SOFTCAT PLC

Salesforce Lightning Agentforce Sales (formerly Lightning Sales Cloud)

Supporting government’s drive for intelligent revenue generation and comprehensive stakeholder management, Salesforce’s citizen 360 allows tracking of relationships, activities and tasks and easy process automation. From stakeholder to grant and opportunity management, empower your teams to collaborate and succeed, boosting productivity with trusted AI, whilst comprehensive reporting provides transparency.

Features

• Comprehensive CRM offering from the worlds no1 SaaS company
• Trusted Agentforce AI agents grounded in your CRM data
• Activity, task, call and email management tracking all interactions
• Lead generation, opportunities, territories, forecasting, contract, product and campaign management
• Social Collaboration, omni-channel engagement, Mobile, Knowledge base, Analytics, Agentic AI
• Powerful, flexible reporting and dashboards for real-time operational insights
• No-code & Low-code declarative configuration, Open API integration, Training included.
• Point and Click development, tailoring to your specific processes
• Easily extendable using the Salesforce AppExchange

Benefits

• Close deals faster with guided selling and AI-powered deal insights
• Provide mobility to stakeholder relationship owners across the organisation
• Save time by assigning and tracking tasks within the application
• Better visibility 360 degree view of contacts through all channels
• Increased adoption from easy-to-use UI
• Integrate with back office using free, open APIs
• Scale easily with automated sales processes and workflows
• AI Agents automate tasks, enhance productivity, personalize interactions, increase revenue
• Predict future sales with visibility into pipeline and forecasts
• Enable GDPR, WCAG Accessibility and CE+ compliance

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

Framework

G-Cloud 15

Service ID

409305657551145

Contact

Public Sector Tenders
01628 403403
psitq@softcat.com

About your service

• Service categories:

  Applications

  Customer relationship management

  • Marketing campaign management
  • Digital commerce
  • Sales force productivity and management
  • Customer service

  Advertising

  • Advertising Placement
  • Advertising Measurement
• 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: Extend with powerful add-ons: Agentforce AI for predictive insights and autonomous agents; Agentforce Service for case management and full 360 degree information view; Agentforce Marketing for engagements and customer journeys, Tableau analytics and public sector industry solutions. Explore at https://appexchange.salesforce.com/ and https://www.salesforce.com/uk/products/
• Cloud deployment model: Public cloud
• Service constraints: Salesforce is a multi-tenant platform, providing enhanced efficiency, scalability and faster innovation - with a single, unified platform, new features are deployed to all customers at once, which allows them to leverage the latest innovations more quickly. Resource sharing is managed through allocations based on the Edition purchased alongside governor limits to prevent monopolisation by any single organisation. Allocations and contractual usage limits by Edition are described here https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.overview_limits_general.htm&type=5.
• System requirements:
  • A standard browser, either desktop or mobile
  • Connection to the internet
  • Salesforce mobile app is available if preferred to a browser

