Guidance

Additional supplier questions

Updated 15 June 2021

Clarification of the award moderation process

1 - The Prison Leavers Innovation Challenge has 6 challenge statements (each of which shall be referred to as a “Challenge”) as follows:

• Challenge 1 – Goal tracking
• Challenge 2 – Day of release appointments
• Challenge 3 – Data store
• Challenge 4 – Family relationships
• Challenge 5 – Social groups
• Challenge 6 – Learning difficulties and disabilities

2 - It is important for the Ministry of Justice (the “Authority”) to have support for each Challenge. Therefore, for Phase 1 awards, there are a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 3 challenge awards of £25,000 each (“Challenge Awards”) available for each category of Challenge (“Category”). There are a total of 10 Challenge Awards available which shall be awarded as set out below.

3 - For each Category, 1 Challenge Award shall be awarded, in line with the evaluation procedure set out in the supplier guidance document, to the top scoring bidder in that Category, provided that such bidder scores a minimum of 60%.

4 - Following the process set out in paragraph 3, the remaining Challenge Awards shall be awarded to the next highest scoring bidders across the Categories as a whole, to a maximum of 3 Challenge Awards per Category. Once a Category has had 3 Challenge Awards made against it, that Category shall be deemed closed and any remaining bids against that Category shall be removed from consideration, regardless of their score. This process shall continue until 10 Challenge Awards have been allocated.

5 - For the avoidance of doubt, each Challenge Award within any one Category shall be awarded to a different successful bidder – a bidder cannot be chosen for a Challenge Award in the same Category more than once.

6 - Should any Category have no Challenge Award made against it due to a lack of successful bidders, the Authority may, at its sole discretion, elect to close that Category and apply such unallocated Challenge Award in line with the process set out in paragraph 4.

7 - Nothing set out in this process shall have the effect of allowing a bidder to qualify for a Challenge Award when they would not normally qualify for a Challenge Award - such as because they do not meet the minimum percentage quality criteria.

Eligibility Criteria

Where can I find more information about the eligibility criteria?

Eligibility criteria is shown in the Additional Challenge Content document saved in the UK Gov Guidance Page.

Can suppliers apply to more than one challenge?

Suppliers may only apply to one challenge to ensure their solution meets the full needs and criteria of that challenge.

Does the tech solution need to answer all the six challenges?

No suppliers only need to apply to one of the six challenges.

Are you looking for one solution per challenge or one solution could cover multiple challenges? Or multiple solutions per challenge?

We are looking for one solution per challenge. However, solutions can be multifaceted and cover many aspects of that specific challenge.

How many of the 6 challenges can providers pitch for?

Suppliers can only apply for one challenge.

If we have potential solutions that meet one or more of the challenges will this be considered?

We recommend suppliers pick the challenge that best fits their solution. We accept multifaceted proposals which cover a range of areas but proposed solutions will be assessed based on its relevance to one specific challenge.

Can we submit multiple proposals for each different challenge?

Suppliers can submit multiple proposals under different challenges but each must have a clear differentiated proposed solution.

We are applying as a consortium, how do I register this on the application form?

Consortiums are welcome to apply. We ask that you identify a lead organisation and have this organisation fill out the application form on behalf of the consortium. The lead organisation must meet all criteria. There is a question on the application form where you can identify all relevant organisations within the consortium applying.

Can part of the consortium be a public sector body?

Any organisation can be part of a consortium provided it is satisfied it has the legal right to do so and the lead organisation meets the other assessment criteria.

I read in the guidance that collaboration is OK, that companies can come together for this project (as long as the lead company is compliant). Does your evaluation look poorly on multi company applications?

Applications will be judged by the eligibility criteria alone, so no preference is given to the structure of the applying organisation.

Would you be expecting the lead to be a digital/tech agency? Or would you be happy with a collaboration of a third sector agency lead (who already works with prison leavers), with a digital partner?

The Supplier Guidance outlines the eligibility criteria for suppliers. Any organisation can be the lead supplier so long as they meet our eligibility criteria, including internal resources within their organisation that have experience of writing code on the technology for the potential solution.

Some development I outsource to another UK company. They have great UI & UX developers that I don’t have. Is that OK?

No, lead organisations must have internal resources within their organisation that have experience of writing code on the technology for the potential solution. The Supplier Guidance outlines the eligibility criteria for suppliers.

We are based in Northern Ireland, outside the jurisdiction of the MoJ. We work under guidance of DoJ - can we carry out evaluations here?

