Optimal

UX Research Platform

Optimal provide User Research and testing capabilities such as Card Sorting, Tree Testing, Prototype testing, Usability Testing, Live Site Testing and Moderated Interviews.

We're making research accessible to all and supporting the whole product life cycle, so that your UX decisions are data-led and deliver intuitive experiences that work.

Features

• Prototype testing with Figma integration, heat-maps and video recording
• Moderated Interviews with AI summaries, highlight reels and multi-language capability
• Participant recruitment from a large and varied pool of demographics
• Live-site testing with video recording, survey logic and no-code setup
• Card sorting with deep analysis functionality
• Tree testing with deep and varied analysis and import features
• No downloads or plugins required for participants to remove barriers
• Surveys tool with complex branching logic, and nine question types
• First-click testing
• Desktop and mobile screen recording

Benefits

• Quickly test designs to understand how to optimise them
• Understand users mental models and how they categorise your content
• Understand how content should be structured through users navigation feedback
• Quickly recruit participants of any demographic for high-quality insights
• Gain user insights faster than ever, speeding up product development
• Enabling data-led decision making in UX design
• Gain user insights across the Discovery, prioritisation and optimisation phases
• Get the best value for money
• Get faster user insights, more easily

• Education pricing available
• Free trial available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at steve.turner@optimalworkshop.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 15

Service ID

469820547604431

Contact

Steve Turner
+447876228861
steve.turner@optimalworkshop.com

About your service

• Service categories:

  Applications

  Content workflow and management

  Persuasive content management

  • Website Software
  • Product Content Management Applications
• Multi cloud support: No

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model: Public cloud
• Service constraints: No constraints to be listed.
• System requirements:
  • Access to the internet
  • Access to a web browser