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes
• Support response times: Every Salesforce service includes support as standard. The lowest level relies on the Salesforce user community for responses and has a response time of 2 business days, this can be reduced to 15 minutes with the appropriate upgrade in your support plan. ; https://www.salesforce.com/en-us/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/documents/datasheets/premier-success-plans-datasheet.pdf
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support: Yes
• Web chat support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Web chat accessibility testing: Our webchat products have been assessed against WCAG 2.2 standards. Details of this compliance are described in our Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) statements (available at: https://www.salesforce.com/company/legal/508_accessibility/). While formal usability studies with assistive technology have not been conducted, the services have been robustly assessed against WCAG 2.2. Furthermore, existing customers have successfully conducted testing and are utilising the Salesforce Webchat capability in live services.
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Every Salesforce service includes community-based support. This can be enhanced with guaranteed response times through Premier Success. For more critical applications we provide Signature Success which provides Salesforce staff with a knowledge of a specific customers applications and configurations and an initial response from your designated support team in as little as 15 minutes, with personalised updates every 30 minutes.
• Support available to third parties: Yes
• AI chatbot: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: Salesforce provides an amazing immersive self-learning environment available called “Trailhead” for anyone who would like to have an engaging and interactive way of learning about salesforce. It is an online and free to use learning environment available here: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/; ; In addition, Salesforce's Customers for Life is designed to help customers be successful and get up and running quickly. A dedicated group is available for new customers to engage by asking questions, giving feedback, and sharing experiences. this also includes 'Getting Started Webinars', 'Getting started resources', 'Salesforce Tech-lounge for new customers' and 'getting started live Q&A' further detail available at https://www.salesforce.com/success-gettingstarted/
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
  • Other
• Other documentation formats:
  • Salesforce also provides free online courses, referred to as 'Trails'
  • A dedicated website called 'Trailhead' gives access to these 'Trails'
  • Each designed with a specific purpose and skill in mind.
  • Further information on Trailhead can be found here https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/trails
• End-of-contract data extraction: There are a number of options available for customers to extract their data from the service, either during the contract or when the contract ends. We encourage customers to export their data during their contract on a periodic basis to maintain a local copy of their salesforce database, rather than wait until the end of the contract These options include: The Weekly Export Service – export data from the service on a periodic basis via a zip file containing .csv files over a TLS link. Export data over the API via an integration or middleware solution. A comprehensive Salesforce exit strategy paper is available on request.
• End-of-contract process: After termination of all subscriptions associated with an environment, Customer Data submitted to the Covered Services is retained in inactive status within the Covered Services for 120 days, after which it is securely overwritten or deleted from production within 90 days, and from backups within 180 days.; Physical media on which Customer Data is stored during the contract term is not removed from the data centers that Salesforce uses to host Customer Data unless the media is at the end of its useful life or being deprovisioned, in which case the media is first sanitized before removal. This process is subject to applicable legal requirements.; ; Within 30 days post contract termination, customers may request return of their respective Customer Data submitted to the Covered Services. Salesforce shall provide such Customer Data via downloadable files in comma separated value (.csv) format and attachments in their native format.; ; For more information on Data Deletion period upon contract termination, Please refer "Deletion of Customer Data" section of the Security, Privacy and Architecture Documentation for the respective services available on the Trust and Compliance site: https://trust.salesforce.com/en/trust-and-compliance-documentation/
• Documentation accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AA

