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SOFTCAT PLC

Microsoft Azure Data Factory

Azure Data Factory provides cloud-based data integration service. It enables creating data-driven workflows for data movement and transformation. The service supports hybrid data scenarios.

Features

  • Enables authentication integration with Microsoft Entra ID and social providers

Benefits

  • Offers built-in load balancing and traffic management across multiple instances

Pricing

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 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

4 9 9 3 3 5 1 8 7 4 2 2 2 4 8

Contact

SOFTCAT PLC Public Sector Tenders
Telephone: 01628 403403
Email: psitq@softcat.com

About your service

Service categories

PaaS

Data Management

  • Databases
  • Data integration and intelligence

Service scope

Service constraints
Azure subscription limits and quotas - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/azure-subscription-service-limits
System requirements
  • Service selection dictates system requirements;
  • Consult online pages for details.
Cloud deployment model
  • Public cloud
  • Private cloud

User support

Email or online ticketing support
Yes
Support response times
The Initial Response Time varies with both the support plan and the Business Impact of the request (also known as Severity). For a breakdown of initial response times by several level and business impact, please visit https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/support/plans/response/
Weekend support availability varies depending on your Azure support plan. For more information, please visit https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/support/plans/
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
We test all our services and support functions extensively with our customers and partner before release
Onsite support
Yes, at extra cost
Support levels
Microsoft provides four (4) Azure support plan options, which includes various levels of technical account management and cloud support engineering. The support options and cost include the following:
- BASIC (included for all Azure customers)
- DEVELOPER
- STANDARD
- PROFESSIONAL DIRECT
- UNIFIED SUPPORT
For more information, vist https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/support/plans/ and https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/unifiedsupport/overview
Support available to third parties
Yes
AI chatbot
Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

Getting started
Azure users can start by creating an account at azure.microsoft.com and signing into the Azure Portal. New users get $200 credit for 30 days, plus 12 months of free popular services and 55+ always‑free services like Azure Functions and Storage. Starting is free, and users are only charged if they choose to move to pay‑as‑you‑go or exceed free usage limits
Service documentation
Yes
Documentation formats
  • HTML
  • Other
Other documentation formats
  • Markdown (source files in GitHub)
  • JSON (schemas, ARM templates, REST metadata)
  • YAML (Bicep specs, some configuration references)
  • Code‑comment formats used to generate API docs (XML, JSDoc, JavaDoc)
  • Python docstrings
End-of-contract data extraction
Users can extract their data from Azure at the end of a contract by downloading it directly from Azure services such as Storage, SQL, or virtual machines using built‑in export tools, APIs, or Azure Storage Explorer. Logs and configurations can be exported from Azure Monitor or Log Analytics, and automated workflows can move large datasets to external locations before shutdown. After contract end, Azure provides a short grace period for data retrieval before resources are disabled and eventually deleted, ensuring users have time to securely back up or migrate all required data.
End-of-contract process
When an Azure contract or subscription ends, Microsoft places the environment into a limited‑function state. Customers retain access to extract their data for approximately 90 days before deletion begins. Microsoft then disables the subscription and permanently deletes customer data no later than 180 days after expiration in accordance with the Online Services Terms and data‑handling policies
Documentation accessibility standard
WCAG 2.2 AA

