NQUIRINGMINDS LIMITED

Volt4 Agent Platform

Volt4 Agent Platform delivers decentralized infrastructure software for secure data storage and real-time synchronization. Built on Volt Core, it enables peer-to-peer file sharing and local syncing without intermediate servers. End-to-end encryption, fine-grained access policies, and host-agnostic deployment, ensuring data sovereignty and zero-trust security across cloud and edge environments

Features

• Distributed Orchestration: Securely manages AI agents and messaging across environments
• Security Provenance: Preserves attribute provenance using TAIBOM and immutable logs.
• Resilient Synchronization: Enables offline operation via distributed synchronization agents
• Zero-Trust Security: Continuous assurance for all agent interactions and identities
• Host Agnostic: Deploys on cloud, edge, or private infrastructure seamlessly

Benefits

• Operational Resilience: Ensures continuity during network failures or offline periods.
• Enhanced Trust: Verifiable provenance builds confidence in AI decision-making,.
• Infinite Scalability: Peer-to-peer design supports unlimited agents and workloads,.
• Data Sovereignty: Clients retain absolute control over data and models.
• Cost Efficiency: Distributes processing to edge devices, reducing cloud costs,.

• 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 info@nqminds.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 15

Service ID

254093163527870

Contact

Nicholas Allott
07714145711
info@nqminds.com

About your service

• Service categories:

  Application Development and Deployment

  Application platforms

  • Model driven application platforms
  • Robotic process automation
• Multi cloud support: Yes

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: Yes, but can also be used as a standalone service
• What software services is the service an extension to: Volt4 AI Infrastructure
• Cloud deployment model:
  • Public cloud
  • Private cloud
• Service constraints: No
• System requirements: Linux based OS for platform install

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes
• Support response times: 2 hours - Mon-Fri 8-6 5 hours all other times
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: WCAG 2.2 A
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: Yes, at an extra cost
• Web chat support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 A
• Web chat accessibility testing: User testing
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Basic support provided in the original package Enhanced support (on site/one to one tutorials etc) provided at £100/hour
• Support available to third parties: Yes
• AI chatbot: No

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: System is fully documented with examples, videos and walk through. Training can be provided either online of physically.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Data can be downloaded from the system at any time. By default CSV and JSON formats are supported, New formats can be provided on request. In addition to built in export functions, the APIs provides the ability to create customised export and synchronisation functions
• End-of-contract process: Customer is reminded at 3 month and 1 month before contract termination. If customer does not want to renew they are advised to take the necessary data exports. API is provide and support can be requested for customer specific data extraction. At 2 week before contract termination, we provide a shut down check list to customer for approval. On contract termination, we initiate the service shutdown, which includes data removal, data deletion and full wipe of dependent hardware.
• Documentation accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 A

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
  • Other
• Application to install: Yes
• Compatible operating systems:
  • Android
  • IOS
  • Linux or Unix
  • MacOS
  • Windows
  • ChromeOS
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: Nick
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.2 A
• Description of service interface: Yes
• Accessibility standards: WCAG 2.2 A
• Accessibility testing: Nick
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: We provide a full API that provides secure, permission access to everty aspect of the platform function. Multiple APIs exist : Open API, native language APIs (JavaScript, C, Python etc), streaming and GRPC APIs
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • Open API (also known as Swagger)
  • HTML
  • PDF
• API sandbox or test environment: Yes
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: Nick

Scaling

• Independence of resources: Each user has dedicated machine

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: CPU, Disk, HTTP request and response status, Memory, Network, Number of active instances, Data Access, Analytical processes, Security Events, User behaviours, Additional can be added easily
• Reporting types:
  • API access
  • 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: 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 4.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: Another external penetration testing organisation
• Protecting data at rest: Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v4.0
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001
• Data sanitisation type: Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation / Secure Erase

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: Data can be downloaded from the system at any time. By default CSV and JSON formats are supported, New formats can be provided on request. In addition to built in export functions, the APIs provides the ability to create customised export and synchronisation functions
• Data export formats: CSV
• Data import formats: CSV

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 to provide 99.9% availability across our application portfolio and historically have achieved this figure. If we fail to meet this objective within any calendar month the customer can apply for a commensurate refund.
• Approach to resilience: Underlying physical availability is provided with appropriately configured commercial cloud based provider (typically Azure or AWS). At a software level we can provide clustering, replication and round robin allocation of resource requests. Precise resilience requirements can be negotiated with the end customer. Full details in request.
• Outage reporting: We provide all of - data dashboard - API - email alerts System availability is measured both through the end application availability and health checks on all dependent underlying processes.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • 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: Every user is authenticated by known and trusted authentication provider and is provided with an appropriate authorisation level. This authorisation level determine what service they have access to. This authorisation fine grained allowing access to micro service definitions. The authorisation levels can be grouped to common authorisation roles. Any user requesting support/management out of band (e.g. phone) will have to provide appropriate authentication credentials to access service
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • 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 have access to real-time audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• How long system logs are stored for: Between 6 months and 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: We are Cyber Essentials Plus certified and are seeking to secure ISO/IEC 27001. We are putting in place the necessary governance to achieve this standard.
• Information security policies and processes: Reporting flow - internal /external report - Chief Security Officer - Chief Executive Officer We are currently Cyber Essentials Plus certified and initiating ISO 27001 certification. We have in place the following policies - Vulnerability disclosure - Data breach - Business continuity - Data retention - Incident handing - Device on boarding/life cycle - Employee on boarding/life cycle - Firewall and systems access - Secure development
• Software Security Code of Practice: Yes

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: All changes to configuration/change management are singed off by two appropriately qualified personnel. All changes and processes are required monthly by our chief security officer. Vulnerability checks are run against our underlying software components continuously using online tools Full security policy documents can be provided on request.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: Our vulnerability threat analysis comes from four primary dimensions - underlying compute platform - dependent software components - employee - external software attack Systems exist for real time behavioural analysis for the underlying platform and employee behaviour, with appropriate alerting and escalation. Continuous threat analysis is performed on underlying software components. We monitor the relevant CERTS for vulnerability reports additionally Full security policy documents can be provided on request.
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: The platform supports an integrated system log that aggregate relevant logs across component behaviour, network behaviour and user behaviour. Alerting system is defined that includes both explicit rule based alerts and statistical/ML backed anomaly detection. Alerts are evaluated by the internal security team escalating to our CSO as required Full security policy documents can be provided on request.
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: Incident can be reported internally, externally or by paying users. Incidents can be reported by email, phone or web interface. Standard forms and triaging processes exist to streamlining reporting and level one handling. Incident reports can be exacted in multiple formats using built in tools Full security policy documents can be provided on request.
• 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: Free access to the TDX can be provided to prospective clients for a 4 week trial. A 4 week fully supported trial is also available for £10k This will include access to all features of the TDX and all APIs TDX application are negotiated separately.
• Link to free trial: Demos can be found on https://nquiringminds.com

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

• Less than £250,000: 10%
• Between £250,000 and £500,000: 10%
• Between £500,001 and £1,000,000: 15%
• Between £1,000,001 and £2,500,000: 15%
• Between £2,500,001 and £5,000,000: 20%
• Over £5,000,001: 20%

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: Yes
• Please provide your Cyber Essentials Certificate Number: 9a8672bc-9e02-41dd-96a5-f9e0b40b39b7
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Please provide your Cyber Essentials Plus Certificate Number: 6b45b40c-4474-41c7-b593-3cadc37880a1
• Other security certifications: No

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
    • New apprenticeships on the contract workforce in the relevant area that meet the criteria set out in MAC 1b
    • 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 info@nqminds.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.