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: The capability of Salesforce via a browser and on a mobile device, via either a browser or the native Salesforce1 App is broadly similar. However, there are some subtle differences as described here: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.limits_mobile_sf1_parent.htm&type=5 Note that the salesforce browser UI can also be accessed on many mobile devices.
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Description of service interface: The interface is a modern and intuitive design, with help functions throughout. The interface can be configured as required; ; In the platform, it is easy to modify applications to unique requirements. Use the metadata framework and point-and-click tools, custom user interfaces, modify data models, create and edit application business logic and processes. Configuration to modify objects, fields, validation rules, workflow, security settings, formulas, and more without code.; ; Some functionality is beyond the constraints of a metadata framework. For such cases, developers can create needed functionality in open-ended development environments, using toolkits for most of the common programming languages, or Apex.
• Accessibility standards: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Accessibility testing: The accessibility standards for our core services are governed by the WCAG 2.2 Level AA guidelines. We utilise the accessibility standards set forth by Salesforce, which follows international best practices, including Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act, and actively strives to meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: Salesforce provides a rich set of APIs for programmatic interaction, data integration, and platform customisation, including:; REST API: Simple, powerful web service for accessing Salesforce data (CRUD) for web/mobile apps.; SOAP API: Robust, WSDL-based web service for enterprise integrations needing strong type-checking and complex transactions.; Bulk API 2.0: Optimized for asynchronously loading/deleting large datasets efficiently.; Metadata API: Manages and deploys configuration changes between Salesforce organizations.; Streaming API and Pub/Sub API: Enable real-time data synchronization via platform event subscriptions and data change notifications.; These APIs enable developers to extend, integrate, and build custom solutions on the Salesforce platform.; A Tooling API is specifically designed to help developers build IDE apps for salesforce, while the metadata API is for more general purpose configuration migration. The Tooling API gives developers a platform for debugging, code coverage, auto complete, and more. The metadata API allows for migrations, including retrieve, deploy, create, update, or delete customisations for your Salesforce instance and migrate changes from testing to production.
• 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: Point-and-click configuration: The Salesforce platform makes it easy to modify the functionality of Salesforce applications to meet your unique requirements. Working with the metadata framework and a series of simple point-and-click wizards, you can design custom user interfaces and modify the structure of the data model and the application’s business logic. Configuration enables organisations to modify objects, fields, validation rules, workflow, security settings, formulas, and much more without the need for code. Customise with code: Although point-and-click configuration with the Salesforce platform is the fastest and easiest way to customise, some functionality is beyond the constraints of a metadata framework. For such cases, developers can create needed functionality in open-ended development environments, using toolkits for most of the common programming languages, or Apex.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: Salesforce ensures users are not impacted by demands placed on the service by others through its multi-tenant architecture. This architecture allows multiple organisations (tenants) to share the same infrastructure and resources while maintaining strict data isolation and performance reliability. Each organisation’s data and processes are logically separated, ensuring activities of one do not affect the others. Salesforce employs robust system monitoring and resource management, including dynamic resource allocation, load balancing, and proactive system updates to ensure consistent performance across the platform, regardless of demand fluctuations. Performance and availability information for the entire service are available at https://trust.salesforce.com.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: Performance and availability information for the entire service are made available at https://trust.salesforce.com. ; Metrics to monitor your service usage and adoption, for example, last login, login duration, allocations utilised, etc. are available through the administrator setup console. You can extend this capability further using the Shield add-on Event Monitoring. For example, analyse metrics like which applications are being used, by whom, how are they being used, when, where from and are there performance issues? This data can be used to improve adoption, security and performance of the application.
• Reporting types:
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request
• Resource tagging: Yes
• FOCUS resource tagging: Yes

Resellers

• Supplier type: Reseller (no extras)
• Organisation whose services are being resold: Salesforce

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Developed Vetting (DV)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations:
  • United Kingdom
  • European Economic Area (EEA)
  • Other locations
• 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 every 6 months
• Penetration testing approach: ‘IT Health Check’ performed by a CHECK service provider
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v4.0
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
  • Encryption of all physical media
  • Scale, obfuscating techniques, or data storage sharding
  • Other
• Other data at rest protection approach: By default, Salesforce encrypts customer data at rest as disk volumes are encrypted by using at least industry-standard AES-256 algorithm. Snapshots of encrypted volumes are automatically encrypted as well when replicated to long term storage.; ; In addition, Platform Encryption allows customers to add additional layers of encryption to their data and manage the lifecycle of their data encryption keys themselves.; ; More specifically, Platform Encryption allows customers to selectively encrypt nominated fields for encryption when stored in the database. This is often referred to as field encryption. Customers can also encrypt their entire database; this is known as tenant level encryption.
• 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:
  • Deleted data can’t be directly accessed / Cryptographic Erasure
  • Data Erasure
  • Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation / Secure Erase
  • Physical Destruction / Hardware containing data is completely destroyed

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: Multiple options are available for ad hoc data export or regular backup:; Direct Export - into csv/Excel files from a list view or report. Commonly utilised by end users.; Salesforce Data Loader - a free tool for importing/updating/exporting data.; Salesforce API - export via APIs at any time.; Weekly Export Service - to csv files.; Backup & Restore - our native data recovery service: https://www.salesforce.com/products/platform/solutions/data-security/backup-restore-data-recovery/; Other Tools - pre-integrated tools like Mulesoft or Own from Salesforce or others
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data export formats:
  • XLS
  • PDF
  • Out Of The Box import via the open standard API
  • API export in open standards such as XML and OData
  • API also support bulk export and upload
  • Pre-integrated ETL tools such as Mulesoft etc.
• Data import formats:
  • CSV
  • ODF
  • Other
• Other data import formats:
  • Out Of The Box import via the open standard API
  • API imports in open standards such as XML and OData
  • API also support bulk export and upload
  • Salesforce Connect code-free integration via OData
  • Salesforce Data Loader or third party service Dataloader.io
  • Pre-integrated ETL tools such as Mulesoft , Informatica, etc.
  • Salesforce can also store content in any flat file format.