Evaluations should be carried out in the jurisdictions they will be used in (MoJ has jurisdiction for England and Wales). You should satisfy yourself that you can carry out appropriate evaluation activities in line with the requirements of the project.

We work closely with Penal Reform Solutions and our CIC was created as an entity to facilitate our lived experience consultancy, coaching and mentoring to a wider audience. I don’t know if we qualify for this bid?

Suppliers should ensure that they have the right (generally and in respect of your organisation’s constitution) to participate.

Can we pilot and further develop a prototype that has already started but not yet gone live?

Applications must propose a genuinely novel solution. An existing solution would not be accepted unless it had considerable adaptations to ensure it was suitable for your target user group.

If a current project is already in progress which in itself is innovative and novel, can this project be used for this challenge with further development activities carried out to tailor to this competition. Also if this project has already received grant funding from Innovate UK, would this still qualify?

As above, applications must propose a genuinely novel solution. A proposal cannot receive SBRI funding from the Prison Leavers Innovation Challenge if it is already funded to develop the same product or service by another body.

We have a dedicated development team who are an internal resource. We pay them on a free-lance basis. Is this a problem?

Companies must demonstrate that they have the technical expertise within the organisation for the duration of the project. If they are an internal resource that will remain with the company for the duration of the programme, then this is acceptable.

It says Suppliers must have CyberEssentials certification for phase 2 and need to have at least a credible plan to be working towards that accreditation as a condition of being selected for phase 1 - what counts as a credible plan?

A credible plan is proof the supplier has begun working toward CyberEssentials certification and that this will be achievable in the given timeframe. It will set out the actions required of the supplier and the edits they will make to their solution to ensure it is CyberEssentials certified.

Supplier type: organisation eligibility

Is this challenge limited to tech start ups and SMEs, or all suppliers?

As this is a SBRI initiative we particularly encourage SMEs to apply but any sized organisation is eligible to apply provided they meet other assessment criteria.

Is this funding aimed at technical agencies or third party organisations?

Proposed solutions must have a technical focus but technical agencies can apply as part of a consortium with third party organisations. In this case the lead organisation must submit the application and fit the eligibility criteria outlined.

Is this just for private sector companies to apply for or can charitable organisations apply?

Suppliers must be registered companies but can apply alongside other organisation groups as part of a consortium.

Supplier type: applicant eligibility

What are the eligibility criteria for being able to take part in terms of being a startup or SME? Is there a turnover threshold or other criteria?

Both startups and SME’s will be considered as applicants. Companies will have to provide registration information alongside regulatory compliance and overview what resources and personnel would be deployed as part of their solution. Please see the application form and supplier guidance for a clear list of requirements.

Do suppliers have to have 3 years accounts etc / minimum trading history?

Companies do not need to have a minimum trading history , though they will be asked to elaborate on previous experience within their industry and this space. However we reserve the right to ask for supporting information where that may inform our confidence in the financial stability of the organisation, such as evidence of working partnerships with more established organisations.

Are consortiums eligible to apply, and how do you define a consortium?

Yes, but we ask that the leading organisation fits all the eligibility criteria. A consortium is defined as a group made up of two or more companies, or third sector bodies that work together to achieve a common objective. Where the consortium is not a single legal entity, the current intention would be to contract with the lead organisation with the component companies recorded as sub-contractors or partners.

Are you looking for entries from individual companies or from consortia? How do consortia know who is bidding?

Applications from both individual companies and consortias are both accepted. The lead organisation bidding must meet all eligibility criteria as laid out in the Supplier Guidance document and application form.

Are new collaborations eligible to apply?

Yes, new collaborations are eligible to apply as long as they meet the eligibility criteria.

Is this open to brand new start ups, potentially a joint venture between parties that could bring skills together to address a particular challenge?

Yes it is open to new startups , we do ask the companies to be registered entities and that they meet all eligibility criteria including regulatory compliance and be working towards cyber essentials. The website suggests that the developers of your solution must work in your organisation and be available through the shortlisting and pilot phase for continuous development of the solution.

Does the lead organisation in any consortium need to employ the key developers or can they be employed by another part of the consortium?

Key developers must be employed by either party of the consortium and must be available to deploy resources in the United Kingdom at time of Shortlisting phase.

Tech limitations

Do the solutions have to be tech-based?

Yes the solutions must be tech based.

What limitations does MoJ have on what technology is used to deliver these novel ideas focused on the six challenges please?

