Request for Information: Cyber Accelerator Programme - Design Partnerships

Scope as published

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is seeking information from the market to help test the feasibility, deliverability and commercial attractiveness of a proposed requirement for the Cyber Accelerator Programme: Design Partnerships. This Request for Information (RFI) relates to an early draft Invitation to Tender and is intended to give potential suppliers an opportunity to comment on the proposed scope before any final procurement documents are issued. The proposed programme is intended to create a practical pathway from public-sector cyber challenges to potential commercial adoption of innovative cyber solutions. The Programme would bring together public sector organisations with clearly defined cyber challenges and innovative cyber SMEs capable of developing, testing and demonstrating solutions through structured design partnerships. The delivery partner would be expected to identify and recruit suitable public-sector challenge owners, build a pipeline of potential cyber innovators, support challenge development, match innovators to challenges, facilitate design partnership activity, provide a light-touch commercial and compliance wrapper, support adoption planning, organise programme events, report on progress and capture repeatable learning for the wider cyber ecosystem. At this stage, DSIT is particularly interested in understanding the following; • whether the proposed delivery model is realistic • whether the market has the capability and capacity to deliver it • whether the proposed timetable and fixed-price approach are workable, and • whether any changes would improve supplier interest, competition, value for money or successful programme outcomes. Proposed requirement summary Programme name Cyber Accelerator Programme: Design Partnerships. Primary purpose To create a credible pathway from public-sector cyber challenges to potential commercial adoption of innovative cyber solutions. Core model A structured design partnership model bringing together public-sector organisations with defined cyber challenges and innovative cyber SMEs capable of developing, testing and demonstrating solutions. The programme is intended to operate as pre-procurement learning and market engagement activity, not as a mechanism to pre-select suppliers for future contracts. Pro bono design partnership arrangements The proposed design partnerships are expected to operate on a pro bono basis between Challenge Council members and Programme Innovators. Programme Innovators would not receive payment from DSIT or from the participating public-sector organisation for taking part in a design partnership, and participation would not provide any guarantee of future work, funding, commercial adoption or preferential treatment in any future procurement. Any subsequent purchase, pilot, licence or commercial progression would need to be considered separately through an appropriate and lawful commercial route. Indicative delivery period 18.01.2027 to 31.03.2028 The proposed phases are: Discovery; Recruitment Phase 1; Challenge Consultation; Recruitment Phase 2; Delivery; and Close. Indicative budget envelope Up to £1.2 million Ex VAT Expected minimum scale A minimum of five design partnerships, subject to market feedback on realistic capacity and delivery quality. Each design partnership is expected to focus on a different cyber challenge. Challenge Council The supplier would be expected to recruit a high-trust group of public-sector technology leaders, such as chief information security officers, chief architects, chief information officer/chief digital officer equivalents and service owners. Challenge Council members should have genuine cyber challenges, sufficient organisational backing and the ability to support design partnership activity and potential future adoption decisions. Programme Innovators The supplier would be expected to identify a broad pool of potential cyber SMEs and select Programme Innovators against specific…

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