Using the service

Web browser interface
Yes
Using the web interface
The Azure Portal lets users create, configure, and manage cloud resources such as virtual machines, storage accounts, networks, databases, and identity settings. It supports monitoring, cost management, policy enforcement, automation, and role-based access control. Users can customize dashboards, deploy templates, and integrate services visually. However, the portal cannot perform advanced scripting or complex bulk automation—that requires tools like Azure CLI, PowerShell, or ARM/Bicep. Users also cannot directly modify underlying infrastructure, access physical hardware, bypass security controls, or perform tasks outside their assigned permissions. The portal focuses on secure, role‑based, GUI‑driven cloud management.
Web interface accessibility standard
WCAG 2.2 AA
Web interface accessibility testing
We test all our services and support functions extensively with our customers and partner before release
API
Yes
What users can and can't do using the API
Azure Resource Manager (ARM) API and Azure PowerShell let users create, modify, delete, and query Azure resources programmatically, just like the Azure Portal. They support automation, RBAC management, policy deployment, templates, and tagging. However, they cannot manipulate the Azure Portal UI, access portal-only preview features, or perform actions outside ARM’s control plane (e.g., interacting with VM guest OS, reading portal dashboards, or executing workloads). Both tools manage Azure resources—not the portal experience itself.
API automation tools
  • Ansible
  • Chef
  • OpenStack
  • SaltStack
  • Terraform
  • Puppet
  • Other
Other API automation tools
  • Azure Automation
  • Azure PowerShell
  • Azure CLI
  • Azure Logic Apps
  • Azure DevOps
  • Azure Functions
  • ARM Templates / Bicep
  • Pulumi
  • Jenkins
  • Apache Airflow
API documentation
Yes
API documentation formats
  • Open API (also known as Swagger)
  • HTML
  • Other
Command line interface
Yes
Command line interface compatibility
  • Linux or Unix
  • Windows
  • MacOS
Using the command line interface
Azure CLI lets users create, configure, and manage most Azure resources from any platform using command-line commands and automation scripts. It supports tasks like deploying VMs, managing storage, configuring networks, querying data, and running CI/CD workflows. However, it cannot provide graphical views, visual dashboards, or some advanced features found only in Azure Portal or Azure PowerShell. Some niche services may have limited CLI support.

Scaling

Independence of resources
Azure limits noisy‑neighbor impact through strict resource isolation and governance. The hypervisor guarantees dedicated CPU and memory slices per VM; platform services enforce per‑tenant quotas and throttling; auto‑scaling and load‑balancing spread load across infrastructure; and continuous monitoring detects and mitigates contention. Combined, these controls ensure one customer’s demand doesn’t degrade another’s performance.
Usage notifications
Yes
Usage reporting
  • Email
  • SMS
  • Other
Other usage reporting
Voice Call (Phone call)
Mobile Push Notification (Azure mobile app)
Webhook (HTTP POST)
Secure Webhook
Azure Function
Logic App
Azure Automation Runbook
ITSM Integration (ServiceNow, BMC, System Center, etc.)
Event Hub
Email to Azure Resource Manager Role
Optimising consumption
Yes
Automatic scaling
No

Analytics

Infrastructure or application metrics
Yes
Metrics types
  • CPU
  • Disk
  • HTTP request and response status
  • Memory
  • Network
  • Number of active instances
  • Other
Other metrics
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/reference/metrics-index
Reporting types
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
Resource tagging
Yes
FOCUS resource tagging
Yes

Resellers

Supplier type
Reseller providing extra support
Organisation whose services are being resold
Microsoft

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
In-house
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
Key management via Azure Key Vault
Encryption models such as envelope encryption and customer‑managed keys
Defense‑in‑depth physical and logical protections throughout the datacenter and service stack
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
  • Degaussing
  • Physical Destruction / Hardware containing data is completely destroyed

Backup and recovery

Backup controls
Users control Azure backups through backup policies, which define the backup schedule, frequency, retention, and backup type. Policies automate when backups run and how long recovery points are kept. Users can also run on‑demand backups for immediate protection. Additionally, Azure Policy can enforce backup requirements across resources to ensure compliance and consistency.
Datacentre setup
Multiple datacentres with disaster recovery
Scheduling backups
Users schedule backups through a web interface
Backup recovery
Users can recover backups themselves, for example through a web interface
Backup and recovery
Yes
RPO/RTO
Yes

Data-in-transit protection

Data protection between buyer and supplier networks
  • Private network or public sector network
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Other
Other protection between networks
ExpressRoute private connectivity, keeping traffic off the public internet.
MACsec (IEEE 802.1AE) encryption on ExpressRoute provider edges and across Microsoft’s backbone network.
Double encryption in transit (TLS + MACsec) for defense in depth.
Private Link, giving access to Azure PaaS services via private IPs in your VNet (no public exposure).
Service Endpoints, ensuring traffic to Azure services stays on the Azure backbone rather than the internet.
Internal datacenter-to-datacenter encryption, protecting all Azure east‑west traffic inside the cloud.
Zero Trust network validation, requiring continuous authentication and authorization for all connections.
DDoS protection+Threat detection, preventing interception, tampering, or disruption of in‑transit data.
Data protection within supplier network
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • Legacy SSL and TLS (under version 1.2)
  • Other
Other protection within supplier network
Encryption at rest using AES‑256 across storage, disks, and databases.
Storage Service Encryption (SSE) enabled by default for all Azure Storage services.
Azure Disk Encryption using BitLocker (Windows) or dm‑crypt (Linux).
Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) for Azure SQL and managed databases.
Key management and HSM protection via Azure Key Vault.
Encryption in transit using enforced HTTPS/TLS 1.2+.
Private Endpoints to keep data on the Microsoft backbone, not the public internet.
VPN Gateway for encrypted tunnels between on‑prem and Azure.
ExpressRoute for private, non‑internet connectivity to Azure.
MACsec encryption for link-layer protection between Azure datacenters.

