MICROTECH GROUP LIMITED

Bridge Electronic Document Transfer

Bridge EDT is a cloud-hosted electronic document transfer solution enabling secure, automated exchange of clinical correspondence between NHS organisations. Hosted on Azure UK, the service integrates with third party applications, automatically routing letters, referrals, and test results to correct patient-records, eliminating paper workflows and accelerating clinical communication

Features

• Secure electronic document transfer between NHS organisations and practices
• Automated routing to correct patient records
• Real-time delivery tracking and confirmation for all transfers
• Integration with third party systems
• Web portal for managing sender relationships and routing rules
• Encrypted connections ensuring confidentiality of clinical correspondence throughout
• Exception handling workflows for unmatched or rejected documents
• Comprehensive audit trails recording all document transfers and access
• Eliminates postal delays, reducing document delivery to near real-time

Benefits

• Eliminates postal costs and reduces administrative overhead significantly
• Accelerates clinical communication from days to minutes delivery
• Improves patient safety through faster access to critical information
• Reduces paper storage requirements and environmental impact substantially
• Enables paperless NHS transformation across primary and secondary care
• Decreases document loss risk with secure electronic delivery tracking
• Enhances information governance through comprehensive audit trails and controls
• Supports clinical decision-making with timely access to correspondence
• Reduces administrative burden

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 mark.mulholland@microtech-group.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 15

Service ID

779383762551790

Contact

Mark Mulholland
07359587642
mark.mulholland@microtech-group.co.uk

About your service

• Service categories:

  Applications

  Content workflow and management

  Content services

  • Content Sharing and Collaboration Applications
• Multi cloud support: Yes

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model: Public cloud
• Service constraints: Bridge requires document recipient organisations to operate compatible recipient system (e.g. Clinical System, Document Management System) with active EDT connectivity enabled. Sending organisations must be registered NHS entities with approved sender agreements in place. Document transfer depends on network connectivity between sending systems, Azure infrastructure, and recipient systems - temporary disruptions may delay delivery. The service processes standard clinical document formats; proprietary or encrypted formats may require conversion before transfer. Initial setup requires practice administrator configuration and cannot be completed solely through automated processes. Document retention follows NHS records management policies with minimum storage periods enforced.
• System requirements:
  • Active recipient electronic system in place
  • Internet connectivity with minimum 10Mbps bandwidth per practice
  • Necessary firewall ports open for outbound connections
  • Practice system configured with EDT mesh mailbox and credentials
  • Valid NHS organisation code and practice registration on system
  • HTTPS/TLS 1.2 or higher encryption enabled for connections
  • Administrator access rights for initial configuration and setup
  • Compatible document formats for transfer processing