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes
• Support response times: - Standard Support: Guaranteed four-hour response times during EST business hours. Dedicated first-line support operates with a 4-hour SLA during EST business hours.; - Premium Support: Responses within 1 hour during ET business hours (9 am - 5:30 pm) are available with premium support.; - Critical Issues: For priority issues like service outages, an on-call escalation protocol is maintained to ensure timely 24/7 resolution outside regular hours. Critical security issues have a 14-day Service Level Agreement (SLA) for remediation. Other security issue SLAs are: High (90 days), Medium (120 days), and Low (180 days).
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: No
• Phone support: No
• Web chat support: Yes
• Web chat support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the web chat support is accessible: NEEDS COMPLETING
• Web chat accessibility testing: NEEDS COMPLETING
• Onsite support: No
• Support levels: Your dedicated Account Manager (Customer Success Manager) will be available during UK business hours. Their response SLA for standard enquiries is 1 business day. For critical issues, our SLAs have been outlined previously.; ; The Account Manager is also supported by a global Support Team as follows:; ; Hours for Service: Optimal's global support team operates 24 hours a day from Sunday to Thursday, and from 09:00 to 17:00 GMT on Fridays, following a "follow-the-sun" model. Designated periods (Friday evening to Sunday morning GMT) fall outside their global support core hours.; ; Support Channels: ; Customers can contact the support team via email at support@optimalworkshop.com. An AI assistant, Fin Agent AI, provides instant answers for common inquiries and escalates complex issues during out-of-hours periods.; ; There are no additional costs for this support service or any upgrades necessary.
• Support available to third parties: No
• AI chatbot: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: Customised Onboarding:; ◦ Optimal provides a custom training and enablement program designed in partnership with the client's stakeholders. This program aims to onboard teams and set them up for success.; ◦ Training sessions are coordinated across teams via both one-on-one (e.g. face-to-face classroom-style sessions) and one-to-many (e.g. drop-in webinars) channels.; ◦ The onboarding process includes a strategic introduction to align on UX goals, a UX Maturity Assessment to identify capability gaps, discovery to understand needs and focus areas and signposting to the available self serve / on demand and dedicated resources available. ; ◦ Our training programs are aligned to your industry and use case as well as the attendee's role(s) and the customer's strategic goals and objectives. ; ; Scheduled and on demand training resources:; ◦ Regularly scheduled 'drop in' webinars are available for your team on an ongoing basis to access onboarding, training and enablement walkthroughs.; ; Dedicated Support Team:; ◦ A dedicated Customer Success Manager (CSM) serves as the primary point of contact.; ◦ A responsive support team is available via dedicated email, with guaranteed four-hour response times during business hours, and a follow-the-sun model for 24-hour support throughout most of the week.
• Service documentation: No
• End-of-contract data extraction: ◦ Data can be exported in Excel or CSV format from within the platform, allowing users to ingest it into external analysis programs or models for custom benchmarking or advanced analysis.; ; ◦ Data visuals like heat maps, click maps, dendrograms, and pie trees can be downloaded in PNG format, facilitating the sharing of insights for comparative purposes.
• End-of-contract process: You have the ability to download any of the data available that you wish to retain. Any additional services you may require can be discussed but typically there is nothing that users require from Optimal at the end of the contract.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
  • Opera
  • Other
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: Our solution covers native mobile apps (via figma prototypes), progressive web apps, and mobile sites on iOS/Android, plus desktop websites, web applications, and enterprise platforms across various browsers and operating systems.; This cross-platform capability enables consistent user experience research while capturing device-specific insights for comprehensive optimization.; ; For mobile screen recording, an app is required (due to iOS and Android security). Desktop can be recorded with no plug-ins or downloads.
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Description of service interface: ◦ Simple and Intuitive Interface: A simple, browser-based interface that requires no downloads or plugins, making it intuitive and streamlined for users.; ◦ Effortless Study Design: It supports effortless use with user-friendly drag-and-drop functionality, enabling quick and intuitive customization.; ◦ Self-Serve Capabilities: New users can easily draft and launch studies themselves, with results available within hours, facilitating immediate insights.; ◦ No Technical Expertise Required: The tools are built with user-centric workflows, allowing users to design, test, and analyze studies.; ◦ Accessibility and Scalability: Optimal is designed to be accessible to all, offering unlimited user accounts, creators, editors, and viewers.
• Accessibility standards: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Accessibility testing: NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED
• API: No
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: The participant experiences can be customised with the colour pallet and logos of your choice (if any). ; ; Other tools such as intercept snippets to capture users on the website can also be customised in colour and style to match the web experience. ; ; This is available to all users of the platform, who set up and run studies.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: Optimal’s platform is designed to ensure one customer’s usage does not negatively impact another’s. We run on a scalable cloud infrastructure that automatically adjusts capacity to match demand, supported by monitoring and alerting to maintain availability and performance in line with our SLA.; ; From a commercial perspective, our pricing model also avoids internal constraints such as per-seat or per-test limits, so all authorised users can run studies in parallel without being blocked or restricted by other users’ activity.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: Our team supply the following reporting, tailored to your need: ; Service and quality tracking; - Uses structured success plans to monitor engagement, usage, and adoption; - Regularly track key performance indicators, including usage metrics, support responsiveness, and training completion rates; ; Reporting and information provision; - Provides timely, tailored reporting packages upon request or at defined intervals ; - Delivers insights and trend analysis to support stakeholder decision-making; - Maintains clear, audit-ready documentation of interactions, milestones, and activities; ; - An in-product usage report, accessible on-demand within the platform, offering real-time visibility into studies launched and team-level activity.
• Reporting types:
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request
• Resource tagging: Yes
• FOCUS resource tagging: Yes

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: None

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations: European Economic Area (EEA)
• User control over data storage and processing locations: No
• Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 4.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Penetration testing approach: Another external penetration testing organisation
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
  • Encryption of all physical media
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Equipment disposal approach: A third-party destruction service
• Data sanitisation type: Deleted data can’t be directly accessed / Cryptographic Erasure

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: ◦ Data can be exported in Excel or CSV format from within the platform, allowing users to ingest it into external analysis programs or models for custom benchmarking or advanced analysis.; ; ◦ Data visuals like heat maps, click maps, dendrograms, and pie trees can be downloaded in PNG format, facilitating the sharing of insights for comparative purposes.; ; ◦ The platform generates automated video highlight reels optimized for evidence-based storytelling, eliminating manual review bottlenecks. These can be downloaded using teh download button next to the video.
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data export formats:
  • PNG
  • JPEG
• Data import formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data import formats: MP4