There are no limitations on the form of technology to be used to deliver solutions.

Will potential applicants need to have cyber essentials as part of the digital solutions?

We do require that suppliers must have CyberEssentials certification or equivalent certification when working with real data during phase 2, and need to have at least a credible plan to be working towards that accreditation as a condition of being selected for phase 1. A supplier webinar will be held during the application phase to provide more information.

Will applications be accepted by start-ups which have an existing product but requires further development to support prisoners?

Yes. Applications must propose a genuinely novel solution. Novel solutions can include: - Development of new products, systems and platforms; - Development of new features within existing product environments; - Novel applications of existing products, systems and platforms where the application environment requires substantive customisation or new development.

Does the submission have to be an app? Or just a tech-centered solution?

There is not a designated technology form for the solutions. Solutions may be various forms of hardware and software.

The term “App” has been used in several examples. From an innovation point of view is the assumption here that ALL prison leavers will have access to a smartphone, data and/or Wifi?

Prison leavers are at risk of being digitally excluded and have lower rates of digital literacy so we ask that suppliers account for this in their applications. Switchback’s studies show that 4 out of 5 have smartphones. We are working on the assumption that most prison leavers will have a smartphone, and if not we want interventions to think about factoring in issues around literacy and exclusion for their long term development.

Evaluation

How should suppliers identify their user group for their solution?

Suppliers should look at who their intervention is best placed to deliver to. For example, if their solution is helping link prison leavers with mental health services, they should look to pilot it with a target group of people with mental health needs. Suppliers can look at the Additional Challenge Context pack to form a better understanding of the user needs. Suppliers are also welcome to talk to other organisations in the space that may have expertise about who these solutions may be best delivered to. Our analytical team will also work with successful organisations to support them in identifying a subject group.

With control groups, are there any priority areas you would like us to work with first and foremost? Or is this entirely up to applicants?

Our main priority with the control groups is that the characteristics closely match that of your target/intervention group. For example, if your target group focuses on male prison leavers between the ages of 18-24 from a specific prison or probation area, your control group could include male prison leavers of the same age, from a comparable prison or probation area, or those from the same area with a slightly higher age e.g. 25-30.

Is there a particular preference you are looking for (female, male, juvenile offenders?)

The research that shaped the challenges was focused on the adult male cohort, so interventions should focus on this cohort predominantly. However, we are open to solutions that are also applicable to other groups, but the solution should still be applicable to male offenders as well. We are also interested in measurable cohorts within adult male prison leavers, such as sentence length, types and offences, as well as demographics. Juvenile offenders are out of scope.

There is a very high focus here on data collection - hence a potential to make data collection quite difficult for anyone involved in the process. Are we right to assume we are also interested in pragmatic attempts to maximize the value of a given amount of data collected?

We will work closely with suppliers that are selected for further stages to explore how data collection can be conducted. The baseline requirement is for the MoJ evaluation team to know who is involved in the interventions to assess the impact, by collection of the required personal identifiers data points outlined in the Additional Challenge Context pack.

12 months may not be long enough to fully evaluate a project. What if it takes longer to show its full impact? For example: if a prisoner gets a job as a result of a project how long would they need to be employed before it’s deemed a success?

The project will be delivered over 12 months, and evaluation will then continue for up to two years after the interventions have finished. Some outcomes will be measured at various points throughout the one-year period after the intervention is delivered, such as accommodation and employment, and the standard reducing reoffending outcome rate is also measured at one year.

Do you imagine that nDelius, prison-NOMIS and the PNC could make available APIs to support the supply of data to these applications? Or do you imagine something else?

Data would not be able to be provided as part of the application process, but as suppliers move forward to the shortlisting and piloting phase, we can work with organisations to help look at where interventions may be particularly useful or applicable.

What is a good breakdown of ROI for this project?

ROI will be measured as the return on investment from the perspective of the Ministry of Justice. This can be a financial benefit directly or indirectly brought about by the project. For example, if the solution can reduce negative effects on society or reduce workload for key workers which results in a cost saving this can also be considered

Wider context

Are the Ministry of Justice figures for those being released from prison to street homelessness accurate? Our organisation is linked to a homelessness day centre, the client group we meet have sometimes given false information as they have been worried they wouldn’t be released. Also until a probation meeting this wouldn’t necessarily be picked up?