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes
• Support response times: Standard Support (included in base price): email and phone support during business hours (8am-6pm Mon-Fri), response within 2 business hours for critical issues. Access to online knowledge base, video tutorials, and documentation P1 - Response time 2 hours; fix time 5 hours P2 - Response time 3 hours; fix time 7 hours P3 - Response time 5 hours; fix time 1.5 days P4 (RFI) - 10 days to completion
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: No
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: The Service will be delivered via Microtech’s single point of contract Service Desk, which comprises of 1st Line Support, Application Support, Infrastructure Support and Field Support teams. Escalation and Problem Management will be controlled by Microtech’s Service Management team. The Service Desk is the first point of contact for all Client requirements. Support costs are baked into license charges. Technical Account Manager and Cloud Support Engineer are provided.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: Comprehensive onboarding program ensures successful implementation. Process begins with kickoff meeting to understand requirements and technical environment. Implementation timeline includes technical setup including Azure tenant provisioning; API integration with recipient systems; user account creation, and role-based access configuration and system testing; user training via combination of webinars and self-paced e-learning modules. Provide comprehensive documentation: user guides, quick reference cards, video tutorials, FAQ database. Assign dedicated implementation manager throughout onboarding. Post-go-live support includes enhanced support period with daily check-ins and troubleshooting assistance. Implementation checklist ensures all steps completed before go-live.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Upon contract termination, administrators can download complete document audit archives through the web-based administration portal. Documents already filed to patient records in 3rd party systems remain permanently stored within those clinical systems and are unaffected by Bridge contract termination. Audit trail exports are available in CSV format, recording all document transfers and system activities for information governance compliance. Data extraction is available for 90 days following contract end date, with advance notification and multiple reminders provided before secure deletion occurs in accordance with NHS records management policies. Technical support assists with download processes, data verification, and migration to alternative services throughout the extraction period. No additional charges apply for standard data extraction. Users are responsible for secure storage of extracted data.
• End-of-contract process: At contract end, document transfer functionality ceases and the service enters a data extraction period. Users receive advance notice with detailed extraction guidance. During this period, administrators can download audit trails recording all document transfers, sender/recipient details, and delivery confirmations in CSV format through the web portal. Documents previously transferred via Bridge and filed to patient records remain permanently stored within those clinical systems as part of the patient record and are unaffected by contract termination. The Bridge service does not retain copies of transferred documents beyond delivery confirmation. Technical support assists with audit trail extraction and transition planning throughout the off-boarding period. Following this, all Bridge routing configurations, user accounts, and transfer logs are securely deleted in accordance with NHS records management policies. Included in contract price: Audit trail exports, technical support during wind-down, secure deletion certification, 90-day extraction period. Additional costs: Expedited extraction within shorter timeframes, extended data retention, bespoke reporting formats, migration consultancy services, out-of-hours support for extraction activities.
• Documentation accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AA

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
  • Opera
• Application to install: Yes
• Compatible operating systems: Windows
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: The mobile interface provides responsive design optimised for iOS and Android devices, featuring simplified navigation and touch-optimised controls. The mobile interface automatically adapts to screen size while maintaining security controls and session timeout. Document viewing supports pinch-to-zoom.
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Description of service interface: Bridge features an intuitive web-based interface designed specifically for administration of Electronic Document Transfer. Theme customisation supports different background colours for user preference. The interface complies with NHS Digital UX standards ensuring consistency with other NHS applications.
• Accessibility standards: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Accessibility testing: Bridge has undergone comprehensive accessibility testing aligned to WCAG 2.2 AA standards. Conducted automated testing using WAVE, axe DevTools, and Lighthouse accessibility audits across all major browsers. Manual testing performed with assistive technologies. Testing covered keyboard-only navigation, screen reader compatibility, colour contrast ratios, focus indicators, semantic HTML structure, and form labelling. User testing carried out for provision towards users with visual impairments, motor disabilities, and cognitive differences. Feedback incorporated including improved heading hierarchy, enhanced focus states, alternative text for all images and graphs, accessible data tables with proper headers, skip navigation links, and clear error messages. Implemented adjustable text sizing, high contrast mode, and keyboard shortcuts for common actions. All form inputs have associated labels and error states. Graphs include tabular data alternatives. Testing documentation available. Accessibility champion on development team reviews all updates. Committed to ongoing accessibility improvements based on user feedback and evolving standards.
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: API enables automated document submission from hospital systems, laboratories, and secondary care organisations directly into the transfer workflow. Users can programmatically submit clinical documents with patient demographics and routing metadata, query transfer status and delivery confirmation for submitted documents, retrieve delivery reports and exception notifications, and configure sender relationships and routing rules for their organisation. The API supports batch document submission for bulk transfers and real-time status polling to track individual document delivery through to final filing confirmation in GP systems. Users cannot bypass security controls or authentication requirements for document access, modify core routing algorithms or NHS number matching logic, alter audit trails or retrospectively change transfer records, access documents or data belonging to other organisations, or configure settings that violate information governance policies or DCB1596 standards. Initial API credentials and security certificates require manual approval and cannot be self-provisioned. Integration with non-approved systems requires security assessment before API access is granted. Changes to practice recipient configurations require administrator privileges and cannot be performed by standard API users.
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats: PDF
• API sandbox or test environment: Yes
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: Bridge offers limited customisation within defined parameters to maintain compliance with NHS Digital DCB1596 standards and ensure interoperability across the NHS. Routing Rules - configurable document routing based on sender, document type, or specific criteria to direct documents to appropriate workflows or users within their clinical system. Sender Relationships - Organisations can manage which sending entities are authorised to transfer documents, establishing trusted connections with specific hospitals, laboratories, or secondary care providers. Exception Handling - Customisable workflows for managing unmatched documents or delivery failures, including notification preferences and escalation procedures. User Permissions - Role-based access controls can be tailored to organisational requirements, defining which staff members can configure settings, view transfers, or manage exceptions. Notification Settings - Configurable alerts for delivery failures, system issues, or high-priority documents requiring immediate attention.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: Multi-tenant architecture ensures resource isolation between customers. Each organisation's data stored in logically separated database schemas with encryption at rest. Azure's auto-scaling infrastructure automatically provisions additional compute resources during high-demand periods. Load balancing distributes traffic across multiple application servers. Rate limiting prevents any single user consuming excessive resources. Regular capacity planning reviews ensure sufficient headroom. Performance monitoring alerts technical team before resource constraints impact. Independent scaling for different service components (API, web interface, database).

