ROUTE 101 LIMITED

Zendesk, delivered by Route 101 - Zendesk Premier Partner

Route 101 delivers a cloud contact centre and ticketing solution using Zendesk. Zendesk supports voice and digital channels, case management, ticketing, workforce optimisation, PCI DSS compliance and conversational AI. Integrates with Salesforce, ServiceNow, Civica, Dynamics and public sector systems, supporting UK data residency, scalability, high availability and secure remote working.

Features

• Zendesk Suite, Professional and Enterprise cloud contact centre platform
• Zendesk Support, Guide, Chat, Messaging and Talk channels
• Zendesk AI Agents and Copilot intelligent assistance
• Zendesk Omnichannel voice, email, chat, messaging and digital support
• Natural language processing and intelligent interaction routing
• Zendesk Case management, ticketing and service request handling
• Zendesk Explore analytics, reporting and performance insights
• Zendesk Workforce management WFM and quality management QM
• PCI-DSS compliance with secure DTMF masking
• Employee Service Suite and public sector system integrations

Benefits

• Single platform for consistent digital and voice service delivery
• Improves citizen experience across multiple engagement channels
• Reduces handling times through automation and AI assistance
• Enables secure payments using PCI DSS and DTMF masking
• Supports secure remote and hybrid working models
• Rapid deployment with minimal configuration and infrastructure
• Scales easily to meet fluctuating public service demand
• Seamlessly integrates with existing public sector systems
• Data-driven insight improves service performance and quality
• Lower operational overhead than traditional on-premise solutions

• 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 bidteam@route101.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 15

Service ID

651907033049287

Contact

Route 101 Bid Team
03330 110 400
bidteam@route101.com

About your service

• Service categories:

  Applications

  Customer relationship management

  • Digital commerce
  • Sales force productivity and management
  • Customer service
  • Contact centre
• Multi cloud support: No

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model: Public cloud
• Service constraints: Zendesk is provided as a hosted cloud solution only and is not available for implementation in an on-premise environment. As such, Zendesk requires a high speed internet connection to allow access to the solution and its use requires certain minimum specifications of the computer and browser (see "System Requirements").
• System requirements:
  • High speed Internet connection
  • Computer must meet minimum specifications for OS (Windows/Mac OSX)
  • Browser must be a stable release
  • Browser Configuration - Javascript must be enabled
  • Browser Configuration - Cookies must be enabled
  • Browser Configuration - Local storage must be enabled
  • Browser Configuration - Security protocol TLS v1.2 or above

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes
• Support response times: Between 24 x 7 and typical office hours, dependent on options selected and severity of issue.
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: None or don’t know
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support: Yes, at an extra cost
• Web chat support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the web chat support is accessible: https://www.zendesk.com/company/policies-procedures/accessibility/
• Web chat accessibility testing: https://www.zendesk.com/company/policies-procedures/accessibility/
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Route 101 is both a Zendesk Premier Partner and Zendesk Premier Implementation Partner. As such, we provide our own in-house Zendesk implementation and support services from our team of Zendesk accredited engineers. Our support services range from 24 x 7 x 365 to a typical work week of 9.30 to 5.30, Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays. This is dependent on factors such as the support tier selected and the severity of the issue. We continue to proactively support our customers throughout the duration of the contract, helping them to optimise the system and their usage of it, in order to achieve their business goals. We provide regular update and review sessions to help keep the service in good shape, to advise on any new releases, and to review the service received. These sessions will typically be attended by account, service, technical or consultative personnel, depending on the focus of the particular session and the support tier selected.
• Support available to third parties: Yes
• AI chatbot: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: As a Zendesk Premier Partner, Route 101 has had great success in operating a collaborative implementation model with our Zendesk customers. This means that we implement together and train as we go, imparting practical knowledge throughout and promoting super-users, or train-the-trainers, within your business. This enhances your own ongoing self-sufficiency and reduces the dependency on a partner for additional costly training.; We will also design a bespoke training package to cover all the elements of the solution we provide. This package can either be delivered face to face in a classroom setting by our own trainers, or via webinar sessions. Classroom sessions are great for smaller groups, such as a handful of designated train-the trainers. Webinar sessions are better for a wider spread of learners or those based in different locations.; There are also additional training resources which are made available to all our customers on Zendesk's website, such as recorded demo sessions, self-service guided resources, free and paid instructor and self-led recorded webinar sessions, product manuals, informative blog posts and more.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: HTML
• End-of-contract data extraction: Zendesk’s REST APIs and CSV / XML functionality allow customers (via their Account Administrators) to export service data on demand, and service data will be available for export for 30 days after the contract ends. In the event a customer terminates their subscription, they can also request Zendesk to provide a full export of their service data, for which an additional charge may apply at Route 101's published professional services rates.
• End-of-contract process: On termination or expiration of the contract, service data will continue to be available to the customer's account administrators for an additional thirty days, during which the customer's service data may be exported by the administrators. If customers require assistance with data export, a charge may apply which will be charged at Route 101's published professional services rates.
• Documentation accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the documentation is accessible: Please see the following link for information on accessibility:; https://www.zendesk.com/company/policies-procedures/accessibility/