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks: TLS (version 1.2 or above)
• Data protection within supplier network:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: Availability Architecture Optimal Workshop leverages a high-availability architecture hosted on AWS in North Virginia (us-east-1). We deploy critical application components across multiple Availability Zones and utilize automated processes to move data traffic away from affected areas in the event of failure, ensuring maximum resiliency against system outages; Recovery Metrics (RTO & RPO) To ensure operational resilience, we maintain a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) with strict recovery targets that are validated through annual testing:; • Recovery Time Objective (RTO): 12 hours; • Recovery Point Objective (RPO): 24 hours; Service Level Agreement (SLA) & Remedies Optimal Workshop provides support services and availability commitments as formally set out in our Service Level Agreement. Specific details regarding guaranteed uptime percentages and the mechanisms for customer refunds or credits in the event of unmet levels are outlined directly within the SLA found in our legal center, https://www.optimalworkshop.com/legal-center
• Approach to resilience: Optimal Workshop’s resilience strategy is built upon the AWS Well-Architected Framework and validated through our SOC 2 Type II attestation to ensure high availability and robust asset protection.; • Multi-Zone Datacentre Architecture: Our infrastructure is hosted in the AWS North Virginia (us-east-1) region, where we deploy critical application components across multiple Availability Zones (AZs) This design ensures that if one data center fails, automated processes immediately redirect traffic to healthy infrastructure to minimize impact.; • Service Design & Scalability: We utilize a three-tier architecture governed by AWS Application Load Balancers and auto-scaling groups, which automatically adjust compute resources based on real-time CPU and network utilization to handle demand spikes; • Data Redundancy: We leverage Amazon Aurora and AWS RDS for our database tier, utilizing automated replication between zones to guarantee data durability and availability; • Recovery Objectives: We maintain a tested Business Continuity Plan (BCP) with a guaranteed Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 12 hours and a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 24 hours
• Outage reporting: Optimal Workshop follows a formal Incident Response Plan aligned with the NIST framework to manage and communicate major technical incidents affecting system availability. We leverage AWS CloudWatch and Datadog for 24/7 automated monitoring and alerting, allowing our dedicated Platform Team to detect and triage anomalies immediately.; • Email Alerts: Yes. We utilize email and our integrated Intercom ticketing system as the primary mechanisms for customer communication and information sharing regarding service issues.; • API: We do not currently offer a public API for service integration or status monitoring.; • Public Dashboard: While our internal operations rely on sophisticated dashboards via Datadog for real-time observability, we focus on direct communication channels (Email/Intercom) to keep customers informed of any service impacts.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: We restrict access to management interfaces and support channels using SOC 2 Type II validated controls based on the Principle of Least Privilege.; • Management Interfaces: Access to our AWS production environment is limited to authorized personnel via Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) . Connections require a secure **Bastion Host** accessible only through our corporate **VPN** with mandatory **Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)** .; • Support Channels: Access to customer data is strictly limited to legitimate support scenarios and is fully audited via AWS CloudTrail.; • Governance: We ensure ongoing compliance through bi-annual access reviews conducted by IT management.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Username or password

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: Between 6 months and 12 months
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• How long system logs are stored for: At least 12 months

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: Other
• Other security governance standards: Optimal Workshop is SOC 2 Type II compliant. While not ISO 27001 certified, our internal audits and security program are strictly aligned with the standard. Our infrastructure provider, AWS, holds full ISO 27001 certification. We also adhere to NIST (Incident Response), ISO 3100:2018 (Risk), and OWASP best practices.
• Information security policies and processes: We follow a comprehensive Information Security Management System (ISMS) strictly aligned with ISO 27001 standards.; Core Security Policies Our governance framework includes, but is not limited to, the following key policies reviewed annually.:; • Information Security & Classification.; • Access Control & Password Management.; • Operations Security & Incident Response.; • Business Continuity (BCP) & Disaster Recovery.; • Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC).; • Vendor Management.; Reporting Structure Security strategy is led by our IT Systems Administrator and Legal Counsel, who manage risk and governance. They report to the. VP of Operations and Chief Product & Technology Officer. for operational oversight, with critical risks reported bi-annually to the. Board.; Ensuring Compliance We enforce strict adherence through:; • Mandatory Training: All staff complete security and privacy awareness training upon hire and annually thereafter.; • Audits: We conduct annual internal audits aligned to ISO 27001 and engage independent auditors for SOC 2 Type II validation.; • Policy Acknowledgement: Employees are contractually required to read and formally acknowledge policies annually.; • Risk Management: Our framework is formally based on the ISO 3100:2018 standard.
• Software Security Code of Practice: Yes