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • Other
• Other protection between networks: Customers connect to the service over the public Internet with all transmissions between the user and the Salesforce Services secured using TLS 1.2 or higher. The Services use International/Global Step Up SSL certificates with 2048-bit Public Keys. Web Service callouts can be secured using TLS, and mutual TLS. ; ; With the Private Connect service, customers can deploy API integrations between Salesforce and AWS that are privately routed and avoid public internet traffic.
• Data protection within supplier network: TLS (version 1.2 or above)

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: The Salesforce Services are designed with the concept of continuous improvement and Trust (e.g. Availability, Performance and Security) in the infrastructure. Salesforce uses commercially reasonable efforts to make its on-demand services available to its customers 24/7, except for (minimal) planned downtime, for which Salesforce gives customers prior notice, and force majeure events. This service leverages Public Cloud region, and uses multiple availability zones. This pattern allows services to withstand up to two different zonal faults and continue to be available. Live and historical statistics on Salesforce system performance are publicly published at: https://trust.salesforce.com/en/#systemStatus, and further detail can be shared upon request and NDA.
• Approach to resilience: Salesforce Hyperforce based cloud services has its compute resources run in 3 Availability Zone (AZ). Services run as containerized applications in containers which is configured for HA (high availability) by distributing nodes across AZs. To take advantage of this, service pods themselves are deployed across AZs when scheduled on nodes. Because of this when one AZ goes offline there will always be available service pods in different AZs to handle the workload. Service pods are also stateless so losing an AZ and nodes in that AZ along with the service pods running in them will cause no loss of data and new service pods will be scheduled on the available zones to handle the load.
• Outage reporting: Outage escalation policies are established and maintained as Salesforce's goal is to rapidly restore service. In the event of an extended outage, periodic updates are provided in near real time to customers via the trust.salesforce.com dashboard site and in addition, service notifications are provided to nominated contacts via various channels such as email. Update frequency for notifications is dependent on the customer support service plan.

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)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
  • Other
• Other user authentication: Salesforce has a comprehensive set of authentication mechanisms that customers can choose from. These include Multi-factor authentication, Single Sign-on, Custom Login flows, and Connected Apps. A connected app is a framework that enables an external application to integrate with Salesforce using APIs and standard protocols, such as SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect. Connected apps use these protocols to authenticate, authorise, and provide single sign-on (SSO) for external apps.; ; Salesforce requires each user to have a unique username that they enter at each login. Administrators can configure several settings to ensure that users' passwords are strong and secure.
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Management access for service support and delivery is done through multiple layers of controls including, but not limited to, multiple 2 factor authentication, just-in-time access, access related to an approved trouble ticket and segregation of duties. These controls are in scope for SSAE-18 auditing and evidenced through the SOC 2/ISAE3402 report.; ; Access to the management interface for the customer to configure their salesforce environment, is configured by the customer themselves. Robust application design and testing ensures that users without administrative access rights cannot access more sensitive areas of the application.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password

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: At least 12 months

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards:
  • CSA CSM version 4.0
  • ISO/IEC 27001
  • Other
• Other security governance standards: ISO 27017; ISO 27018; ISO 42001; ISO 9001; SOC 1,2, 3; PCI DSS; NCSC Cloud Security Principles; UK NHS DSPT; EU Cloud Code of Conduct
• Information security policies and processes: Salesforce's Information Security Management System (ISMS) and information security policies are based on the ISO 27002 framework of best practices and are ISO 27001 certified. ; ; As required by this certification, the ISMS is endorsed by Senior Management. The Chief Trust Officer/CISO has responsibility for the information security policies and ISMS. The Salesforce Security Steering Committee approves/authorizes all changes to the policies, the Statement of Applicability (SoA), the information security manual, and any separate policy statements. ; ; During the ISO 27001 audit process (as well as other audits such as SOX and SSAE 16 SOC 1), senior management for various departments are involved in verifying that policies and procedures are in place and adhered to. Policies are reviewed/approved at least annually.; ; Company wide security awareness training highlights the importance of the security policies to employees and reinforces the company’s number 1 value of Trust.
• Software Security Code of Practice: Yes

