Govforms Limited

Govforms digital service builder cloud software

The proven Govforms digital service builder cloud software enables the cost effective creation of digital submission journeys designed for HM Government. Our easy to use browser-based software forms are built with standard GOV.UK design patterns. The forms and the builder software meet GDS accessibility compliance out-of-the-box. No coding needed.

Features

• Full online form digital building cloud software; no coding required
• Supports all 51 GDS design system components and patterns
• Works with GDS recommended devices, browsers and third-party analytics
• Accessibility compliant forms and builder with dedicated accessibility statement
• File uploads, complex conditional flows. Configurable Department branding
• Input validation, autocomplete lists and numeric calculations. Multi-language capable
• Authentication choices: Government Gateway, major cloud providers, OAuth2
• Ordnance Survey postcode address look-up. Maps. GovPay and Notify integrations
• Submit form data: Email inbox. MS Sharepoint. Custom integrations
• Call any API retrieve or send data. Audit logs. Analytics

Benefits

• Rapidly create and update forms easily; no software developers required
• Proven referenceable use within Other Government Departments
• Reuse form layouts for faster building
• Co-design with colleagues. Annotate form journeys with comments
• Easily share digital forms for users and colleagues to try
• Quickly iterate journey flow, components and content. Automatic change trail
• No hassle instant deployment or reversion of changes
• Cost effective replacement of legacy technology and infrastructure
• Tailor running costs to forms' shelf-lives
• Look and feel of major GDS services for lower cost

£0.05 to £1.00 a transaction

• Education pricing available
• Free trial available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  ODT

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 helpme@govforms.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 13

Service ID

174209578884559

Contact

Mark Preston
07828 047584
helpme@govforms.co.uk

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model:
  • Public cloud
  • Private cloud
  • Community cloud
  • Hybrid cloud
• Service constraints: Full cloud service - highly available but check website for; updates.
• System requirements:
  • Supports running in all GDS recommended devices and browsers
  • Access requires just a validated email address to get prototyping
  • Microsoft GitHub account is needed for the paid service

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: We aim for a maximum of 1 day turnaround for questions raised by customers, excluding weekends and bank-holidays except for high-severity incidents.
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: No
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: All Support pre and post purchase is provided via the Govforms Learning Centre an online knowledge base and ticketing system. ; ; Each onboarded user has access to instructional videos, a comprehensive documentation library and self-service community support from other Govforms designers. Additionally, we offer support via email and our ticketing system. ; ; A free online service is available to help users trial the service prior to purchasing. New customers will be offered a phone consultation with a Govforms expert to help them get started at no additional cost. If consultancy is required to assist customers further, we can offer expert help from a technical account manager (see SFIA rate card).; We provide a guaranteed fixed priced managed design service, assisting budgeting (see pricing document) . This is suitable for customers that want to co-design or outsource design and build of forms to Govforms' expert team.; We also provide a paid for structured support service: GOV forms digital service builder technical support where customers can choose their level of support intensity. We offer a low cost transactional model or a platform based approach cost laddered by the number of integrations to manage.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: The digital form building service is free to use for service prototyping and is feature rich. ; ; We need a validated email address for a user to get started and later a GitHub account if using our paid service.; ; Each onboarded user has access to the Govforms Learning Centre: instructional videos, a comprehensive documentation library and self-service community support from other Govforms designers. ; ; Additionally, we offer support over via our email and chat ticketing system.; ; On-site training or remotely delivered is available at additional cost.; ; Increasingly our users are finding the builder cloud software to be intuitive that accelerates adoption and user success.; ; We continue to listen to our users needs and invest in the pursuit of the perfect frictionless onboarding process and rapid adoption of users to increase their Government Department's productivity
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • ODF
  • PDF
  • Other
• Other documentation formats: Video
• End-of-contract data extraction: Users can export their form service configuration to JSON at any time.; ; Any submitted data held in Govforms secure cloud can be exported into CSV and attachments held.
• End-of-contract process: There are no termination costs. Once the service is cancelled, it can no longer be used by the customer to author or edit forms.; ; All form configuration and content created using the service is owned by the customer in perpetuity.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Internet Explorer 11
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
  • Opera
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: Digital form journeys built using Govforms are fully compatible with all modern GDS recommended mobile devices and browsers. These journeys are responsive and adaptive.; ; When using the form builder cloud software to create mobile friendly forms it is not possible for all form building features to be used well by designers. Although you are welcome to try. However, the tablet experience is designer acceptable.; ; We are continuously improving the builder interface for small screen consumption
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Description of service interface: The service provides all form building features to authorized users. ; ; The form journeys and builder cloud software are based on the GDS design system and are accessible.; ; The service runs in all GDS recommended devices and browsers
• Accessibility standards: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Accessibility testing: Digital forms built using the service have been submitted to the Digital Accessibility Centre (http://digitalaccessibilitycentre.org/) and have been assessed internally within two large central government departments.; ; We take accessibility very seriously, are WCAG 2.1 AA compliant in the Builder, Prototype and Runtime services and will prioritise fixing any reported accessibility issues.; ; The form builder software itself used to create accessible digital forms has also been tested for users of assistive technology.; ; Proof of accessibility audit reports available upon request.
• API: No
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: The customer's organisation or departmental branding can be applied to their forms. If API integration is required by the forms then this can be customised through templates. We also offer a variety of authentication choices and can customise if there is a preferred third-party provider we have not integrated with before,