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: Optimal Workshop follows a SOC 2 Type II validated change management process. We track service components and code lifecycles using Git repositories and formal asset registers.; Changes require mandatory peer review, automated testing, and approval before deployment. To ensure security, every change undergoes a risk assessment , while architectural updates require a formal RFC detailing security implications. We further validate configurations through continuous monitoring against CIS benchmarks.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: Optimal Workshop follows a SOC 2 Type II validated process aligned with ISO 27001 controls.; • Assessment: We identify threats via quarterly vulnerability scans, annual penetration testing, and CI/CD static analysis, prioritizing risks using the OWASP Risk Rating Methodology.; • Patching: AWS automates infrastructure patching . We remediate **Critical** vulnerabilities within 14 days and **High** within 90 days, addressing zero-day threats immediately.; • Sources: We rely on daily security advisory reviews, Dependabot for dependency monitoring, and Amazon GuardDuty for real-time threat detection.
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: Optimal Workshop employs SOC 2 Type II validated monitoring using Amazon GuardDuty for intelligent threat detection and AWS CloudWatch for real-time alerting on CloudTrail logs.; To identify compromises, we rely on automated anomaly detection and 24/7 Platform Team monitoring. Upon detection, we execute a **NIST-aligned Incident Response Plan** to contain and remediate threats. Our response is governed by strict SLAs, including a 12-hour Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and immediate triage by on-call engineers.
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: Optimal Workshop maintains a formal Incident Response Plan (IRP) strictly aligned with the NIST framework to identify, contain, and recover from security events. We utilize documented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for common operational events like backup restoration and patch management.; Reporting & Transparency:; • Submission: Customers report incidents via our integrated Intercom ticketing system or email at support@optimalworkshop.com.; • Notification: In the event of a privacy breach, we proactively notify affected customers with a comprehensive report detailing impact, record counts, and remediation measures. Aggregated log information is available upon request to support customer investigations.
• Post-quantum cryptography secure: Yes

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Conforms to a recognised standard, but self-assessed

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Pricing

• Discount for educational organisations: Yes
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: We provide a 7 day free trial via our website, and we can provide custom managed pilots for larger teams. Pilots include full access to all features.

Discount percentage by annual call-off contract value (excluding VAT)

• Less than £250,000: 5%
• Between £250,000 and £500,000: 10%
• Between £500,001 and £1,000,000: 12.5%
• Between £1,000,001 and £2,500,000: 12.5%
• Between £2,500,001 and £5,000,000: 12.5%
• Over £5,000,001: 12.5%

Non-mandatory Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: No
• ISO 28000:2022 certification: No
• ISO 9001 certification: No
• Quality management systems (QMS): No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: No
• Cyber Essentials Alternative: None of the criteria
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Cyber Essentials Alternative: None of the criteria
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications: SOC 2 Compliance Certificate

Social value

• Section B - Commitment for Future: Delivery:

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 1: Fair work: That offers fair wages and good working conditions. Help people get a job, stay in work, and progress in their careers, with good employment opportunities across the country. Notes: Where there is a large proportion of labour costs in the contract, commercial teams should consider MAC in Outcome 1 as a priority

