Scope
Reference
project_27717
Description
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions, and child maintenance policy within the UK. As the UK's biggest public service department, it administers the State Pension and a range of working age and disability benefits to around 20 million UK citizens. DWP is committed to doing everything it can to enhance the overall citizen experience of our citizens.
Citizens contact DWP wishing to start, validate, change or query their benefit claims. Calls using free phone Non-Geographic Numbers (NGNs) are answered by advisors within the DWP contact centre, which is the largest platform of its kind across all UK Government Departments and is one of the largest in Europe. The contact centre managed service ensures that all twenty-seven of DWP's Business Groups can connect with and support citizens, while also offering specialist services such as debt recovery and support for citizens with complex needs.
Conversational Platform is a Natural Language Call Steering (NLCS) solution which allows citizens to speak naturally, provides a better insight into why our citizens are calling, which then enables the guiding of the call to right agent which in turn offers the ability to provide a personalised call deflection and or self- service offering. The net results create several operational efficiencies. This solution is integrated into the DWP contact centre platform and will help DWP better serve millions of citizens by improving how we handle inbound calls, route queries intelligently, and offer self-service options.
DWP is currently investigating options for how to continue delivering Conversational Platform services beyond the expiry of the current contract. DWP is undertaking a market engagement exercise to gather insights from suppliers to inform our future strategy and approach to Conversational Platform. Our aim is to gather information on current capabilities and future innovations to inform a future procurement.
Total value (estimated)
- £9,000,000 excluding VAT
- £10,800,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 2 March 2026 to 1 March 2030
- Possible extension to 1 March 2032
- 6 years
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 79512000 - Call centre
- 64227000 - Integrated telecommunications services
- 48512000 - Interactive voice response software package
- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Engagement
Engagement deadline
21 July 2025
Engagement process description
Interested suppliers should complete the following steps:
1. Register on the Portal: Goto https://dwp.bravosolution.co.uk and click the link to 'register'. To attend the webinar suppliers should complete this step prior to 4th July 2025. Suppliers registering after this date will need to download the webinar materials for offline review. All documentation for this market engagement, including the Request for Information (RFI) document requesting your response will be accessed via the DWP e-Sourcing portal (the Portal) which is based on the Jaggaer software and is free of charge to use. For further assistance in relation to the Portal please consult the online help or contract the eTendering help desk.
2. Express interest in the market engagement: Login to the Portal and click the 'PQQs / ITTs Open to all Suppliers' link. Click on the "pqq_28963 - Conversational Platform" link to access the RFI content. Click the 'Express Interest' button at the top of the page. This will move the market engagement activity into your 'My PQQs/ My ITTs' page, a secure area reserved for your own projects. You can now access all the DWP documentation by clicking 'Buyer Attachments' in the 'PQQ Details' box. Please note that this process is not being conducted as a formal Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) but we are using the PQQ functionality within the portal to facilitate the market engagement process.
3. Download the RFI and attend the webinar: The RFI document can be downloaded from the 'Buyer Attachments' areas. Suppliers should read this document in detail. DWP will host a webinar on Microsoft Teams at 10.00-12.00 on 4th July 2025 to provide background and context to our requirement and answer any initial questions. Following the webinar, DWP will publish the associated slides and any captured Q&A. We request that suppliers limit their participants to two individuals per company.
4. Engaging in the RFI: Click 'My Response' under 'PQQ/ ITT Details' where you can choose to 'Create Response' or to 'Decline to Respond' (please give a reason, if declining). Any decision not to participate in this market engagement will not preclude any supplier from participation in any subsequent procurement activity.
You will then be able to use the 'Messages' functionality to seek any further clarifications, provided any questions are submitted by 12:00 on 11th July 2025. In the interest of openness and transparency, anonymised and commercially desensitised Q&A will be shared will all participants. DWP will aim to respond to all questions received in reasonable time for suppliers to factor these answers into your response but, if this is not possible, DWP does not anticipate moving the RFI deadline. Please prioritise questions accordingly.
5. Responding to the RFI: Please upload your response as an attachment to the single 'Question' within the 'Technical Envelope' prior to the 09:00 on 21st July 2025 deadline, using the 'Submit Response' button. Submissions must be made using the Portal. In addition to the RFI response the supplier can also share any additional information they might wish DWP to do aware of as part of this process. Unfortunately, DWP will not be able to consider any responses or additional material received after this deadline. Please note that the market engagement activity will not be used to formally evaluate suppliers. Any information shared will be for information purposes only to provide insights and inform DWP of market capabilities. Any information received or discussions held will not contribute or influence the evaluation of potential tender submissions of any related future procurement.
6. RFI Follow-Up & Demonstrations: The purpose of the RFI is to gather specific insights on key solution areas and options. DWP may request further clarifications of aspects of any of the RFI responses received, and/or engage in further detailed supplier discussions to gather deeper insights. Specifically, DWP may invite some or all the responding suppliers to demonstrate their capabilities. Suppliers who have not responded to the RFI will not be invited to conduct demonstrations. Demonstrations will be scheduled to take place shortly after the RFI deadline, and DWP will aim to complete these by 1st August 2025.
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Publication date of tender notice (estimated)
3 November 2025
Contracting authority
Department for Work and Pensions
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PJCP-7274-TLRQ
Caxton House
London
SW1H 9NA
United Kingdom
Email: cp.commercial@dwp.gov.uk
Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions
Region: UKI32 - Westminster
Organisation type: Public authority - central government