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Configuration and change management approach: Changes to infrastructure components are made through code using industry standard Infrastructure as Code (IaC) software and assessed for their security impact before being deployed. Individuals who wish to deploy an IaC change into production are required to follow defined procedures and standards, and to complete mandatory change management training before participating in the change management process. A change must be approved and routed through the change owner before the change can be implemented. A ticketing system is used as part of the change management procedure which records the components and the changes made.
• Vulnerability management type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Vulnerability management approach: Salesforce includes threat modelling into its software development lifecycle to help ensure the risks associated with potential threats are mitigated as early as possible. Multiple threat intelligence sources are used to help understand the current and evolving threat landscape. ; ; Vulnerability scans are performed on all Salesforce information systems and hosted applications. Patches are deployed in timeframes based on CVSS scores and risk level. ; ; All vulnerabilities discovered during penetration tests are entered into the salesforce central ticketing system and are assigned an internal vulnerability ranking according on the OWASP risk rating framework based on likelihood and impact.
• Protective monitoring type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: Salesforce Threat Intelligence and Detection team monitors the Salesforce services 24x7 for threats and unauthorized intrusions in collaboration with the Security Incident Response teams. Extensive logging and monitoring is conducted across all Salesforce Services and environments (at application, network and database layers). All suspicious activities are flagged and reported to Salesforce CSIRT for investigation, management, communication, and resolution of security events and incidents in line with the NIST Incident Response model.
• Incident management type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v4.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Incident management approach: Salesforce has an Incident Management Process that guides the Salesforce Computer Security Incident Response team in investigation, management and resolution activities which includes developing standard pre-defined procedures for dealing with common events. ; ; Salesforce will promptly notify the customer in the event of any security breach of the Service resulting in an actual or reasonably suspected unauthorized disclosure of Customer Data. Notification may include phone contact by Salesforce support, email to customer's administrator and Security Contact and public posting on trust.salesforce.com.; ; Customers can email security@salesforce.com or use the https://security.salesforce.com/contact page to report incidents.
• Post-quantum cryptography secure: No

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Independent review of processes (for example CESG CPA Build Standard, ISO/IEC 27034, ISO/IEC 27001 or CSA CCM v4.0)

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Pricing

• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: Yes; ; Complete version limited by time only
• Link to free trial: Please contact us for the current trial link

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

• Less than £250,000: 0%
• Between £250,000 and £500,000: 0%
• Between £500,001 and £1,000,000: 0%
• Between £1,000,001 and £2,500,000: 0%
• Between £2,500,001 and £5,000,000: 0%
• Over £5,000,001: 0%

Non-mandatory Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: NQA
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: Monday 8 April 2024
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: N/A
• ISO 28000:2022 certification: No
• ISO 9001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO 9001 certification: NQA
• ISO 9001 accreditation date: Monday 8 April 2024
• What the ISO 9001 doesn’t cover: N/A
• Quality management systems (QMS): Yes
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: Yes
• Who accredited the PCI DSS certification: SecurityMetrics
• PCI DSS accreditation date: Friday 10 January 2025
• What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover: N/A
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Please provide your Cyber Essentials Certificate Number: E9fd5f85-7cd1-4ff2-aba9-6f9f5f225b1b
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Please provide your Cyber Essentials Plus Certificate Number: 181966c9-f0aa-42ed-9271-d1b111bdf43b
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications: Security Standards dependant on the vendor solution

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 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
    • 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
    • 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
    • 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)
    • Ensuring accessibility to contracting and subcontracting opportunities for disabled business owners and employees
    • 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

  • 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)
    • 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
    • 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

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