    • New or retained jobs on the contract workforce in the relevant area that meet the criteria set out in MAC 1b, 1c and 1d
    • Providing opportunities for, and measuring and monitoring of, staff workforce conditions over time, including employee engagement, involvement in decision-making and satisfaction and adapting to any changes in the results, with clear processes for acting on issues identified
    • Plans to engage the contract workforce in deciding the most important workplace issues to address
    • Ensuring new workers are informed of their right to join a trade union
    • Monitoring of employee engagement rates (by protected characteristic) and, where necessary, the development of actions to ensure all voices are heard across the diversity of the workforce
    • Employment contracts that reflect actual hours worked; steps taken to ensure employees understand their contracts and have the ability to review and adjust them if actual hours regularly exceed contracted hours
    • Activities that support an environment where staff are educated about, and feel empowered to, address their physical wellbeing
    • Activities that support an environment where staff are educated about and feel empowered to report and address bullying and harassment
    • Activities to cascade good practice on fair working conditions throughout the supply chain
    • Offer a pay and leave entitlement to all eligible staff who become kinship carers, ideally equivalent to statutory adoption pay and leave
    • Payment of more than the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage (as appropriate) to the contract workforce
    • Monitoring and reporting of gender and ethnicity pay gaps and plans to address them where necessary
    • Entitlement to sick pay for the contract workforce, with provision in place for any staff who do not meet the earnings threshold for statutory sick pay, payment of sick pay from day one of absence and payment of staff on the contract workforce who are off sick a replacement income of 100% of their usual earnings for as long as possible
    • Plans for an appropriate income replacement policy for staff who are required to spend time away from work to care for a sick dependent or close relative
    • Understanding of in-work progression issues affecting the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors
    • Measures to support in-work progression to help people in the contract workforce, to move into higher paid work by developing new skills relevant to the contract
    • Support for the contract workforce by providing career advice, and providing opportunities for staff working on the contract with in-work progression career development into known skills shortages or high growth areas
    • Support for educational attainment relevant to the contract, including training schemes that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications
    • Volunteering opportunities for staff
    • Understanding of the modern slavery risks and issues affecting the market, industry, sector or country (of origin or of source) relevant to the contract, and the workforce in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key subcontractors
    • Measures to identify, mitigate and manage modern slavery risks relating to the contract and how these will be implemented
    • Outline policies and practices to be applied to or put in place for the contract to mitigate and manage modern slavery risks, including: Pre-employment checks, recruitment practices. Workplace conditions, safeguarding plans and processes in place and regular monitoring with relevant groups considered, which may include sampling
    • How these flow down the supply chain and are monitored Illustrative examples include reporting, site visits, audits, etc.
    • How to ensure business decisions re: price/cost, short lead times, payment timescales do not create modern slavery risks in the supply chain
    • How the supplier will work with NGOs, trade unions or other businesses to address modern slavery risk
    • Means of influencing staff, suppliers, customers, communities and/or any other appropriate stakeholders with respect to modern slavery risks relating to the contract

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 2: Skills for growth: Supporting growth sectors and addressing skills gaps.

    • Understanding of employment and relevant skills issues, and of the education and training issues relating to the contract. Illustrative examples: demographics, skills shortages, new opportunities in high growth sectors, geographic/local community and skills/employment challenges
    • Support for educational attainment relevant to the contract, including training schemes that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications
    • Activities to support relevant sector related skills growth and sustainability in the contract workforce. Illustrative examples: careers talks, curriculum support, literacy support, safety talks and volunteering
    • Delivery of apprenticeships, supported internships and T Level industry placement opportunities (Level 2, 3 and 4+) in relation to the contract

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 3: Resilient, innovative and flexible supply chains: Support economic growth through enabling resilient businesses, opportunities for small businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises

    • Understanding of the types of businesses in the market and the level of participation by new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutuals
    • Activities to identify opportunities to open up sub-contracts under the prime contract to a diverse range of businesses, including new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutuals
    • Plans for engaging a diverse range of businesses in engagement activities prior to appointing subcontractors (including activities prior to award of the main contract and during the contract term)
    • Activities that demonstrate a collaborative way to work with a diverse range of businesses as part of the supply chain
    • Advertising of supply chain opportunities openly and to ensure they are accessible to a diverse range of businesses, including advertising all subcontracting opportunities on Contracts Finder
    • Ensuring accessibility to contracting and subcontracting opportunities for disabled business owners and employees
    • Structuring of the supply chain selection process to ensure fairness (e.g. anti-corruption) and encourages participation by a diverse range of businesses, including with regard to new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutual
    • Understanding of local demographics, needs and opportunities for the co-design of the goods, services and works to be delivered under the contract
    • Methods for engaging with different parts of the community (including the education system and charities representing the community) and how communities come together to inform decisions, strategy and projects to leave a positive legacy for future generations
    • Measures to involve local stakeholders and/or users in design (e.g. in the design of services, systems, products or buildings)
    • Plans for positive actions with community groups.
    • Measures for making facilities used in the delivery of the contract available for community groups, education or training
    • Measures to engage users and communities and build relationships to increase community integration build trust and influence how the contract is delivered
    • Plans to respond flexibly and adapt approaches to community engagement and initiatives
    • Support for community-led initiatives relevant to the contract. Illustrative examples: improving transport links; reducing loneliness; helping with English language proficiency; and facilitating social mixing among people with different backgrounds
    • Collaborating with anchor institutions and community groups to make facilities available for education, training or community events

  • Mission: Make Britain a clean energy superpower: To cut bills, create jobs and deliver security with cheaper, zero-carbon electricity by 2030, accelerating to net zero

    Policy Outcome 4: Sustainable procurement practices: Reducing carbon footprints, minimising waste, and promoting the use of clean energy and green technologies.

