Design and Build of UKAEA Website

25

Applications submitted

Two stage

Call-off procedure

Value

Outside scope

Off-payroll (IR35) status

18 March 2025

Application closing date

1. Context and requirements

Work done so far: We have undertaken some discovery work with a consultant to better understand the requirements for the new UKAEA website. The findings included: • Clarity and context - Clearly communicate UKAEA’s mission beyond JET, emphasising innovation, research, and industry impact. • Streamlined Navigation - Users need intuitive, silo-free navigation with dropdowns and cross-linking between related areas. • Programme and Innovation Showcase - Dedicated pages for major programmes and innovations to attract collaborators and showcase impact. • Accessible Career Pathways - Clear, engaging resources for job seekers, apprentices, and students, with accessibility-friendly design. (To note – the careers website is excluded from the scope. This should only be re-direction). • Centralised Events and Resources - A unified hub for events with filtering by type and easy registration for users. (To note – Indico is used for events so should be integrated). • Improved Engagement with visible collaboration opportunities and clear calls-to-action to connect. • Fusion Education and Public Outreach - Simplified explanations of fusion science and UKAEA’s progress to engage the public and counter misconceptions. • SEO and Discoverability - Preserve current traffic and link equity while ensuring users can find relevant information easily.
Which phase the project is in: Discovery
Existing team: UKAEA External Website Manager UI/UX Developers (x2) IT Project Manager Head of External Communications Wider Communications department
Address where the work will be done: This work can be carried out remotely by the awarded supplier. UKAEAs address is Culham Campus, Abingdon, OX14 3DB
Working arrangements: Work carried out by the supplier will be delivered remotely, if face to face meetings are required these will be pre agreed with the supplier and UKAEA project team. The team want a collaborative approach so will be expecting to have virtual meetings regularly.
Provide more information about your security requirements: No security clearance needed
Latest start date: 2025-04-21
Enter the expected contract length: 6 months
Extension period: 3 months
Are you prepared to show your budget details?: Yes
Indicative maximum: £120000
Confirm if you require a contracted out service or supply of resource: Contracted out service: the off-payroll rules do not apply
Summary of work: UKAEA is seeking a supplier to collaborate on the development of a new online service in line with the GDS Service Manual. This will include a content management and publishing service which enables the Communications team to effectively engage its audiences online. This will be a collaborative development, and the intention is to ensure the resulting service is supported, developed, and managed as much as possible within UKAEA. The organisation is going through a brand refresh, so our internal studio team will lead on the visual design. At present, the CCFE website provides information about UKAEA’s activities. There are numerous websites belonging to UKAEA that do not have an exemption from the Cabinet Office and therefore the Government Digital Service for their existence. As part of UKAEA’s brand evolution, our objectives are to retire the existing CCFE website and consolidate all the non-exempted websites into a single location. The proposed plans have been drafted for submission to the Government Digital Service and Cabinet Office to kickstart the website overhaul
Where the supplied staff will work: No specific location (for example they can work remotely)
Why the work is being done: Fusion development is growing and UKAEA needs a dedicated website to work alongside its GOV.UK presence to meet its business objectives and user needs. UKAEA currently manages information across 500+ webpages and multiple sites which is confusing users and is inefficient to manage. UKAEAs brand is evolving and our current website branding, CCFE, is now defunct and requires updating. The launch of this new website should coincide with UKAEAs new branding launch, in August 2025.
The business problem you need to solve: UKAEA's audience primarily comprises international and UK-based researchers, academics, and industry professionals. To maintain a scientific neutral position, it needs an independent website. UKAEA is a global leader in fusion research and development, and it is crucial to ensure a reflection of the credibility and reliability of its research findings. Scientific neutrality presents unbiased results, free from personal, political, or financial influences, which is integral for the advancement of fusion science, and, as such, builds public trust. UKAEA's mission is to lead the delivery of sustainable fusion energy and maximise the scientific and economic benefits, which requires a perception of political neutrality, as fusion research is a global challenge that demands cross-border cooperation. A potential risk to this project is the delivery dates being unachievable. We would like this launched by August 2025.
First user type: Political and regulatory community
First user type: Energy and Scientific community
First user type: Investment and financial community
First user type: Informed general public

2. Assessment Criteria
Select your pricing model: Fixed price
Additional assessment methods: Presentation
Create your scoring criteria: 3
How many suppliers to evaluate: 6
Technical competence: 65
Cultural fit: 15
Social value: 0
Price: 20
Essential skills and experience: 40
Technical questions: 60
Describe the essential skill or experience:: Cyber Security Essentials, Cyber essentials plus accreditation and/or ISO27001. Delivered a website to WCAG2.2
Enter a weighting for this skill or experience in whole numbers, for example 30: 20
Describe the essential skill or experience:: Worked within the public sector on a website to GSM (Government Service Manual) or equivalent?
Enter a weighting for this skill or experience in whole numbers, for example 30: 20
Describe the essential skill or experience:: Need to undertake user needs research
Enter a weighting for this skill or experience in whole numbers, for example 30: 20
Describe the essential skill or experience:: Ability to design and build a website using CMS, specifically Wordpress
Enter a weighting for this skill or experience in whole numbers, for example 30: 10
Describe the essential skill or experience:: Content Design skills to provide training to UKAEA staff
Enter a weighting for this skill or experience in whole numbers, for example 30: 10
Describe the essential skill or experience:: Experience of knowledge transfer for supporting and maintaining the online service to in-house staff after delivery.
Enter a weighting for this skill or experience in whole numbers, for example 30: 10
Describe the essential skill or experience:: Ability to attend UKAEA site
Enter a weighting for this skill or experience in whole numbers, for example 30: 10
Explain the technical question:: How do you plan to meet the requirements in the Statement of Requirements? Please ensure user need examples are given.
Enter a weighting for this technical question in whole numbers, for example 30: 30
Explain the technical question:: What is your proposed programme with clear deliverables. A visual programme can be provided as an appendix but will not be scored.
Enter a weighting for this technical question in whole numbers, for example 30: 20
Explain the technical question:: What positions will be involved in the project and are there any single points of failure? Please include your escalation and complaints procedures.
Enter a weighting for this technical question in whole numbers, for example 30: 10
Explain the technical question:: What is your experience in delivering using the Government Service Manual or equivalent?
Enter a weighting for this technical question in whole numbers, for example 30: 10
Explain the technical question:: Please supply a case study where you have built a similar website and CMS. (Please expand from one example in question above. Please include; lessons learnt, evidence of GSM met where applicable, evidence of clients specification met. Please also supply a reference.)
Enter a weighting for this technical question in whole numbers, for example 30: 10
Explain the technical question:: The UKAEA internal team will need to continue to develop, maintain, and improve the service. What is your handover strategy to enable that?
Enter a weighting for this technical question in whole numbers, for example 30: 10
Explain the technical question:: The UKAEA content creators need training to enable them to use the CMS and produce best-practice online content. What is your experience of providing this kind of training?
Enter a weighting for this technical question in whole numbers, for example 30: 10
Your question: Working collaboratively with our in house UX/UI team and carry out effective knowledge transfer throughout.
Enter a weighting for this question: 50
Your question: Work with non-technical staff to enable effective development of online content within the CMS.
Enter a weighting for this question: 50

3. Timeline
Publication of stage 1: March 5, 2025, 4:00 PM
Clarification period closes: March 11, 2025, 4:00 PM
Deadline for suppliers to submit their stage 1 responses: March 17, 2025, 4:00 PM

Clarification questions and responses

There are no questions and clarifications relating to this opportunity.

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