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: Mobile is provided via native iOS and Android apps; desktop is accessed via web browser. Mobile utilises Zendesk APIs to provide functionality for agents on-the-go. Mobile does not have all the features of the desktop service e.g. admin / account setup, security configuration, customer satisfaction ratings, WYSIWYG comment editing, adding in-line images, ticket actions audit display and other non-mobile friendly features. Mobile focuses on features that enable agents to perform core ticketing workflows, and has configurable push notifications that desktop does not have. There are no admin functions within mobile. Security and permissions are the same for mobile as desktop.
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: None or don’t know
• Description of service interface: Please see https://www.zendesk.com/support/features/; ; https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/203661806-Introduction-to-the-Support-agent-interface
• Accessibility standards: None or don’t know
• Description of accessibility: https://www.zendesk.com/company/policies-procedures/accessibility/
• Accessibility testing: https://www.zendesk.com/company/policies-procedures/accessibility/
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: The REST API allows customers to interact with a variety of features and aspects of Zendesk products. The majority of the functionality available via user interfaces can be interacted with using the API.; ; Customers can use the Reseller API to create accounts, or they can create an account on the web and then use the API. Users and agents can also be created via the API.; ; The API supports updates to tickets, users and other key Zendesk data points. Customers can use various endpoints to make updates.; ; Full documentation, including the list of supported endpoints, is available in the API documentation which can be found in the Zendesk Developer Portal on Zendesk's website: https://developer.zendesk.com
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats: HTML
• API sandbox or test environment: Yes
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: Zendesk Support was created with three user groups in mind: Agents, Administrators and Managers. One of the core requirements of Zendesk is to enable suitably authorised members of these user groups to use, configure and enhance Zendesk without the need for development capabilities.; ; Areas of the Support solution that can be configured by authorised users to meet customer specific requirements include: (i) business processes and workflows, including Automations, Triggers, Macros; (ii) multi-channel capabilities, including self-service, email, chat, phone, social media; (iii) analytics; (iv) consumer / customer facing Help Centre functionality and user interface; (v) knowledge content management; (vi) native mobile apps; and (vii) Community.; ; Additionally, Zendesk’s extensive SDK and API support allows more technical users to extend the power of the solution through the development of specific apps and integrations. For example: (i) Mobile SDK allows for support of Android and iOS capability within your own mobile apps; and (ii) the Zendesk APIs allow customers to extend the solution’s capabilities through integration with external systems, as well as enriching Zendesk data with data from third party sources to provide an enhanced consumer / customer experience.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: Zendesk is a cloud and SaaS-based, multi-tenant solution. Zendesk uses a fully redundant, distributed, and automated environment consisting of geographically separate Availability Zones running multiple, self-sustaining instances of the Zendesk application. As a precaution, Zendesk's cloud provider has additional space and power to add capacity to the Availability Zones should one of the data centres become unrecoverable in a disaster.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: Zendesk provides pre-built real-time operational dashboards supporting monitoring of KPIs for the following inter-related areas: (i) customer satisfaction; (ii) support operations; (iii) agent / team performance; (iv) knowledge base usage; (v) community usage; (vi) search effectiveness / ticket deflection.; ; Pre-built dashboards can be filtered to time intervals ranging from the last 24 hours up to the last 90 days. Applicable KPIs, e.g. solved tickets, first reply time, customer satisfaction and agent touches, can be monitored in aggregated headline reports and graphs (also available in pre-built leaderboards by agent or team).
• Reporting types:
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request
• Resource tagging: Yes
• FOCUS resource tagging: No

