FIRSTLINK I.T. LIMITED
Consultancy
Firstlink IT provides independent cloud support consultancy to help public sector organisations plan, design, assure and deliver cloud-based services.
Features
- Independent, vendor-neutral cloud consultancy
- Hybrid and multi-cloud expertise
- Strategic advisory and hands-on delivery capability
- Experience working within public sector governance
- Flexible engagement models
Benefits
- Enables informed decision-making aligned to organisational objectives
- Reduces delivery risk through clear architecture and governance
- Supports compliant adoption of cloud technologies
- Improves service reliability, scalability and operational readiness
- Provides access to senior-level expertise
Pricing
- Education pricing available
Service documents
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Framework
G-Cloud 15
Service ID
1 9 4 8 4 1 6 4 1 5 8 6 5 5 0
Contact
FIRSTLINK I.T. LIMITED
Raj Bhupal
Telephone: 07776250070
Email: rajinder.bhupal@firstlinkit.co.uk
About your service
- Service categories
-
Cloud Support Services
Quality Assurance and Performance Testing
- Assurance/testing design
- Infrastructure performance testing
Test automation
- Development
- Implementation
Performance testing
- Load Testing
- Stress Testing
- Volume Testing
- Soak Testing
- Scalability Testing
- Capacity Planning
Operational readiness testing
- Accessibility testing
Service scope
- Service constraints
-
Consultancy services are delivered on a time-and-materials or fixed-scope basis, as agreed with the client
Delivery is primarily remote, with on-site support available by agreement
Does not include the resale of cloud platforms or licences
Security requirements and access levels must be agreed prior to commencement
User support
- Email or online ticketing support
- Yes, at extra cost
- Support response times
- Email support is available during UK business hours for all consultancy engagements.
- User can manage status and priority of support tickets
- No
- Phone support
- Yes
- Phone support availability
- 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
- Web chat support
- No
- Support levels
-
Support arrangements are agreed at the start of each engagement and proportionate to the scope of work. This typically includes:
Named consultant or engagement lead
Agreed response times during business hours
Escalation routes for critical issues
Resellers
- Supplier type
- Not a reseller
Staff security
- Staff security clearance
- Conforms to BS7858:2019
- Government security clearance
- Developed Vetting (DV)
Pricing
- Discount for educational organisations
- Yes
Architecture roles
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Trainee business architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Associate business architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Business architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Lead business architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Data architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Senior data architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Chief data architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Senior enterprise architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Lead enterprise architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Principal enterprise architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Associate network architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Network architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Lead network architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Security architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Lead security architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Principal security architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Associate solution architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Solution architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Senior solution architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Lead solution architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Principal solution architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Associate technical architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Technical architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Senior technical architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Lead technical architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Principal technical architect | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
Chief digital and data roles
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Chief data officer | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Chief information security officer | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Chief technology officer | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
Cyber security roles
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Lead cyber security audit and assurance | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Principal cyber security audit and assurance | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Associate cyber security governance and risk manager | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Lead cyber security governance and risk manager | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Principal cyber security governance and risk manager | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Associate cyber security monitoring | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Lead cyber security monitoring | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Principal cyber security monitoring | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Associate cyber security secure systems architecture and design | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Lead cyber security secure systems architecture and design | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Principal cyber security secure systems architecture and design | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
Product and delivery roles
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Trainee business analyst | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Junior business analyst | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Business analyst | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Senior business analyst | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Lead business analyst | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Head of business analysis | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Associate delivery manager | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Delivery manager | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Senior delivery manager | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Head of (Agile) delivery management | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Digital portfolio analyst | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Digital portfolio manager | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Senior digital portfolio manager | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Head of portfolio | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Associate product manager | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Product manager | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Senior product manager | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Lead product manager | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Head of product | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Programme delivery manager | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Service owner | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
Quality assurance testing (QAT) roles
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Tester (QAT) | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| QAT analyst | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Senior QAT analyst | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Lead QAT analyst | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Tester (test engineer) | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Test engineer | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Senior test engineer | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Lead test engineer | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Test manager | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
| Head of test | £1,200.00 | £1,200.00 |
Non-mandatory Standards and certifications
- ISO/IEC 27001 certification
- No
- ISO 28000:2022 certification
- No
- ISO 9001 certification
- No
- Quality management systems (QMS)
- Yes
- 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
- ISC2
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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
-
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
- Activities that demonstrate a collaborative way to work with a diverse range of businesses as part of the supply chain
- Understanding of local demographics, needs and opportunities for the co-design of the goods, services and works to be delivered under the contract
- Measures to involve local stakeholders and/or users in design (e.g. in the design of services, systems, products or buildings)
-
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
- 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
- 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)
- 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
- Introducing transparency to pay and reward processes
- Working conditions which promote an inclusive working environment and promote retention and progression
- 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
-
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 issues relating to entering the contract workforce
-
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
-
Service documents
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 rajinder.bhupal@firstlinkit.co.uk.
Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.