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: Real-time dashboards display document transfer volumes, delivery success rates, and processing times across configurable periods. Key metrics include total documents transferred, average transfer time, failed transfer volumes with categorised reasons, system availability percentages, and exception handling statistics. Users can segment data by sender organisation, document type, and recipient practice. Automated alerts notify administrators of delivery failures or system issues. Individual document tracking provides timestamps for each processing stage. Monthly reports summarise performance against SLA targets. Metrics export in CSV format for local analysis. All reporting maintains patient confidentiality through data aggregation without exposing individual patient identifiers.
• Reporting types:
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request
• Resource tagging: No
• FOCUS resource tagging: No

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

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
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Managed by a third party
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: ‘IT Health Check’ performed by a CREST-approved service provider
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Encryption of all physical media
  • Other
• Other data at rest protection approach: Comprehensive data protection layered approach. All data encrypted at rest using AES-256 encryption via Azure Storage Service Encryption with Microsoft-managed keys. Database encryption using Transparent Data Encryption-(TDE). Encrypted backups stored in geo-redundant Azure storage across multiple UK data-centres. Access controls limit data access to authorised applications and personnel only. All database queries logged for audit purposes. Personal identifiable information (PII) additionally protected through pseudonymisation where possible. Encryption key rotation managed automatically by Azure platform. No unencrypted data ever stored on-disk. Development and test environments use anonymised datasets, never production data.
• 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: Data Erasure

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: Users export audit trail data through the web-based administration portal by selecting date ranges and generating CSV reports containing document transfer logs, delivery confirmations, sender/recipient details, and timestamps. Bulk export functionality enables download of complete transfer history for specified periods. Reports are generated on-demand and delivered as downloadable files with comprehensive metadata. Exported data maintains full audit integrity with cryptographic hashing to verify completeness. Technical documentation and support guides assist users through the extraction process to ensure successful data retrieval and regulatory compliance.
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data export formats: PDF
• Data import formats: CSV

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks: TLS (version 1.2 or above)
• Data protection within supplier network: TLS (version 1.2 or above)