Availability and resilience

Guaranteed availability
Azure availability guarantees range from 95% to 99.99%, depending on:

Service type
Architecture (single instance vs. zone‑redundant)
Storage redundancy configuration
Disk tier

The highest standard guarantee commonly offered is 99.99%, achieved when deploying VMs across multiple availability zones.
Approach to resilience
Azure is designed to be resilient through distributed regions, Availability Zones, and redundant infrastructure, enabling workloads to withstand hardware, network, and datacenter failures. It incorporates fault isolation, multi‑region replication, and resilience-focused architectural patterns to maintain availability during disruptions. Azure’s Well‑Architected Framework emphasizes designing for resilience, recovery, and continuous operation so applications can detect, withstand, and recover from faults.
Outage reporting
Azure reports outages through the public Azure Status page for broad, platform-wide incidents, providing a global view of service health. For personalized, subscription-specific issues, Azure Service Health delivers real-time notifications about service incidents, planned maintenance, and advisories via email, SMS, push notifications, or webhooks. Azure Service Health also shows impacted resources and updates until resolution.

Identity and authentication

User authentication needed
Yes
User authentication
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Username or password
  • Other
Other user authentication
Azure authenticates users through Microsoft Entra ID. When a user accesses the service, they are redirected to Entra ID, which verifies identity using methods such as passwordless sign‑in, MFA, certificates, or federated identity providers. Conditional Access policies may enforce requirements like MFA. Once authenticated, Entra ID issues a signed token, which the service validates before granting access based on the user’s permissions.
Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels
We restrict access to management interfaces and support channels using role‑based access control, ensuring only authorized personnel can perform administrative actions. Multi‑factor authentication, passwordless sign‑in, and Conditional Access policies enforce strong identity verification. Administrative endpoints are protected with network restrictions, logging, and continuous monitoring. Support channels require verified identity, limited privileged access, and follow least‑privilege and just‑in‑time access principles to minimize exposure.
Access restriction testing frequency
At least every 6 months
Management access authentication
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Username or password
Devices users manage the service through
Directly from any device which may also be used for normal business (for example web browsing or viewing external email)

Audit information for users

Access to user activity audit information
You control when users can access audit information
How long user audit data is stored for
User-defined
Access to supplier activity audit information
Users have access to real-time audit information
How long supplier audit data is stored for
User-defined
How long system logs are stored for
User-defined

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 27001 (Information Security Management)
ISO 27701 (Privacy Information Management)
ISO 27018 (Protection of Personally Identifiable Information in the cloud)
FedRAMP (U.S. government cloud security)
DoD IL5 (U.S. Department of Defense cloud requirements)
HIPAA / HITRUST (Healthcare data protection)
PCI DSS (Payment card data security)
GDPR compliance mechanisms
Information security policies and processes
Azure approaches security governance through a comprehensive, risk‑based framework that integrates policies, controls, and continuous monitoring across its cloud platform. It aligns to global standards like ISO 27001 and provides clear accountability via shared responsibility. Azure embeds security into design, operations, and compliance processes, using automated enforcement, threat intelligence, and regular third‑party audits. Governance is maintained through consistent policy management, access control, and transparent reporting to ensure customers can meet their own regulatory and security obligations effectively.

