Council that will encompass five existing entities sets aside £700k for website construction
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Buckinghamshire’s newly created local authority has started the process of building a new website that can “support the transformation of end-to-end services”.
Buckinghamshire Council will come into being on 1 April next year. It will operate as a unitary authority, replacing the existing county council, as well as district councils in Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks, and Wycombe.
The new entity is seeking a commercial partner that can help design and develop its website. The council wishes to construct a platform that will allow citizens and businesses to easily find the information and services they require, as well as supporting the publication of content via “a simple and intuitive interface”.
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The site must also allow service developers to access content and data via API.
A site with at least a basically functional front and back end must be completed by the end of March.
“This will be a minimum viable product (MVP), which we will continue to iterate,” the council said. “The MVP needs to be developed to meet the needs of users, reflect the new council’s vision and represent Buckinghamshire as a place. It should make it easier for people to find information, complete tasks and understand what they need to do next. We want to use technology that is modern, open, flexible and extensible. It must be accessible and consistent with the GDS Technology Code of Practice.”
The cost of building a website ready for the council’s launch will be at least £150,000, with a total budget of £700,000 available for continuing work over a two-year period.
Bids for the project are open until 17 July, with a contract scheduled to commence on 2 September.