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: Service Level Agreement guarantees 99.9% uptime calculated monthly (excluding planned maintenance). This permits maximum 43 minutes downtime per month. Planned maintenance scheduled during low-usage periods (typically Sunday 2-6am) with 7 days advance notice via email and portal notifications. Emergency maintenance may occur with shorter notice for critical security patches. Availability measured from Microsoft Azure's perspective using their monitoring systems, verified by our independent monitoring. SLA applies to core service functionality: patient data access, reading submission, clinical dashboards, API endpoints. Third-party integrations (GP systems, NHS Spine) not covered by our SLA but governed by respective vendors' commitments. Exclusions from SLA: user error, customer network issues, force majeure events, denial of service attacks, planned maintenance within notice period. Uptime statistics published monthly on public status page. Historical availability consistently exceeds 99.95%.
• Approach to resilience: Bridge is architected for high availability and disaster recovery using Azure's UK South and UK West regions. Active-active configuration distributes traffic across multiple availability zones within primary UK South region providing resilience against single datacenter failures. Azure Front Door provides global load balancing and automatic failover. Application tier runs on Azure App Service with minimum 3 instances across availability zones with auto-scaling to 20 instances based on demand. Database tier uses Azure SQL Database Business Critical tier with synchronous replication across availability zones providing automatic failover under 30 seconds. Document storage uses Azure Storage with geo-redundant replication to UK West region providing 99.99% durability. Disaster recovery procedures tested quarterly with documented recovery time objective of 4 hours and recovery point objective of 15 minutes. UK West region maintains warm standby configuration allowing rapid promotion to primary region if UK South experiences prolonged outage. Detailed resilience architecture available on request under NDA including network diagrams, failover procedures, and capacity planning documentation. Architecture reviewed annually and updated to incorporate latest Azure capabilities and NHS Digital security guidance.
• Outage reporting: Multi-channel outage communication ensures customers stay informed. Automated notifications for incidents and maintenance via email to registered administrators, opt-in SMS alerts for critical outages. In-portal banner messages when logged in during known issues. Historical incident archive available covering 12 months. API endpoint provides machine-readable status data for integration into customer monitoring systems (JSON format, updated every 60 seconds). Separate notification channels for different service components allow targeted subscriptions. Maintenance calendar shows scheduled downtime 30 days ahead. Subscription preferences managed through admin portal.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Strict access controls protect management functions. Role-based access control (RBAC) with principle of least privilege. Standard roles: Admin (full access), Organisation Admin, Clinical Admin (clinical configuration), Clinician (patient data access). Granular permissions control feature access within roles. Administrative functions require MFA. Management portal accessible only from trusted networks or via VPN. IP address whitelisting available for enhanced security. Support team access requires customer approval via ticketing system, time-limited, logged, and audited. Support personnel cannot access patient data without explicit permission. All administrative actions logged immutably. Quarterly access reviews ensure appropriate permissions. Automated de-provisioning for terminated users.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least once a year
• Management access authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Username or password

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users receive audit information on a regular basis
• How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users receive audit information on a regular basis
• 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: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: Comprehensive information security framework is in place to govern all operations. Information Security Management System (ISMS) aligned to ISO 27001:2022 standard covering: risk management, asset management, access control, cryptography, physical security, operations security, communications security, acquisition/development, supplier relationships, incident management, business continuity, compliance. Annual internal audits verify policy compliance. External surveillance audits by certification body. All staff complete mandatory security awareness training during induction and annually thereafter. Specialised training for developers (secure coding), administrators (security operations), and support staff (data handling). Security policies reviewed annually or following significant incidents. Risk register maintained documenting identified risks, mitigations, and residual risk acceptance. Risk assessments performed for new systems, significant changes, and annually for existing systems. Dedicated Security Working Group meets monthly reviewing incidents, vulnerabilities, policy updates. Third-party suppliers assessed for security controls before engagement. Regular vulnerability scans and penetration tests identify weaknesses. Security metrics reported monthly: incident counts, time-to-patch, training completion rates, audit findings. Disciplinary procedures for policy breaches. Security considerations embedded in project methodology and change management processes.
• Software Security Code of Practice: Yes