MoJ data on homelessness after leaving prison is our best estimate, based on information collected by the National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Companies as part of the Community Performance requirements. To the best of our knowledge this represents true and accurate information.

Other questions

Are the Channel Islands eligible to participate?

As Crown Dependencies, the Channel Islands are out of scope for the competition. We work with people who have committed sexual offences and although we recognise those challenges which are common to all prison leavers … some of the solutions for this cohort might be different to other groups.

Will applications from charities working with specific cohorts be encouraged?

Yes, suppliers are encouraged to develop needs-based solutions. Consequently, solutions should not unnecessarily exclude users on the basis of demographic characteristics, if their needs mean they could also benefit from the solutions.

Can I confirm that companies that already deliver technology to prisons will be excluded?

As this is an innovation challenge we are looking for novel solutions and therefore existing solutions already deployed in the prison space will not be applicable. However solutions that are considered novel may be considered. Novel solutions can include: - Development of new products, systems and platforms; - Development of new features within existing product environments; - Novel applications of existing products, systems and platforms where the application environment requires substantive customisation or new development.

Are you taking into account Virtual Campus in this programme ?

The six challenge statements were developed in close collaboration with colleagues across HMPPS and MoJ to ensure any new initiatives complement existing programmes (such as the virtual campus). Successful companies will be supported through the prototyping and piloting phases to ensure necessary join-up with other relevant initiatives.

What are the stipulations around ownership of intellectual property? Can this be shared between consortium organisations?

SBRI programmes fund organisations to conduct challenge-based research and development (R&D) to develop products or services that address a specific unmet public sector need. The intellectual property (IP) for these products and services remains with the applicant and therefore can be commercialised across the UK and internationally.

What is the ideal split of funding on product development and proposition development?

Suppliers will be assessed against their solution’s ability to establish technical and commercial feasibility through the development of a working prototype, against a reasonable and justified budget. Projected long term costs for the solution should be clearly identified and outlined across the length of the project. There is no ideal split as each challenge and each solution will require different cost projections. You will be evaluated on how feasible your split is and if it is clearly outlined.

Challenge programme set-up

Are these challenge statements relevant to both the £25k opportunities and the up to £350k opportunities?

Yes the challenge statements remain the same throughout both Phase 1 - Shortlisting and Phase 2 - Piloting.

Is the funding purely for a technological prototype or is it for a programme with a technology embedded within it?

The funding is provided to develop digital and technical solutions to the challenges outlined.

Do solutions have to be driven from psychological aspects? Would there be any support even before the shortlisting, or we are expected to get inputs on our own?

Solutions should be developed based on user needs and proposals that demonstrate an understanding of the target users - including psychological needs - will score more highly. To gain more understanding of the specific needs of prison leavers, we recommend attending the Journey of a Prison Leaver event on Thursday May 27th which will cover each challenge’s needs and context as well as the research done around the challenges. Suppliers will also have opportunity to access guidance and training on topics such as psychologically informed practice during the shortlisting phase to support the development of proposed solutions.

Well defined 6 challenges, but with only four organisations being selected for the second phase, and providers only able to apply for one challenge – does that present a situation where two challenges do not progress in the pilot / steady state?

Yes up to four pilots will run in a steady state meaning only the challenges with the most impactful solutions will make it to the pilot stage.

Following a successful application who decides upon the area and the prison where the pilot can be delivered?

Suppliers are asked to outline a user group that would suit their solution deployment as well as potential control groups during the application phase. Many of the applicants will apply with pilot partners and therefore will have these user groups in place. In instances when this is not the case we will work with our third sector charities and service communities to match where appropriate.

Does the innovative solution need to be financially viable through the private sector? or is the view that this is something that the public sector could possibly pay for once proof of concept has been produced?

Applicants will be expected to submit long term costs and ROI as part of their application. Whilst in the programme we will run commercialisation meetings to discuss long term opportunities within government or private sector uses.

Will the solution be implemented within a particular region and if so can the applicant choose the region?

As part of an application suppliers may put forward a locality for delivery. The PICO framework (outlined in the Additional challenge context pack) should be consulted when completing the application, to help identifying a target area and group, as well as ideally a control area. The nature of the solution and the method of evaluation will factor into the selection of a region for implementation of the solution. Shortlisted suppliers will work with the MoJ’s Evaluation team to explore how best to conduct the evaluation, including region.

Regarding the phase 1 and phase 2 process, will the phase 2 four selected companies be picked from the 10 previously picked companies? Or is this 2 different lots?

