Tees Valley, UK Government and Decerna logos

Request for Quotation (RFQ)

Reference: 203-RFQ-241216B | Version 1.0

Data Gathering Tool

Background

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) replaced the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) and provides funding for local investment until 31 March 2025. In Tees Valley (Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees), UKSPF supports local businesses through specialist providers delivering targeted support across different business needs and sectors.

Tees Valley Net Zero (the "project") is delivered by Decerna on behalf of the Tees Valley Combined Authority, the Tees Valley Mayor, and the Tees Valley Business Board.

The project provides practical steps to help businesses reduce costs and save carbon. The project provides access to a wide range of support including self-help guides, energy information sessions, CPD-accredited energy management workshops, free energy assessments and grant funding. A £1M grant fund provides 500 grants of £2,000 each to support net zero investments.

Opportunity

Explore the feasibility of and implement (where possible) the integration of a business’s data streams related to their Scope 1, 2 & 3 carbon emissions ("Data Gathering Tool"). Examples of these data sources include accounting software, energy supplier accounts, etc., The overall aim is to enable data to be fed directly from these systems into our tool, minimising the manual data entry required of the user.

Existing Tool

BringAbout, our carbon foot printing tool supports businesses of all sizes in calculating and managing their greenhouse gas emissions ("Existing Tool"). It has been developed following the methodologies specified in the Green House Gas Protocol. Scope 1 and 2 emissions are calculated using activity data such as fuel consumption, electricity usage, and miles travelled. Scope 3 emissions involve various calculation methods, and our tool allows clients to select the most appropriate method based on their data availability.

The tool is available in three end-user versions:

Version Features
Free
  • Limited to Scopes 1 and 2 emissions
Premium
  • Includes Scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions
  • Near-term and long-term reduction targets
  • Carbon Reduction Plan (PPN 06/21) generation
  • SECR reports generation
Custom Premium (Programme)
  • All Premium features included
  • Customised Scope 3 categories
  • Flexible calculation methods
  • Features tailored to the needs of individual business support programmes

The project makes use of a Custom Premium Programme for businesses in Tees Valley.

Technical Environment

Component Technology
Platform WordPress web-based framework
Source Code Management GitHub repository
Hosting Environment AWS server

Deliverables

Requirement Description
API Integration
  • Integration with at least one cloud-based accounting tool (i.e. Sage, QuickBooks, Xero, FreeAgent, FreshBooks, Zoho Books) [Required]
  • GUI interface within the Existing Tool, allowing for data retrieval from multiple third-party platforms via their respective APIs [Desirable]
  • Possible integration with energy suppliers (Octopus, British Gas) [Desirable]
  • Possible integration with other relevant data streams for emissions calculations [Desirable]
Availability
  • Ability to Enable and Disable the Data Gatering Tool to a given cohort of users, i.e. the Custom Premium (Programme) users for the project.
Implementation
  • Seamless integration with existing tool
  • Smooth functionality guaranteed
  • Comprehensive testing and validation

Timescales

Milestone Date
RfQ Published Monday 16 December 2024
Clarification Deadline Thursday 2 January 2025 (16:00)
Proposal / RfQ Deadline Monday 13 January 2025 (12:00 noon)
Shortlist Interviews Wednesday 15 January 2025
Contract Award Thursday 16 January 2025
Kick-off Meeting Monday 20 January 2025
Client Testing Friday 7 March 2025
Final Deliverables Friday 14 March 2025
Handover Meeting Friday 21 March 2025

Financials

Maximum Budget: £40,000 (excluding VAT).

Payment Schedule

Deliverable Payment
Acceptance of Sprint Plan following Kick-off Meeting 30%
Acceptance of Deliverables 70%

Payment Terms: Approved invoices will be paid within 0-1 working days.

Deadline: All activity and defrayment must occur no later than 31 March 2025.

Assessment Criteria (100 points total)

Criteria Points Assessment Criteria Assessment Scoring
Quality 70 Technical Capability & Integration Approach (25 points)
  • Demonstrated understanding of API integration requirements and proposed technical solution for connecting with accounting tools and other data sources
  • Architecture and approach for seamless integration with the existing WordPress-based tool
  • Security measures and data protection considerations for handling sensitive business information
  • Proposed approach for enabling/disabling the tool for specific user cohorts
  • Clear methodology for data mapping and transformation between source systems and the carbon calculation tool
  • Scale of ambition in delivering comprehensive integrations, from required accounting tool integration through to additional data streams, demonstrating innovation in GUI design and future extensibility potential
 0 = No response
1-5 = Poor response
6-10 = Basic response
11-15 = Good response
16-20 = Very good response
21-25 = Excellent response
Implementation & Testing Strategy (25 points)
  • Detailed project implementation plan with clear milestones aligned to the specified timelines
  • Comprehensive testing strategy including unit testing, integration testing, and user acceptance testing
  • Risk identification and mitigation strategies for the implementation phase
  • Approach to handling API version changes and updates from third-party platforms
  • Resource allocation and team expertise in relevant technologies (WordPress, AWS, API integration)
 0 = No response
1-5 = Poor response
6-10 = Basic response
11-15 = Good response
16-20 = Very good response
21-25 = Excellent response
Support & Documentation (20 points)
  • Documentation plan for API integrations and system architecture
  • Training and handover approach for the development team
  • Strategy for handling API disruptions and system failures
  • Scalability considerations for adding future data source integrations
 0 = No response
1-4 = Poor response
5-8 = Basic response
9-12 = Good response
13-16 = Very good response
17-20 = Excellent response
Value for Money 15
  • Competitive day rates
  • Appropriate allocation of resources
  • Clear breakdown of costs
  • Added value elements
 0 = No response
1-3 = Poor response
4-6 = Basic response
7-9 = Good response
10-12 = Very good response
13-15 = Excellent response
Cost 15
  • Calculated by reference to lowest price proposal, each proposal weighted proportionately
 Score = (Lowest Price / Proposal Price) × 15

Submission Requirements

Item Requirements
Technical Proposal
(max 15 pages)
  • Detailed description of the proposed API integration approach, including specific accounting tools to be integrated and methodology for connecting with additional data sources
  • Technical architecture showing how the solution will integrate with the existing WordPress-based tool and AWS hosting environment
  • Security and data protection measures for handling sensitive business information
  • Implementation plan with clear milestones and deliverables aligned to the specified timeline from mid-January to mid-March 2025
  • Comprehensive testing strategy covering unit testing, integration testing, and user acceptance testing
  • Risk assessment and mitigation strategies for the implementation phase
  • Team structure and expertise, including experience with WordPress, AWS, and API integrations
  • Documentation and knowledge transfer approach, including system architecture documentation and training plans
  • Support and maintenance strategy, including handling of API disruptions and system failures
  • Proposed approach for enabling/disabling the Data Gathering Tool for specific user cohorts
  • Innovation in GUI design and extensibility considerations for future data source integrations
Financial Proposal
(max 2 pages)
  • Total fixed price (excluding VAT)
  • Breakdown of costs by deliverable
  • Day rates for key team members
  • Resource allocation across deliverables
Format
  • 10pt minimum font size
  • All documents in PDF format
  • Maximum file size 8MB per document
Platform
Key Dates
  • Clarification deadline: Thursday 2 January 2025 (16:00)
  • Submission deadline: Monday 13 January 2025 (12:00 noon)