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: Formal change management process governs all system modifications. All changes require: business justification, risk assessment, security impact analysis, rollback plan, testing evidence, and approval from Change Advisory Board (CAB). Change categories: standard (pre-approved, low risk), normal (CAB approval required), emergency (expedited approval for critical fixes). Configuration Management Database (CMDB) tracks all system components, dependencies, and relationships. Automated configuration drift detection alerts for unauthorised changes. Regular configuration audits ensure compliance with security baselines. Separate development, testing, and production environments. All production changes deployed via automated pipelines with approval gates. Change success rates monitored as quality metric.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: Proactive vulnerability utilising Azure safeguards protects against emerging threats. Continuous vulnerability scanning using commercial tools across infrastructure, applications, and dependencies. Weekly automated scans, ad-hoc scans for new deployments. Vulnerabilities classified by severity (Critical/High/Medium/Low) using CVSS scoring All activity is aligned to ISO 27001:2022 controls. Identified vulnerabilities are risk-assessed and remediated according to severity. Critical issues are addressed immediately; high-risk issues within agreed timelines. Patches and configuration changes follow controlled change-management processes. Annual CREST approved penetration testing and regular scans provide ongoing assurance. Customers are notified promptly of any vulnerabilities requiring their action.
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: Utilisation of Azure application gateway allied to comprehensive security monitoring detects potential compromise, implementing a protective monitoring process to detect, investigate, and respond to potential security threats. All monitoring activities align with ISO 27001:2022, and UK public-sector security expectations. Security events and system logs are collected centrally and continuously reviewed using automated alerting. Logs include authentication activity, system changes, API access, integration events, and anomalous user behaviour. High-risk events generate real-time alerts for the security operations team. Incidents are triaged, with prompt investigation/remediation undertaken in line with the incident-management policy. Where an event impacts/may impact customer, timely notification, updates provided.
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: Structured incident response in place for effective handling of security events, allied to a formal incident management process aligned to ISO 27001:2022. All service incidents—including security, availability, performance, and data-related events—are logged, categorised, and prioritised based on impact and urgency. Incidents are monitored by service and technical teams, with escalation paths for major or security-critical events. Timely communication to customers, including acknowledgement, updates, and expected resolution times are provided. Root-cause analysis is conducted for major incidents, and corrective actions are implemented to prevent recurrence. Incident reports can be provided to buyers to support audit, compliance, and assurance activities.
• 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: Yes
• Connected networks:
  • Public Services Network (PSN)
  • Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN)
  • Health and Social Care Network (HSCN)

Pricing

• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: No

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: Tuesday 30 September 2025
• 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: Wednesday 14 June 2023
• What the ISO 9001 doesn’t cover: N/A
• Quality management systems (QMS): Yes
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Please provide your Cyber Essentials Certificate Number: 881e3f4b-aa88-4722-b685-38590443e9f0
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Cyber Essentials Alternative: None of the criteria
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications: ICO Data Protection Registration

Social value

• Section B - Commitment for Future: Delivery:

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 1: Fair work: That offers fair wages and good working conditions. Help people get a job, stay in work, and progress in their careers, with good employment opportunities across the country. Notes: Where there is a large proportion of labour costs in the contract, commercial teams should consider MAC in Outcome 1 as a priority

    • New or retained jobs on the contract workforce in the relevant area that meet the criteria set out in MAC 1b, 1c and 1d
    • New apprenticeships on the contract workforce in the relevant area that meet the criteria set out in MAC 1b
    • Providing opportunities for, and measuring and monitoring of, staff workforce conditions over time, including employee engagement, involvement in decision-making and satisfaction and adapting to any changes in the results, with clear processes for acting on issues identified
    • Plans to engage the contract workforce in deciding the most important workplace issues to address
    • Ensuring new workers are informed of their right to join a trade union
    • Monitoring of employee engagement rates (by protected characteristic) and, where necessary, the development of actions to ensure all voices are heard across the diversity of the workforce
    • Employment contracts that reflect actual hours worked; steps taken to ensure employees understand their contracts and have the ability to review and adjust them if actual hours regularly exceed contracted hours
    • Activities that support an environment where staff are educated about, and feel empowered to, address their physical wellbeing
    • Activities that support an environment where staff are educated about and feel empowered to report and address bullying and harassment
    • Activities to cascade good practice on fair working conditions throughout the supply chain
    • Offer a pay and leave entitlement to all eligible staff who become kinship carers, ideally equivalent to statutory adoption pay and leave
    • Payment of more than the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage (as appropriate) to the contract workforce
    • Monitoring and reporting of gender and ethnicity pay gaps and plans to address them where necessary
    • Entitlement to sick pay for the contract workforce, with provision in place for any staff who do not meet the earnings threshold for statutory sick pay, payment of sick pay from day one of absence and payment of staff on the contract workforce who are off sick a replacement income of 100% of their usual earnings for as long as possible
    • Plans for an appropriate income replacement policy for staff who are required to spend time away from work to care for a sick dependent or close relative
    • Understanding of in-work progression issues affecting the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors
    • Measures to support in-work progression to help people in the contract workforce, to move into higher paid work by developing new skills relevant to the contract
    • Support for the contract workforce by providing career advice, and providing opportunities for staff working on the contract with in-work progression career development into known skills shortages or high growth areas
    • Support for educational attainment relevant to the contract, including training schemes that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications
    • Volunteering opportunities for staff
    • Understanding of the modern slavery risks and issues affecting the market, industry, sector or country (of origin or of source) relevant to the contract, and the workforce in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key subcontractors
    • Measures to identify, mitigate and manage modern slavery risks relating to the contract and how these will be implemented
    • Outline policies and practices to be applied to or put in place for the contract to mitigate and manage modern slavery risks, including: Pre-employment checks, recruitment practices. Workplace conditions, safeguarding plans and processes in place and regular monitoring with relevant groups considered, which may include sampling
    • How these flow down the supply chain and are monitored Illustrative examples include reporting, site visits, audits, etc.
    • How to ensure business decisions re: price/cost, short lead times, payment timescales do not create modern slavery risks in the supply chain
    • How the supplier will work with NGOs, trade unions or other businesses to address modern slavery risk
    • Means of influencing staff, suppliers, customers, communities and/or any other appropriate stakeholders with respect to modern slavery risks relating to the contract