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
Azure uses automated, auditable change management built on Azure Resource Manager. Changes are tracked through services like Microsoft.ChangeAnalysis, which records what changed, when, and by whom to detect configuration drift and support rapid incident resolution. Azure DevOps adds structured processes for identifying, reviewing, approving, and tracking changes using Agile best practices to minimise risk and ensure clear documentation and governance.
Vulnerability management type
Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
Vulnerability management approach
We maintain a continuous vulnerability‑management program that includes automated scanning, threat intelligence monitoring, and rigorous patch management. Identified vulnerabilities are assessed, prioritised by severity and business impact, and remediated within defined SLAs. Our process includes regular penetration testing, configuration baseline reviews, and monitoring for zero‑day threats. Remediation activities are tracked to completion, with verification to ensure fixes are effective. We follow secure‑engineering practices, maintain incident‑response integration, and undergo independent audits aligned with recognised standards to validate the effectiveness of our controls.
Protective monitoring type
Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
Protective monitoring approach
Azure protective monitoring involves continuously collecting, analysing, and correlating security signals across the cloud environment. It uses services like Azure Monitor, Defender for Cloud, Sentinel, and Activity Logs to detect anomalies, policy violations, and potential threats. Automated analytics identify suspicious behaviour, trigger alerts, and support incident response. Data is retained for auditing, investigation, and compliance, ensuring proactive detection and rapid mitigation of security risks.
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
Azure’s incident management process follows a structured lifecycle. Azure continuously monitors services to detect outages or security issues, then prioritises and analyses incidents to determine impact. Microsoft’s incident response teams isolate affected components, mitigate the issue, and restore normal operations. Throughout the event, Azure provides customer communications through the Service Health Dashboard. After resolution, Microsoft conducts post‑incident reviews to improve processes, strengthen detection, and prevent recurrence.
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)

Separation between users

Virtualisation technology used to keep applications and users sharing the same infrastructure apart
Yes
Who implements virtualisation
Supplier
Virtualisation technologies used
Other
Other virtualisation technology used
Microsoft Hyper‑V
Hyper‑V–isolated Containers (micro‑VMs)
Kata Containers (sandboxed containers)
AMD SEV‑SNP (Confidential VM memory encryption & integrity)
Intel TDX (Hardware‑based Confidential VM isolation)
Intel SGX (Enclave‑based secure execution)
Azure Software‑Defined Networking (SDN)
Virtual Networks (VNet) & virtual switches
Virtual NICs
Virtualized disks (Azure VHD / managed disks)
Virtual TPMs (vTPMs)
Linux kernel namespaces & cgroups (container process isolation)
How shared infrastructure is kept separate
Azure keeps organisations separate through multilayered isolation: hardware‑level protections prevent one VM accessing another’s memory; the Hyper‑V hypervisor enforces strict compute separation; software‑defined networking isolates traffic using VNets and firewalls; storage accounts and disks are logically and cryptographically segregated; and Azure Entra ID provides identity‑level boundaries. The Azure control plane validates every action against each tenant’s permissions, and Microsoft uses just‑in‑time, audited access to prevent cross‑tenant exposure.

Energy efficiency

Energy-efficient datacentres
Yes
Description of energy efficient datacentres
Microsoft’s EU datacenters comply with the EU Code of Conduct for Energy Efficiency by implementing best practices such as monitoring and reporting Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE), using free-air cooling and rainwater harvesting to minimize water consumption, and deploying advanced metering and sensors for operational optimization. They support grid stability through contingency measures, commit to 100% renewable energy sourcing, and invest in innovations like hydrogen fuel cells and waste-heat reuse. Additionally, Microsoft provides transparent sustainability disclosures and localized compliance reports, ensuring alignment with the Code’s principles for efficiency, resilience, and sustainability.

Pricing

Discount for educational organisations
Yes
Free trial available
Yes
Description of free trial
Azure users can start by creating an account at azure.microsoft.com and signing into the Azure Portal. New users get $200 credit for 30 days, plus 12 months of free popular services and 55+ always‑free services like Azure Functions and Storage.
Link to free trial
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/purchase-options/azure-account

