price evaluation will be captured, calculated and scored Please provide the overall costs associated with this piece of work, including a breakdown of how the costs have been built. We will evaluate the responses as set out in Section A of the ITT documentation. 26. The timeframe between informing shortlisted suppliers and ITT submission is only 2 weeks. When will the proposal template (and question word limits) be made available? For Stage 1 please complete inline with the portal. The ITT has been shared to allow bidders an insight into the engagement upfront due to the timeframes we are working to. Shortlisted suppliers will be invited to respond to the formal ITT document. We would expect bidders to respond with a proposal in line with the headings set out in the ITT. There will be no fixed word count however bidders should provide full, clear and concise responses. 27. For the services/work-streams that have not started as yet, has a discovery phase been undertaken? And if there has, when would the discovery phase output be shared with the supplier? Discovery phases have taken place for ROE, Directors and Statement of Capital work-streams and it is our intention high level outputs of these Discoveries will be made available to the supplier the shortlist stage. 28. The initial preliminary fact-finding phase, does this intend to cover all services/SOWs for the duration of the contract or just the initial priority service/SOW(s)? We anticipate the initial phase will cover all of the services 29. Will individuals need to hold SC Clearance from the day they start? Or can they start and go through SC Vetting dependant on what the specific role requires? Are Companies House able to put people through SC Vetting? We don't expect individuals to need SC clearance from the start, it may depend on what is being worked on. 30. Please can you clarify if Companies House would be willing to sponsor SC clearance? Please refer to the published documentation ITT question 9 where we outline the options on this point. 31. Regarding Q1, please can you clarify what you would classify as “highly skilled” in the context of this question? Please make recommendations based on the tender documentation requirements, ensuring the resources provided are suitably skilled to deliver at pace. Please explain your rationale in your response. 32. Please can you confirm if the Stage 1 scores will be carried over and used as part of the Stage 2 evaluation? The evaluation scores from the first stage will not form part of the overall evaluation score