ACCORD BUSINESS SOLUTIONS LIMITED
Virtual CISO & Compliance Service
For strengthening cyber governance, improving compliance posture, securing cloud environments.
Includes security leadership, risk assessments, remediation planning, policy and risk framework development. Audit readiness support aligned to ISO27001, Cyber Essentials and cloud policies.
This service is for organisations requiring information governance leadership, including certification readiness and defensible cyber assurance.
Features
- Strategic Information Governance and Leadership Support
- Risk Based standards recommendations
- Cyber Essentials and CE+ Planning
- Information Security Security Consultancy for Cloud
- Policy, Risk and Treatment Planning
- Business Continuity Planning and Implementation
- Audit Readiness Preparation
- Board Level Representation
- Security Tooling and Vendor Support
Benefits
- Strengthens cyber assurance across Microsoft 365 and cloud-hosted services
- Accelerates ISO27001 and Cyber Essentials readiness for cloud
- Delivers prioritised remediation roadmaps for cloud security control gaps
- Enables compliant cloud service delivery aligned to public sector expectations
- Embeds continuous cloud security improvement
- Enhances board visibility of cloud risks and data exposure
- Supports Cloud Security Tooling and Vendor Selection
- Improves Data Governance in Cloud and AI Environments
- Improves Organisational Capacity to Strategise Cloud Security
- Adds Expertise and Capacity with Flexible Engagements
Pricing
- Education pricing available
Service documents
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Framework
G-Cloud 15
Service ID
8 5 7 2 3 0 9 4 0 6 9 5 0 1 8
Contact
ACCORD BUSINESS SOLUTIONS LIMITED
Katrina Gordon
Telephone: 01463 218555
Email: contact@accordsolutions.tech
About your service
- Service categories
-
Cloud Support Services
Security Services
- Security strategy
- Security risk management
- Security incident management
- Security audit services
- Security quality assurance (QA) and testing
- Other
Service scope
- Service constraints
-
This service does not include:
• Issuing certification or acting as an auditor
• External certification audit fees
• Hardware provision or onsite infrastructure installation -
• Commodity MSP helpdesk services outside agreed governance scope
Accord is able to provide a number of vendor specific solutions and support for securing cloud environments outwith the framework agreement. These are outside of the scope of this engagement.
User support
- Email or online ticketing support
- Yes
- Support response times
- Response times will be in line with agreed contractual scope. Generally we offer Mon-Fri 9-5 for response times on retained contracts. For consultation effort we would allocate allocated time periods of consultant availability.
- User can manage status and priority of support tickets
- No
- Phone support
- Yes
- Phone support availability
- 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
- Web chat support
- No
- Support levels
-
We can offer different tiers of support depending on the nature of the engagement.
For ad-hoc consultancy we have a premium service for Information Security Risk advice for events. This is charged at an hourly rate of £200 in line with emergency support or advice. This service can be access on agreement and our response times would be immediate during working hours,
For retained vCISO services we offer a flexible rate for subscriptions of £1250 on a daily basis. Normally we would assign a service resource for defined days during a month for availability, with flexibility for addition days as required. Response times would be within the working day of engagement.
We provide a dedicated vCISO resource alongside an Account Director for escalations and support. We also can provide access to vendor specific expertise.
Resellers
- Supplier type
- Not a reseller
Staff security
- Staff security clearance
- Staff screening not performed
- Government security clearance
- Developed Vetting (DV)
Pricing
- Discount for educational organisations
- Yes
Chief digital and data roles
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Chief information security officer | £1,250.00 | £1,800.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Chief technology officer | £1,800.00 |
Cyber security roles
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Lead cyber security audit and assurance | £1,250.00 | £1,800.00 |
| Principal cyber security audit and assurance | £1,000.00 | £1,600.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Associate cyber security governance and risk manager | £1,000.00 | £1,600.00 |
| Lead cyber security governance and risk manager | £1,250.00 | £1,800.00 |
| Principal cyber security governance and risk manager | £1,500.00 | £1,800.00 |
IT operations roles
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Business relationship manager | £650.00 | £1,000.00 |
| Senior business relationship manager | £800.00 | £1,150.00 |
| Lead business relationship manager | £1,000.00 | £1,250.00 |
| Role level | UK Rate | Offshore Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Associate end user computing engineer | £650.00 | £1,200.00 |
| End user computing engineer | £800.00 | £1,350.00 |
| Senior end user computing engineer | £1,000.00 | £1,350.00 |
| Lead end user computing engineer | £1,250.00 | £1,600.00 |
| Principal end user computing engineer | £1,500.00 | £1,800.00 |
Non-mandatory Standards and certifications
- ISO/IEC 27001 certification
- No
- ISO 28000:2022 certification
- No
- ISO 9001 certification
- No
- Quality management systems (QMS)
- Yes
- CSA STAR certification
- No
- PCI certification
- No
- Cyber essentials
- Yes
- Please provide your Cyber Essentials Certificate Number
- B39f4a65-c190-443b-a493-5114bb9494bb
- Cyber essentials plus
- Yes
- Please provide your Cyber Essentials Plus Certificate Number
- 41a7e6e0-c58f-48e9-961a-ea33b7681ce4
- Other security certifications
- Yes
- Any other security certifications
- IASME Level 1
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
- 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
- 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
-
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
- 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)
- 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
- Understanding of local demographics, needs and opportunities for the co-design of the goods, services and works to be delivered under the contract
- Measures to involve local stakeholders and/or users in design (e.g. in the design of services, systems, products or buildings)
- 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.
- 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
-
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)
- 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
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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
-
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 contact@accordsolutions.tech.
Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.