    • Understanding of opportunities for additional environmental benefits delivery in the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Collaborative ways of working with the supply chain to deliver additional environmental benefits in the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Delivery of additional environmental benefits through the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Understanding of how to influence staff, suppliers, customers, communities and/or any other appropriate stakeholders through the delivery of the contract to support climate and nature protection and improvement
    • Activities to reconnect people with the environment and increase awareness of ways to protect and enhance it

  • Mission: Break down barriers to opportunity: By reforming our childcare and education systems, to make sure there is no class ceiling on the ambitions of young people in Britain

    Policy Outcome 6: Employment and training: For those who face barriers to employment

    • Understanding of employment and skills issues, and of the skills and employment shortages of high growth sectors relating to the contract
    • Creation of employment opportunities particularly for those who face barriers to employment, such as prison leavers, care leavers and/or who are located in deprived areas, and for people in industries with known skills shortages or in high growth sectors
    • Delivery of training schemes and programmes to address any identified skills gaps and under-representation in the workforce for the contract (e.g. prison leavers, care leavers, kinship carers, disabled people)
    • Advertising, promotional and outreach activities designed to raise awareness of the offer to reach the target cohort
    • Understanding of the issues affecting the representation of disabled people in the workforce in the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors
    • Collection of the views and expertise of disabled people and their representative organisations on successfully supporting disabled employees or applicants
    • Inclusive and accessible recruitment practices, and retention-focused activities, including those provided in the Guide for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing people with a disability or health condition
    • Introducing transparency to pay and reward processes
    • Offering a range of quality opportunities with routes of progression if appropriate, e.g. T Level industry placements, students supported into higher level apprenticeships.
    • Working conditions which promote an inclusive working environment and promote retention and progression
    • Other measures to provide equality of opportunity for disabled people and those with health conditions into employment, including becoming a Disability Confident employer and inclusion of supported businesses in the contract supply chain
    • Understanding of the issues affecting inequality in employment, skills and pay in the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors. Measures to tackle inequality in employment, skills and pay in the contract workforce
    • Inclusive and accessible development practices, including guidance for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing people with a disability or health condition

  • Mission: Break down barriers to opportunity: By reforming our childcare and education systems, to make sure there is no class ceiling on the ambitions of young people in Britain

    Policy Outcome 7: Creating a pipeline of opportunities: For the contract workforce, reducing barriers to entry for under-represented groups.

    • Understanding of the issues affecting the development of new skills by target cohort
    • Understanding of the underlying factors affecting improvements to reduce barriers to entry and training schemes for the target cohort(s) related to the contract workforce
    • Other measures to offer development opportunities for the target cohort(s) in the contract workforce
    • Advertising, promotional and outreach activities designed to raise awareness of the offer to reach the target cohort
    • Understanding of issues relating to entering the contract workforce
    • Creation of outreach activities to create a pipeline of employees for the future contract delivery
    • Content of the outreach activity is designed to suit the target cohort
    • Advertising, promotional and outreach activities designed to raise awareness of the offer to reach the target cohort

  • Mission: Build an NHS fit for the future: That is there when people need it; with fewer lives lost to the biggest killers; in a fairer Britain, where everyone lives well for longer.

    Policy Outcome 8: Increasing productivity through physical and mental wellbeing: In the supply chain and communities in the relevant area.

    • Understanding of issues relating to health and wellbeing, including physical and mental health, in the contract workforce
    • Understanding barriers to access to health and social care services or employment opportunities e.g. digital inclusion
    • Inclusive and accessible recruitment practices, development practices and retention policies that support-focused activities including those provided in the Guide for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing which support people with a disability or health condition
    • Actions to invest in the physical and mental health and wellbeing of the contract workforce

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at steve.turner@optimalworkshop.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.