---
title: "Support Contract for EFG Portal"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-02974e"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-02974e"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02974e.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02974e.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "BRITISH BUSINESS BANK PLC"
published: "2021-03-01"
---

# Support Contract for EFG Portal

Buyer: BRITISH BUSINESS BANK PLC  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-02974e

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## Summary

The British Business Bank Plc is seeking a supplier for a support contract related to the EFG Portal, which falls under the industry category of Information Technology Services. This contract was awarded for the provision of development resources to enhance the Guarantees Portal software essential for managing the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans. The procurement process was limited and classified as an award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition due to the urgent need arising from the pandemic. The location of this procurement is Sheffield, and the contract is valued at £960,000. The award was officially signed on 31 January 2021, with the contract set to transition to a longer-term solution by 31 January 2023.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses, particularly those specialising in software development and IT services. Companies that can provide agile and rapid response solutions, especially in light of emergencies, will be well-suited to compete for such contracts. Given the context of the ongoing support needed for the Coronavirus Loan Schemes, firms that have experience with governmental or large-scale public sector projects may find it advantageous to engage in this procurement process. The scope for software adaptation and technical support services offers a substantial avenue for business growth in a changing economic landscape.

## Notice

Provision of the development resources to build and support Guarantees Portal software which is used to register loans that BBB have provided guarantees for including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans. The current scope for these requirements covers CBILS 2.0 and the Claims and Arrears process

### Lot Information

Lot 1

At short notice in March 2020, BBB was designated by HM Treasury as the body responsible for administering the Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme, the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Scheme, and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme ("Coronavirus Loan Schemes"). BBB required certain software support and development services at extremely short notice to handle the requirements of the Coronavirus Loan Schemes. There was not enough time to carry out a competitive procurement in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("PCR 2015"), but BBB concluded that regulation 32(2)(c) permitted it to contract directly with Thoughtbot. Thoughtbot was already providing similar services to BBB in connection with the Enterprise Finance Guarantee ("EFG") Scheme. BBB therefore contracted with Thoughtbot so that the software solution being used for the EFG Scheme could be adapted to support the Coronavirus Loan Schemes. The Coronavirus Loan Schemes were each intended to be open for applications for a period of six months. The Coronavirus Loan Schemes have since been extended due to further unforeseen developments in the context of the pandemic forcing further suppression of social and commercial freedoms. In particular, on 17 December 2020 the Chancellor announced that the Coronavirus Loan Schemes had been extended to 31 March 2021. Accordingly, BBB will require technical support (i) for applications for financial support up to at least 31 March 2021 and (ii) in connection with the management of the portfolio of loans for at least five years. As a result, BBB has concluded that it needs to continue contracting with Thoughtbot to avoid any interruption to the Coronavirus Loan Schemes.

### Procurement Information

Regulation 32(2)(c) of the PCR 2015 applies for the following reasons: BBB needs to ensure that it can provide uninterrupted financial support to businesses whose operations have been impacted by restrictions resulting from the introduction of lockdown measures in response to further waves of COVID-19 infections. It cannot provide that financial support without the necessary software, which is supported by services provided by Thoughtbot. BBB is therefore reacting to a current situation that is a genuine emergency. The need for extreme urgency has been caused by unforeseeable events. The COVID-19 situation is so novel that the impact of further waves of infections could not have been predicted. Thoughtbot's current contract expired on 31 January 2021. Having regard to the time it would take to prepare for and carry out a procurement in compliance with the PCR 2015, and to transition to a new supplier, it was impossible to comply with the usual timescales in the PCR 2015 and to transition to a new supplier before 31 January 2021. BBB has acted promptly in responding to the current situation of extreme urgency and has proceeded to make this direct award without delay. The duration of the contract has been limited to the minimum necessary period required to implement and to transition to a longer term solution in compliance with the PCR 2015. In particular, the contract has been set up to enable that transition from 31 January 2022 and to require it to take place before 31 January 2023.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/004071-2021 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 1 Mar 2021 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 31 Jan 2021 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £960,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | BRITISH BUSINESS BANK PLC |
| Locality | SHEFFIELD |
| Post town | Sheffield |
| Postcode | S1 2GQ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLE Yorkshire and The Humber |
| ITL 2 | TLE3 South Yorkshire |
| ITL 3 | TLE32 Sheffield |
| Local authority | Sheffield |
| Electoral ward | City |
| Westminster constituency | Sheffield Central |
| Delivery location | TLE32 Sheffield |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | THOUGHTBOT |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

### Codes

- 72222300 - Information technology services

## Release History

- 1 Mar 2021 at 18:32 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/004071-2021

## Notice URLs

- http://british-business-bank.co.uk/
- https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=574920461

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-02974e. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02974e.json.