At the end of the shortlisting phase successful suppliers will advance to the piloting phase.

Can you explain your thinking around funding beyond the ‘seeding budgets’ and how budgets are structured during and beyond the POC phases in more detail please?

The Prison Leavers Innovation Challenge is a two-phase SBRI competition. The full award up to £25,000 will be released upfront to companies who are successful in the first phase of the competition. The up to four companies who are successful at Demo Day and proceed into the pilot development and piloting phases of the competition will receive an award up to £350,000 in arrears and in instalments. Instalments will be tied to deliverables. More information on the frequency and size of payments will be provided to successful applicants.

Will there be information sharing agreements frameworks put in place to facilitate correlation between measured data and currently un-captured data?

Further information regarding data capture will be shared to successful suppliers during the shortlisting phase.

Could you clarify the length of each phase and the amount of each award? Do you expect a company to run a pilot for one year with £25,000?

The award amount for the first phase, shortlisting, is up to £25,000. This includes the development of a prototype and lasts 10 weeks in total. The award amount for phase 2, pilot development and piloting, is up to £350,000. This award should cover the development of a pilot and its running in ‘steady state’ for approximately one year.

Scoring and application

Would you be scored higher if your solution covers more than one challenge or is it best to focus on just one?

Companies are required to apply to one challenge statement and will be assessed based solely on that application.

One of the things MOJ/HMPPS have struggled with is including smaller VCSE’s in these types of tenders in favour of larger orgs and institutions. How will this be any different?

We are specifically looking to generate new ideas and solutions with this Innovation Challenge and as part of that we are explicitly interested in working with smaller organisations such as start-ups and VCSEs. The criteria have been designed to ensure that larger organisations with existing contracts with Government in this particular field cannot apply. Part of the package of support for successful suppliers as part of the PLIC includes mentorship and commercialisation advice for smaller organisations to support them with Government contracts in future.

What is the format for the application?

The application is through an online portal where suppliers can start, save and submit their submission. It is a series of questions which match the evaluation criteria as laid out by the Supplier Guidance for Phase 1 document .

When will successful applicants be notified?

Interviews will commence on the week of 21 June - Applicants will be reached out before that week to advise if they will be advancing to the interview phase.

Is there a distinct supplier pack for Phase 2 or if Supplier Guidance for Phase 1is intended to cover both Phases? If there is a separate Supplier pack for Phase 2 please could it be circulated. Is the evaluation approach set out in Supplier Guide for Phase 1 the same approach that will be taken to evaluating the 10 pilot projects and deciding which 4 to take forward to Phase 2 or will another evaluation approach be used.

A Supplier Guidance for Phase 2 will be issued to suppliers who progress to the shortlisting phase to aid them in designing and developing their solution.

The Prison Leavers Innovation Challenge Supplier Guide for Phase 1 sets out that there will be a preference for suppliers who fall within the category of Small & Medium Sized Enterprise (SME). Please could you set out the weighting approach you will be adopting for any applications from organisations outside the SME category?

As this is a SBRI initiative SMEs are encouraged to respond and submit proposals. However, all eligible proposals will be assessed and scored in the same weighting. When selecting those proposals to go through to the second stage, the smaller footprint and overheads of SMEs may lead to more SME solutions being selected to pass through, in order to make optimal use of the available funding, but each proposal would be assessed on their merits.

Wider context

How will the project be linked to preparatory activity in the prison pre-release?

Suppliers will have the opportunity to engage with relevant teams in the Prison Leaver Project during the shortlisting phase so they can develop solutions that account for other activities occurring pre-release.

What evaluations of current embedded solutions have taken place to begin a lesson’s learnt approach? There are great and inspiring organisations supporting offenders with their journey, but funding can be an obstacle to improve on their programmes and support models.

The six challenge statements were developed with consideration of the existing evidence base on reoffending and rehabilitation. Access to detailed data and evidence on these issues isl likely to be provided to organisations who are successful in applying to the first phase of the competition, subject to signature of an NDA. We’d also encourage interested suppliers to attend the upcoming Prison Leaver Journey webinar on 27th May to understand the research already undertaken to develop the challenge statements. We recognise that initiatives often struggle to fund interventions without being able to demonstrate their impact, and a core part of the offer to successful suppliers as part of the Innovation Challenge will be the opportunity to have their intervention evaluated against a series of metrics, including impact on reoffending rates where assessing impact is feasible. We will work with SMEs and our evaluation partner to explore the feasibility of this.