Resellers

• Supplier type: Reseller providing extra features and support
• Organisation whose services are being resold: Zendesk

Staff security

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

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 CREST-approved service provider
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Equipment disposal approach: A third-party destruction service
• Data sanitisation type: Deleted data can’t be directly accessed / Cryptographic Erasure

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: Service data can be exported using the Zendesk API (as further described on the Zendesk Developer Portal here: https://developer.zendesk.com). Administrators on Professional and Enterprise Support service plans may also export service data via the user interface once they have enabled data export on their account. Account owners can enable data export functionality by contacting Route 101.
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data export formats: XML
• Data import formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data import formats: XML

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks: TLS (version 1.2 or above)
• Data protection within supplier network: Other
• Other protection within supplier network: Zendesk's network is protected by redundant layer 7 firewalls, best-in-class router technology, secure HTTPS transport over public networks, regular audits and network intrusion detection / prevention technologies (IDS / IPS) that monitor and block malicious traffic and network attacks. Major application data flow ingress and egress points are monitored with Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) or Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS). In addition to our own capabilities and tools, we contract with on-demand Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) scrubbing providers to mitigate DDoS attacks. Network security scanning gives us deep insight for quick identification of out-of-compliance or potentially vulnerable systems.

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: Zendesk use commercially reasonable efforts to make the service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except during planned downtime and in the event of a force majeure. They guarantee 99.9% availability to purchasers of Premier Support, in accordance with the terms applicable to that service.
• Approach to resilience: Zendesk has developed a risk framework and strategy that accounts for the evaluation of their facilities, technology, applications, data, processes and overall organisation to ensure their risk mitigation strategy operates at multiple levels and with broad coverage. Zendesk uses a fully redundant, distributed and automated environment consisting of AWS geographically separate data centres, running multiple, self-sustaining instances of the Zendesk application. As a precaution, Zendesk has additional space and power to add capacity to their data centres should one data centre become unrecoverable in a disaster. The service uses multiple internet service providers, connected through diverse paths entering the facilities at physically secure, separate locations. This redundant mesh-edge network design delivers robust networking through a number of paths. Zendesk's database data is stored on efficient flash memory devices with multiple servers per database cluster. Any hardware component failures are handled quickly and easily with automated builds and deploys. A strict backup regime helps protect customer data should a major incident occur. Key source data for standard Zendesk accounts is backed up daily, which includes both local and off-site storage.
• Outage reporting: Service impacts are co-ordinated through a cross-functional Incident Response process. As a key part of this process, impacts to service are communicated through Zendesk's System Status page, Twitter and Zendesk Help Centre (available on the Zendesk Support website: https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us). The process includes appropriate update frequency, post-event follow up and ability to escalate for additional information.

