Digital firms angry as key £1.2 million eGov contract heads to UK company

Friday 12 February 2016

The £1.2 million contract to get the States of Jersey into the digital age has apparently been given to a UK firm after tenders by local contractors were all rejected by the States’ procurement office.

The key contract for the States’ eGov project – the job for a “Design Authority” to create the blueprint for how a 21st century tech-enabled public sector will operate – is set to be announced next week.

But word has drifted out that the contract will go outside the Island and local companies hoping to play a role have been left disappointed.

At the same time, the contract for designing the tourism website fun by the new Visit Jersey agency has also been given to a UK firm, which won the job despite tenders from local digital businesses.

The States have refused to comment, saying that the process for a lead contractor for eGov remains ongoing.

A spokesperson for the Chief Minister’s Department said: "We remain in a procurement process and cannot, therefore, comment on a preferred supplier at this stage, nor would we expect others to be commenting on this issue until the process has been completed."

Bailiwick Express has spoken to a number of people in the local tech sector who have expressed exasperation and frustration about the decisions.

That frustration is amplified by the fact that two key States policy documents – the States Strategic Plan and the Jersey Innovation Review – appear to place a premium on giving local talent the opportunity to take on key projects in the digital sphere.

The Strategic Plan included a line that the government would: “Develop a plan to promote additional jobs and growth in the Technology sector, with a particular focus on Fintech.”

The Innovation Review, completed by economist Tera Allas, included a specific recommendation to reform public sector procurement to reward local innovation.

The recommendation stated: “Government should review and, where appropriate, reform government procurement guidelines and practice to reduce bureaucracy, increase transparency, and reward innovation (i.e., value as opposed to just low cost), and publish statistics on government procurement by size and age of company.”