Discount

Provide your minimum discount applicable to your baseline prices
0%

Formula for calculating price of your services

Formula for calculating price of your services

Which of the core deployment models you intend to offer

  • Public Cloud
  • Private Cloud

Public Cloud - Formula for calculating price of your services


Total Cost
The Total Cost for a buyer's call off requirement in a Public Cloud Deployment
=
Baseline Pricing
Baseline pricing will provided as per the the vendors publicly available catalogue where available and included in the individual G-Cloud catalogue entries, examples include:

https://calculator.aws/#/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/pricing/calculator/

https://cloud.google.com/products/calculator
Baseline Pricing - Web link
https://calculator.aws/#/
-
Minimum Discounting
0%
+
Onboarding Activity
Onboarding costs may vary based on your specific requirements, please confirm with suppliers during the clarification process
+
Additional sources of cost
Sources of costs that may relate to buyer's purchasing services under G-Cloud include:
- CPI or other inflationary increase
- Resource required for contract commencement, which is dependant on the size and requirement from the customer
- Increase supply chain costs to Softcat
- Vendor programmatic changes which affect discounts and purchases prices
- additional features / customisation required
- special considerations such as security

Our vendors pricing follows various models such as reoccurring subscription and consumption models, which have various charging models (usage, user) and are priced differently. Additional sources of cost depend on the model customers are purchasing from.
-
Additional sources of cost reduction
There are a variety of different cost reduction sources Softcat can leverage for Buyers under G-Cloud 15, these include:
- Vendor discount programmes
- Reserved Instances
- Savings Plans
- OGVA
- MACC
- GCP PPA
- Volume and Bundling Discounts
- Contract Length Discounts
- Licensing Optimisation efforts
- Contract flexibility, minimising unused software costs.

Private Cloud - Formula for calculating price of your services


Total Cost
The Total Cost for a buyer's call off requirement in a Private Cloud Deployment
=
Baseline Pricing
Baseline pricing will provided as per the the vendors publicly available catalogue where available and included in the individual G-Cloud catalogue entries, examples include:

https://calculator.aws/#/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/pricing/calculator/

https://cloud.google.com/products/calculator
-
Minimum Discounting
0%
+
Onboarding Activity
Onboarding costs may vary based on your specific requirements, please confirm with suppliers during the clarification process
+
Additional sources of cost
Sources of costs that may relate to buyer's purchasing services under G-Cloud include:
- CPI or other inflationary increase
- Resource required for contract commencement, which is dependant on the size and requirement from the customer
- Increase supply chain costs to Softcat
- Vendor programmatic changes which affect discounts and purchases prices
- additional features / customisation required
- special considerations such as security

Our vendors pricing follows various models such as reoccurring subscription and consumption models, which have various charging models (usage, user) and are priced differently. Additional sources of cost depend on the model customers are purchasing from.
-
Additional sources of cost reduction
There are a variety of different cost reduction sources Softcat can leverage for Buyers under G-Cloud 15, these include:
- Vendor discount programmes
- Reserved Instances
- Savings Plans
- OGVA
- MACC
- GCP PPA
- Volume and Bundling Discounts
- Contract Length Discounts
- Licensing Optimisation efforts
- Contract flexibility, minimising unused software costs.

Mandatory certifications

Mandatory certifications

Are you are bidding to offer IaaS and/or PaaS as a reseller or are you in sole control of the infrastructure

Reseller

Cloud service suppliers you intend to resell with evidence

Organisation 1

Organisation name

Microsoft

Website address/upload for organisation

Website address

Website address

https://marketplace.microsoft.com/en-GB/marketplace/partner-dir/c3d431f1-3e02-4c62-a825-79cd8f9e2053/overview

Organisation 2

Organisation name

AWS

Website address/upload for organisation

Website address

Website address

https://partners.amazonaws.com/search/partners/?keyword=Softcat%20plc

Organisation 3

Organisation name

Salesforce

Website address/upload for organisation

Upload

Upload

Provided

Organisation 4

Organisation name

IBM

Website address/upload for organisation

Upload

Upload

Provided

ISO 9001 certification

Provided

ISO 27001 certification

Provided

ISO 20000-1 certification

Provided

Are you reliant on the Cloud Service Provider for some accreditations

Yes

Cyber Essentials

Do you have a Cyber Essentials Plus certificate?
Yes
Cyber Essentials Plus certificate Number
181966c9-f0aa-42ed-9271-d1b111bdf43b

Non-mandatory Standards and certifications

ISO 28000:2022 certification
No
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
Other security certifications
Yes
Any other security certifications
  • ISO 27001
  • 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

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