Strategic software developer and infrastructure partner/s to support regional digital transformation in Greater Manchester

Description

The GMCA is exploring opportunities to consolidate its existing software development and cloud infrastructure arrangements. The GMCA has a large number of different suppliers that provide software development and cloud infrastructure services. This includes both code/low-code software development and the management of the GMCA's Microsoft Azure and limited AWS cloud infrastructures. The GMCA has an ambition to grow our own internal developer and infrastructure capabilities. It is expected that any successful supplier/s will contribute to the GMCA achieving this and work closely with the GMCA's internal team. Lot 1: Mendix Low Code Platform - Strategic Partner The procurement aims to consolidate the GMCA's existing Mendix Platform license provision and delivery partner arrangements. This will include: 1. Mendix Platform licenses to support both current and any new applications built on the Mendix Platform. 2. A Mendix delivery partner to support the GMCA with enriching existing digital products and the development of new products. 3. The provision of a Mendix Platform managed service to support live applications. There is an opportunity within this lot to bid for the development of the Greater Manchester Our Pass Application: The Our Pass App - Our Pass was launched by the GM Mayor in 2019 to broaden the horizons of young people in GM and provide greater access to educational, leisure, social and culture activities. Our Pass provides free bus travel, discounted tram travel, and Exclusives (offers, events, discounts) for the Our Pass user. It is likely that this will include: - Complete a discovery project to better understand the current opportunity around Our Pass - Develop a new, feature-rich app that improves user experience, integrating the travel offer with the existing Exclusives service (currently an independent web app). Additional information: Existing Mendix Platform Application Case Study - Early Years Application Co-designed with health visiting and Early Years services across Greater Manchester, the Early Years App digitises the paper-based assessments and manual processes currently used to review a child's development. The Early Years App enables parents and carers of children across Greater Manchester a way to complete relevant assessments digitally and ensures that parents and carers have access to both completed assessments and other supporting information completed by the professional and gives the user much more control over their own data. An integrated online portal offers video guidance to support children's learning and development. The app offers better identification of support and facilitates automated sharing of data, with relevant professionals, enabling more timely identification of required support and reduces duplication of effort. In some parts of Greater Manchester, the app is now live in early education settings, also giving local authority practitioners the ability to complete WellComm assessment forms digitally. This means we're increasing the age range of children in these areas being supported via the Early Years app, with a reach now up to primary school age. Lot 2: Application Developer (non-Mendix) - Strategic Partner The GMCA is looking to procure the services of a strategic application developer partner to both support existing, and develop new low-code (non-Mendix Platform) and bespoke code applications. The procurement will provide an opportunity for the GM public sector system to draw down on application developer skills and capacity to support both work led by the GMCA, and potentially other partner organisations, across GM. It is envisaged that this will include services to support the breadth of the Government Digital Service Manual (product discovery through to retirement) including, but not limited to, UI/UX services, user research, business analysis and software developer services. There is an opportunity within this lot to bid for the development of the Greater Manchester Our Pass Application: The Our Pass App - Our Pass was launched by the GM Mayor in 2019 to broaden the horizons of young people in GM and provide greater access to educational, leisure, social and culture activities. Our Pass provides free bus travel, discounted tram travel, and Exclusives (offers, events, discounts) for the Our Pass user. It is likely that this will include: - Complete a discovery project to better understand the current opportunity around Our Pass - Develop a new, feature-rich app that improves user experience, integrating the travel offer with the existing Exclusives service (currently an independent web app). Additional information: Existing Application Case Study - Victims Gateway The Victims Gateway is a digital solution that transforms the way victims and survivors access, engage and interact with victims services across Greater Manchester in a way that reflects the journey of a victim, and enables better use of data to inform decision-making. This digital solution puts the needs of the victim front and centre, allowing them to track and manage their own service journey, as well as access services at a time convenient to them, with the flexibility to engage and re-engage over time as their needs change. The Victims Gateway has been developed using the Microsoft Power Platform (Power Pages, Power Apps and Dataverse). While there is support for the Victims Gateway in the medium term, it is expected that some support and future development of the Victims Gateway will form part of this contract. Lot 3: Cloud Infrastructure - Strategic Partner The GMCA is looking to procure the services of a strategic cloud infrastructure partner. This will include providing a managed service for GMCA's existing cloud infrastructure. This is largely build in Microsoft Azure, however, there is also some limited AWS infrastructure. There are no plans to move from the predominantly Microsoft Azure hosted arrangements.