Scaling

• Independence of resources: We monitor response times of the service and can scale our cloud infrastructure horizontally when necessary

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: Availability; user breakdown; form volumes
• Reporting types: Reports on request

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Conforms to BS7858:2019
• Government security clearance: Up to Security Clearance (SC)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations: United Kingdom
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 3.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: In-house
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
  • Encryption of all physical media
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type: Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
• Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: Users can export their form service configuration to JSON at any time.; ; Any submitted data held in Govforms secure cloud can be exported into CSV and attachments held
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • ODF
  • Other
• Other data export formats:
  • JSON
  • CSV for data stored
• Data import formats: Other
• Other data import formats: JSON

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)

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: We aim for 99.9% availability of our service. Users are charged on a monthly basis. If users are not happy with the availability of our service they are free to cancel at any time with no termination fees.
• Approach to resilience: Available on request
• Outage reporting: Via our public website govforms.io.; ; Severe outages will be reported via email alerts to all our customers.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Users must login to the form building service using their federated GitHub credentials and optionally 2FA.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)

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: At least 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

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: No
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications:
  • Cyber Essentials
  • IASME Governance Audited

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: Other
• Other security governance standards: Cyber Essentials
• Information security policies and processes: We aim to follow the standards laid down by the ISO27001 framework

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: We use cloud issue tracking software internally to track changes from inception to deployment. We store our code and configuration in git and tag test and live releases. We use continuous integration and build automation tooling to ensure our software is continuously versioned. We run automated security tests as part of our build/deployment pipeline. Our infrastructure provider provides ongoing security monitoring across our test and live environments.
• Vulnerability management type: Undisclosed
• Vulnerability management approach: We take a continuous monitoring approach using security monitoring tooling and a Security Vulnerability Assessment Service provided by our IaaS/PaaS provider. We use PaaS instances that are patched automatically by our IaaS/PaaS provider and where we are dependant on IaaS, we use an automated patch management service provided by our IaaS/PaaS provider. We subscribe to security bulletins provided by our Iaas/PaaS provider in order to keep abreast of any urgent general threats.
• Protective monitoring type: Undisclosed
• Protective monitoring approach: We take a continuous monitoring approach. We use a Continuous Security Monitoring & Threat Detection service offered by our IaaS/PaaS provider to detect compromises. This provides us with an indication of severity. If the incident is considered to possibly be the result of a recent deployment, we deploy the previous version of our service immediately. We then investigate the details of the compromise/incident and trace it to the code or configuration at fault, and seek to deploy a fix to our test environment as soon as possible.
• Incident management type: Undisclosed
• Incident management approach: Our user ticketing system is linked to our internal work management system. All incidents are raised as such in our work management system. They are then worked through our code/configure - test - deploy pipelines and processes. We document the description, background and resolution to incidents in our internal knowledge base which can then be checked if/when new incidents occur. If an incident results in the loss of or risk to user data, we will notify the affected users immediately and communicate any mitigating actions they should take as soon as possible.