Some of the 6 challenges can be developed prior to leaving custody and carried on through the gate. How can you ensure that there is a digital infrastructure to support solutions?

Suppliers are not required to integrate with any existing systems as a condition of bidding for one or all of the challenges. However, prison and probation technological systems and their data resources listed in the Additional challenge context pack are available for solutions to integrate with if suppliers deem them useful.

How do residents access an App or technical solution from establishments where there is no IT?

As the programme is focused on Prison Leavers, solutions are likely to engage with individuals once they have been released, and so users are unlikely to face the challenge of engaging with solutions within prison.

The HMPPS TOM indicated that a number of the core prison/probation systems (OASYS/Ndelius etc) are due to be upgraded/renovated. How might any dependencies be managed where proposed solutions are dependent on /integrate with these systems?

Suppliers will work with the MoJ’s technical teams where required to ensure solutions developed are robust to changes and built with consideration of future changes. Solutions to some of the challenge statements are unlikely to be dependent on core prison/probation systems and therefore will not be adversely affected by changes made to these systems

Will tech based prison regulations and laws be shared somewhere as I imagine there are quite a few which need to be considered?

Suppliers selected for the shortlisting phase will work with the PLIC team to ensure they meet regulatory standards and legal compliance.

Is this project only focused on the Adult Prison Leavers Estate or does this include the YJB?

The young and juvenile offender cohort is out of scope of this challenge.

Does HMPSS know as a percentage how many prison leavers have a smartphone?

Switchback statistics show that 4 out of 5 prison leavers have access to a phone after re-entering the community.

Additional information

Will you be sharing existing Journeys with us?

The Additional challenge context pack contains information about the wider context and user needs for each challenge. Additional detail will be provided in the Prison Leaver Journey webinar on the 27th May. If you are successful in applying to the first phase of the project we will likely be able to share further data and evidence, as well user journey maps with you, upon signature of an NDA.

Who will own the IP of any solutions developed?

SBRI programmes fund organisations to conduct challenge-based research and development (R&D) to develop products or services that address a specific unmet public sector need. The intellectual property (IP) for these products and services remains with the applicant and therefore can be commercialised across the UK and internationally.

Is there any information available from HMPPS Digital Studio on the API’s available on NDelius or would we ask the PLIC team specific questions referring to our solution.

Please see the Data Resources section of the Additional challenge context pack for more information about the APIs available to suppliers.

Future opportunities

For successful solutions, have you addressed the inevitable procurement challenges as part of this programme?

Designing the solutions to match the needs of the challenges and the requirements of procurement is a large part of the design of the program. The PLIC has been developed with the buy-in and support of cross-government partners, to increase likelihood of route to market at the end of the Project. All organisations that successfully apply to phase one will have mentorship to support them with commercialisation challenges, as well as the opportunity to showcase their solution at a Demo Day with potential public sector buyers. Part of the core ‘offer’ to SMEs who apply will also include support in demonstrating the impact of their solution - including against reoffending outcomes - to future potential buyers.

Are there any plans to progress ‘blue zone’ applicants.Those with a great idea but are not funded?

The funding available for the PLIC is finite and a maximum of four solutions will be taken forward to pilot. However, shortlisted applicants will all receive access to mentorship - as well as the opportunity to showcase their solution at a Demo Day with potential public sector buyers.

Networking

We are not a technology provider but a Third Sector organisation working directly with prison leavers - how do we best engage with the tech providers on this program?

Suppliers can apply as part of a consortium with a tech provider and propose a solution to the challenges. Otherwise suppliers can get in touch with us at hello@public.io about wanting to work alongside the programme and we can have a discussion about what opportunities there are.

Will there be information about other organisations project applications, so we know what else has been submitted?

In line with standard procurement procedure, we will not be making other organisations proposals openly viewable during the application process.

Is there scope for networking between organisations that are interested in applying and have good ideas but, in isolation, are unable to deliver all aspects of the proposal, in order to develop joint bids. Eg: organisations that can provide safe spaces for learning, residential accommodation and mentoring, but don’t have the in-house tech skills required to design apps, etc.?

Yes , we recommended attending our webinars as a way to meet with other potential applicants with the opportunity to apply as part of a consortium.

To assist with networking and potential forming of consortia/partnerships, will details of webinar delegates be shared?

For GDPR reasons we cannot share a full attendee list. However we have emailed suppliers who attended this event to seek consent to share details.