New SME consortium to enhance NHS digital services

25 January 2021: A new SME consortium, consisting of five companies, has been accepted onto the Crown Commercial Services’ Digital Capability for Health Framework. 

The multi-million pound initiative, which runs over four years, aims to put in place a Collaborative Agreement for use by NHS Digital and other national, regional and local public sector health and social care bodies, for the provision of digital outcomes and supporting services. 

The group of like minded SMEs which have secured a place on the framework, led by the prime contractor, Hippo Digital, include:

• Hippo Digital – Digital service design and data management
• Answer Digital – Digital transformation and engineering
• Apira Ltd – Delivering Digital Journeys across healthcare
• Made Tech – Public sector technology delivery
• The Data Shed – Data solutions

With the framework covering DevOps Services, Digital Definition Services, Build and Transition Services, End-to-End Development Services and Data Management Services, the consortium’s range of specialist skills will provide the NHS and health and social care organisations with access to digital skills and products that will improve services for both staff and patients.

The group will also provide an avenue to help the Government reach its goal of channelling a third of external spending through small and medium sized enterprises by 2022, providing the public sector with easy, centralised access to services from five approved SMEs. 

Adam Lewis, Managing Director, Hippo Digital

“Our relationship with the healthcare service stretches back to the very beginning of the Hippo Digital story and we are delighted to have the opportunity to build on that partnership in the future.”

Rich Pugmire, Director, Answer Digital 

“We are proud to have been accepted onto the framework and having such an accomplished group of SMEs by our side brings added strength and depth to our combined capability. Together with our partners, we blend an exciting mix of specialist skills and healthcare experience to provide maximum value to our clients and their service users. 

Rich Pugmire, Director, Answer Digital 

“We’re immensely proud and excited at the opportunity this framework award gives us to strengthen our relationship with NHS Digital. Combining our depth of healthcare experience with the fantastic partner organisations within the consortium, we are looking forward to delivering a range of exciting services and giving the amazing people at Answer a genuine opportunity to make a difference.”

Mark Jones, Managing Director, Apira Ltd

“We were very pleased to join the Hippo Digital consortium bid for this framework and are delighted to have received confirmation that the consortium has been successful in obtaining a place on the framework. We very much look forward to working with Hippo and consortium partners in supplementing the digital capability of national, regional, and local health and care organisations over the next four years.”

Hazel Jones, Head of Health, Made Tech 

“The UK is home to a broad range of innovative SMEs which provide digital solutions and services that have the potential to revolutionise health and social care. This group brings together five of these organisations united by a shared passion to provide lasting value to the public sector, employees and service users. 

“Made Tech is excited to be working with such a great set of partners to help the NHS and health and social care bodies thrive, both now and in the future.”

Anna Sutton, CEO, The Data Shed

“Collaboration is in our DNA at The Data Shed and we’re really excited to be working alongside our talented partners in this consortium. We all have specialist skills and strong healthcare experience and together we’ll make a big difference to the quality of care provision within the NHS and other care organisations.

We’ve seen in the last year how we’ve relied on the NHS even more than usual and we’re proud to be playing our part in using digital solutions to transform the future of health and social care.”