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 2: Skills for growth: Supporting growth sectors and addressing skills gaps.

    • Understanding of employment and relevant skills issues, and of the education and training issues relating to the contract. Illustrative examples: demographics, skills shortages, new opportunities in high growth sectors, geographic/local community and skills/employment challenges
    • Support for educational attainment relevant to the contract, including training schemes that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications
    • Activities to support relevant sector related skills growth and sustainability in the contract workforce. Illustrative examples: careers talks, curriculum support, literacy support, safety talks and volunteering
    • Delivery of apprenticeships, supported internships and T Level industry placement opportunities (Level 2, 3 and 4+) in relation to the contract

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 3: Resilient, innovative and flexible supply chains: Support economic growth through enabling resilient businesses, opportunities for small businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises

    • Understanding of the types of businesses in the market and the level of participation by new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutuals
    • Activities to identify opportunities to open up sub-contracts under the prime contract to a diverse range of businesses, including new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutuals
    • Plans for engaging a diverse range of businesses in engagement activities prior to appointing subcontractors (including activities prior to award of the main contract and during the contract term)
    • Activities that demonstrate a collaborative way to work with a diverse range of businesses as part of the supply chain
    • Advertising of supply chain opportunities openly and to ensure they are accessible to a diverse range of businesses, including advertising all subcontracting opportunities on Contracts Finder
    • Ensuring accessibility to contracting and subcontracting opportunities for disabled business owners and employees
    • Structuring of the supply chain selection process to ensure fairness (e.g. anti-corruption) and encourages participation by a diverse range of businesses, including with regard to new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutual
    • Understanding of local demographics, needs and opportunities for the co-design of the goods, services and works to be delivered under the contract
    • Methods for engaging with different parts of the community (including the education system and charities representing the community) and how communities come together to inform decisions, strategy and projects to leave a positive legacy for future generations
    • Measures to involve local stakeholders and/or users in design (e.g. in the design of services, systems, products or buildings)
    • Plans for positive actions with community groups.
    • Measures for making facilities used in the delivery of the contract available for community groups, education or training
    • Measures to engage users and communities and build relationships to increase community integration build trust and influence how the contract is delivered
    • Plans to respond flexibly and adapt approaches to community engagement and initiatives
    • Support for community-led initiatives relevant to the contract. Illustrative examples: improving transport links; reducing loneliness; helping with English language proficiency; and facilitating social mixing among people with different backgrounds
    • Collaborating with anchor institutions and community groups to make facilities available for education, training or community events

  • Mission: Make Britain a clean energy superpower: To cut bills, create jobs and deliver security with cheaper, zero-carbon electricity by 2030, accelerating to net zero

    Policy Outcome 4: Sustainable procurement practices: Reducing carbon footprints, minimising waste, and promoting the use of clean energy and green technologies.