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

Social Value

• Fighting climate change:

  Fighting climate change

  Govforms is helping fight climate change and is focused on removing CO2 emissions to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.; Govforms baseline total since 23rd May 2018 to 31st May 2022 is 1918 tCO2e across all Scopes.; Govforms predicts carbon emissions will decrease over the next five years to 1438 tCO2e; a reduction of 25%.; The areas Govforms is actively working on are customer facing digital services it builds, the process of digital form building in the Govforms supply chain eco-systems and where people physically travel. ; Data centres are the biggest driver of carbon generation in our digital and software cloud software and services. Govforms has tied in with the major cloud providers, AWS, Microsoft and Google carbon reducing data centre strategies and is in the process of creating a carbon consumption calculator for customer visibility.; The second biggest generation of energy is the uploading and processing of attachments by users in digital journeys to comply with customers' policy needs. Govforms seeks to minimise the need for such artefacts by good service digital design and trying to influence policy simplification with customers' . Where artefacts are used then Govforms works to dynamically calculate the likely carbon generated to derive what offset is needed for customer funding requests. ; The third area is in the Govforms building process, supply chain and eco-system and people physical movement. Govforms is actively modelling its supply process to uncover the carbon effects of video calls, chat, collaboration software, testing cloud software, emailing and physical travel to reduce carbon generation and encourage its eco-system to carry through as well.; Govforms is seeking to partner with a VSCE or similar to improve its modelling and benchmarking of digital hungry items and carbon off set cost enablement for clients for inclusion in project work funding.
• Covid-19 recovery:

  Covid-19 recovery

  Govforms is rising to the challenge of Covid-19 recovery by creating employment, re-training and other return to work opportunities in the high growth sectors of digital transformation and software. for those left unemployed or underemployed.; Govforms has found that many part-times jobs have evaporated in the economy; which has disproportionally hit women economically in UK society. Equally, the number of economically inactive people rose in the UK population as a result of fearing to go to work for health infection reasons and/or needing to continue to shield. This group found that age and experience worked against them as they attempted to pivot new work and are are largely under utilised economically as result. Govforms believes these groups would work by choice if the right way of working could be offered to them that was skilled and rewarding. Govforms sees an opportunity to connect the designing and building of forms in its Cloud software for Government contracts with these cohorts working remotely to fit their economic and lifestyle agendas. We have found it is less important at what time of day a form is designed and built as long as it is by a certain date. ; ; Long Covid is blighting the lives of many UK citizens, some 1.7m, and we believe that people can have bursts of productivity with the condition and other times work becomes too difficult. Govforms believes it might be possible to break work packages up and buddy people together to try and even out such unpredictable swings in productivity.; ; And so outcome driven work employment contracts become a tantalising possibility that we are pursuing.
• Tackling economic inequality:

  Tackling economic inequality

  Govforms through its innovative cloud software is creating new opportunities for growth in the long tail of Government niche services that struggle to justify investment in traditional large digital teams. By being able to deliver a cost effective approach helps the users of business services: entrepreneurs, new start-ups and small businesses benefiting from the streamlining of Government services that Govforms enables. Helping drive economic and business growth,; ; As a result new employment opportunities are created to fulfil Govforms contracts. Govforms is choosing to target those who face barriers to employment and/or who are located in deprived areas the chance of work.; ; Govforms operates in a high growth digital and software sectors that are known for skill shortages. We responded to this challenge by creating Govforms Academy to support educational attainment relevant to the contracts, including training schemes that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications of Govforms cloud software products for such people,; ; Govforms continually seeks a diverse supply chain in its eco-system to deliver contracts drawn from new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutuals. ; Govforms supports innovation and disruptive technologies throughout the supply chain to deliver lower cost and/or higher quality goods and services specifically in lowering the cost of meeting accessibility standards. Govforms continues to invest in developing scalable and future-proofed new methods to modernise delivery and increase productivity. In particular it is working upon making each aspect of accessibility auditing faster and more visible to Government service owners.; Govforms takes a collaborative approach to supply chain partner in co-designing accessibility audit visibility outcomes in a fair and responsible approach in delivery of contracts.; Govforms utilises robust processes to identify and manage cyber security risks in the delivery of contracts throughout the supply chain eco-system.
• Equal opportunity:

  Equal opportunity

  Govforms is helping reduce the disability employment gap by increasing the representation of disabled people in its workforce and supply chain eco-system.; ; Govforms recognises that not all disabilities are visible and segments its approach to be as inclusive as possible in 6 user groups that GDS identifies in digital accessibility. Namely, impaired vision, motor difficulties, cognitive impairments or learning disabilities, deafness or impaired hearing. 1 in 5 people in the UK have a long term illness, impairment or disability. Many more have a temporary disability.; ; Govforms will become a recognised disability confident employer and is cultivating relationships with VCSEs, public sector mutuals and government departments, like the Job Centre, that can refer disabled people directly for work. Opportunistically, the very groups the GDS digital accessibility standards depends upon meeting will help build the digital forms in Govforms Government projects.; ; Govforms supports disabled people in developing new skills relevant to client work through our Govforms Academy. The Govforms Academy is a capability for delivering online training schemes that result in recognised qualifications for Govforms cloud software products. Helping equip all people equally for better financial and job satisfaction success. Govforms Academy encourages diversity in gender, race, religion, sexuality and disability. And makes any reasonable adjustments necessary for people to attain Govforms qualifications.; ; Govforms Academy helps standardise pay by linking it to proven competencies reached in certification and accomplishments delivered for clients,; Govforms incentivises in-work progression to help people, including those from disadvantaged or minority groups, to move into higher paid work by developing new skills and using them in client work.; Having a direct relationship with each of its users. Govforms identifies and manages the risks of modern slavery in underpayment or visa exploitation in its workforce or supply chain eco-system. We derisk by vetting and paying people directly and consistently.
• Wellbeing:

  Wellbeing

  We support the mental and physical health and well being of people employed by us and in the Govforms supply chain and eco-system in a variety of ways to inspire and motivate people to stay healthy.; While people are mobilised we organise internal social calls several times per week and monthly optional physical meetups, social video calls twice per week and physical local social meet-ups once or twice per month within our working group. Attendance is optional but encouraged. We reach out to colleagues that we have not had contact with for 2 weeks or more to check on their needs and wellbeing. Where issues are reported or identified our process includes 1-1 calls or office meet-ups as required.; ; In terms of monitoring, the directors meet twice-monthly and have a running agenda item to review workspace conditions and remote working tools, processes and policy. We reach out to people in sprint retrospectives, via social calls and meet-ups to identify issues that are fed into continuous improvement of of tools, processes and policies. We are supporting 100% remote working with the social aspects going forwards and give people the choice to work from shared work spaces that we finance.; ; We encourage people within the team to buddy up in working as possible as it is better to work in smaller groups to create a sense of belonging and purpose.; ; We are always trying to find ways of making the social calls fun by thinking up ways of participation like light hearted quizzes and game playing to relieve the intensity and isolation that remote working can also generate.; ; It is on our roadmap to find ways we can increase partnering with VSCEs specialising in mental counselling so our people can reach out confidentially to talk to someone about anything on their minds.

Pricing

• Price: £0.05 to £1.00 a transaction
• Discount for educational organisations: Yes
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: Prototype Edition is entirely free and allows access to all digital form service design features. It does not allow live deployment of services or integration.
• Link to free trial: https://www.govforms.co.uk/sign-up

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  ODT

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 helpme@govforms.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.