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: Additional authentication methods are available for Zendesk Support, depending on the service plan to which a customer is subscribed, including the following: SSO, SAML, Active Directory SSO, configurable password requirements and IP restrictions.
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Zendesk leverages the following management access methods: (i) dedicated devices on a segregated network; (ii) dedicated services for community service management; and (iii) service management via bastion hosts.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • 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: No audit information available
• 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:
  • ISO/IEC 27001
  • Other
• Other security governance standards: ISO 27018:2014 and SOC 2 Type II
• Information security policies and processes: Zendesk has a full suite of security policies, including:; (i) Information Security Policy;; (ii) GDPR Policy;; (iii) Security Incident Response Policy;; (iv) Production Network Security Monitoring Policy;; (v) Production Network Change Management Policy;; (vi) Production Network Access Control Policy; and; (vii) Information Management Standard.; ; All policies are reviewed at least annually, or in real-time if necessary. Assurances are obtained by independent third party auditing of our security controls.; ; In terms of reporting structure, the various security teams (Incident Response, Security Compliance, Network Security, Threat Intelligence, Secure Development, Application Security, and R&D) report to the VP of Security, who in turn reports to the CIO, who reports to the CEO.; ; Security policies are part of mandatory training and such training is backed up by internal tests including routine attempts to socially engineer staff.
• 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: Zendesk follows change control procedures for all system/software configuration changes, including: (i) documenting change impact (operational impact; security impact on major projects); (ii) peer review for technical scope; (iii) management review for timing and impact scope (segregation of change-management duties); (iv) testing of operational functionality (pre- and post-testing); (v) back-out procedures; (vi) change documentation (logs, etc); (vii) tracking of code changes and infrastructure components via code versioning tool or Ops related tickets. Changes are recorded and kept for auditing purposes.; ; Approvals are required for all changes. For network devices, approvals are required before ports can be opened to that device.
• Vulnerability management type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Vulnerability management approach: Zendesk assesses and obtains information regarding potential threats in the following ways: (i) continuous dynamic scanning for vulnerabilities on live applications; (ii) static code analysis upon each commit to our Support and BIME code bases; (iii) third-party penetration tests; (iv) dedicated Security Personnel; (v) public "bug bounty”; (vi) third party infrastructure scanning.; ; Zendesk maintains documented SLAs for bug fixes which are in line with industry standards.
• Protective monitoring type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: Zendesk digests many sources of potential vulnerabilities for product and infrastructure, including: (i) code scans; (ii) network scans; (iii) penetration tests; (iv) bug bounty; (v) threat intel; and (vi) QA testing.; ; All of these sources feed into ticketing processes for validation, risk-ranking, assignment and tracking.; ; We investigate and respond as necessary to any incidents or potential compromises immediately.
• 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: Route 101’s Service Desk, which uses Zendesk, is available 24x7x365 and is staffed by skilled engineers who manage your issue to resolution. We will keep you informed on the issue's progress and provide you access to an online portal to track developments. Should the issue require escalation, we have rapid and direct access into Zendesk for prompt resolution. Issues can be reported by phone, email or online, and once resolved, we will conduct root cause analysis and provide an incident report to provide an explanation of why an issue occurred and what can be done to prevent it reoccurring.
• Post-quantum cryptography secure: Yes

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: Yes
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: Users can register for a trial on various Support, Talk or Chat service plans. There are no limitations to the functionality available during the trial. Trials can be converted to a Production environment, without the loss of any configuration or data, if required at the successful completion of the trial.
• Link to free trial: https://www.zendesk.com/product/pricing/

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

• Less than £250,000: 1%
• Between £250,000 and £500,000: 3%
• Between £500,001 and £1,000,000: 5%
• Between £1,000,001 and £2,500,000: 5%
• Between £2,500,001 and £5,000,000: 7%
• Over £5,000,001: 10%

Non-mandatory Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: Citation ISO Certification Limited
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: Wednesday 18 December 2024
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: The services in scope are: The provision of tailored business communications, contact centre solutions and professional services.
• ISO 28000:2022 certification: No
• ISO 9001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO 9001 certification: Citation ISO Certification Limited
• ISO 9001 accreditation date: Thursday 8 January 2026
• What the ISO 9001 doesn’t cover: The services in scope are: The provision of tailored business communications, contact centre solutions and professional services.
• Quality management systems (QMS): Yes
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: Yes
• Who accredited the PCI DSS certification: PCI Security Standards Council
• PCI DSS accreditation date: Thursday 27 March 2025
• What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover: Route 101 is a PCI DSS Validated Level 2 Third Party Service Provider (TPSP). This means Route 101 does not store, process, or transmit cardholder data within our own environment and we work with validated Level 1 PCI DSS compliant service providers. Route 101 maintains an Attestation of Compliance (AoC), which is externally supported and signed by the COO.
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Please provide your Cyber Essentials Certificate Number: 5f7473ca-c979-4874-b2fe-09812856020c
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Please provide your Cyber Essentials Plus Certificate Number: A8902aed-a2db-4450-84d7-7f918aab5da6
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications:
  • ISO 22301
  • ISO 42001

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
    • 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
    • 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

  • 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
    • 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 bidteam@route101.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.