    • Understanding of opportunities for additional environmental benefits delivery in the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Collaborative ways of working with the supply chain to deliver additional environmental benefits in the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Delivery of additional environmental benefits through the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Understanding of how to influence staff, suppliers, customers, communities and/or any other appropriate stakeholders through the delivery of the contract to support climate and nature protection and improvement
    • Activities to reconnect people with the environment and increase awareness of ways to protect and enhance it

  • Mission: Break down barriers to opportunity: By reforming our childcare and education systems, to make sure there is no class ceiling on the ambitions of young people in Britain

    Policy Outcome 6: Employment and training: For those who face barriers to employment

    • Understanding of employment and skills issues, and of the skills and employment shortages of high growth sectors relating to the contract
    • Creation of employment opportunities particularly for those who face barriers to employment, such as prison leavers, care leavers and/or who are located in deprived areas, and for people in industries with known skills shortages or in high growth sectors
    • Delivery of training schemes and programmes to address any identified skills gaps and under-representation in the workforce for the contract (e.g. prison leavers, care leavers, kinship carers, disabled people)
    • Advertising, promotional and outreach activities designed to raise awareness of the offer to reach the target cohort
    • Understanding of the issues affecting the representation of disabled people in the workforce in the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors
    • Collection of the views and expertise of disabled people and their representative organisations on successfully supporting disabled employees or applicants
    • Inclusive and accessible recruitment practices, and retention-focused activities, including those provided in the Guide for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing people with a disability or health condition
    • Introducing transparency to pay and reward processes
    • Offering a range of quality opportunities with routes of progression if appropriate, e.g. T Level industry placements, students supported into higher level apprenticeships.
    • Working conditions which promote an inclusive working environment and promote retention and progression
    • Other measures to provide equality of opportunity for disabled people and those with health conditions into employment, including becoming a Disability Confident employer and inclusion of supported businesses in the contract supply chain
    • Understanding of the issues affecting inequality in employment, skills and pay in the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors. Measures to tackle inequality in employment, skills and pay in the contract workforce
    • Inclusive and accessible development practices, including guidance for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing people with a disability or health condition

  • Mission: Break down barriers to opportunity: By reforming our childcare and education systems, to make sure there is no class ceiling on the ambitions of young people in Britain

    Policy Outcome 7: Creating a pipeline of opportunities: For the contract workforce, reducing barriers to entry for under-represented groups.

    • Understanding of the issues affecting the development of new skills by target cohort
    • Understanding of the underlying factors affecting improvements to reduce barriers to entry and training schemes for the target cohort(s) related to the contract workforce
    • Other measures to offer development opportunities for the target cohort(s) in the contract workforce
    • Advertising, promotional and outreach activities designed to raise awareness of the offer to reach the target cohort
    • Understanding of issues relating to entering the contract workforce
    • Creation of outreach activities to create a pipeline of employees for the future contract delivery
    • Content of the outreach activity is designed to suit the target cohort
    • Advertising, promotional and outreach activities designed to raise awareness of the offer to reach the target cohort

  • Mission: Build an NHS fit for the future: That is there when people need it; with fewer lives lost to the biggest killers; in a fairer Britain, where everyone lives well for longer.

    Policy Outcome 8: Increasing productivity through physical and mental wellbeing: In the supply chain and communities in the relevant area.

    • Understanding of issues relating to health and wellbeing, including physical and mental health, in the contract workforce
    • Understanding barriers to access to health and social care services or employment opportunities e.g. digital inclusion
    • Inclusive and accessible recruitment practices, development practices and retention policies that support-focused activities including those provided in the Guide for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing which support people with a disability or health condition
    • Actions to invest in the physical and mental health and wellbeing of the contract workforce

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at mark.mulholland@microtech-group.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.