We are officially on the UK Government Spark DPS
High Digital has been officially accepted onto the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Spark dynamic purchasing system (DPS).
For those unfamiliar with the procurement landscape, the Spark DPS is a framework available to all UK central government departments, agencies, public bodies, wider public sector organisations, and charities.
Its primary purpose is to help the public sector procure emerging technologies that are predicted to have the largest operational impact over the next 2 to 5 years. The framework covers eight specific areas of innovation:
* Internet of things (IOT)
* Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation
* Simulated and enhanced environments
* Engineering and materials science
* Data
* Wearables
* Transport
* Security
This is a brilliant initiative. The UK public sector delivers critical services, and providing them with a streamlined pathway to access modern technology is essential.
However, we need to talk about the reality of “emerging tech”.
Don’t believe the hype
When I look at that list of categories, particularly AI and automation, my immediate reaction is to channel my inner Public Enemy. Do not believe the hype.
Artificial Intelligence is not a magic wand. It is a highly efficient, incredibly powerful engine. But like any engine, if you fill it with contaminated fuel, it is going to break down.
Public sector organisations and charities are sitting on some of the most sensitive, complex, and fragmented data in the country. Decades of changing policies have left many departments relying on legacy systems that are essentially duct taped together.
If a government department procures a shiny new AI tool or a simulated environment without first auditing and fixing their underlying data architecture, they are simply building a very expensive digital fatberg on the taxpayer’s dime.
Spark DPS Procurement: The Hype vs The High Digital Reality
To help organisations navigate the Spark DPS effectively, we have broken down exactly what the market tries to sell you, versus the foundational plumbing you actually need to build first.
|
Spark DPS Category |
The Industry Hype (What people want to buy) |
The High Digital Reality (What we actually fix first) |
|
Artificial Intelligence |
Plug and play AI dashboards that magically predict public behaviour and trends. |
Auditing legacy databases to ensure your new AI is not hallucinating based on dirty, disconnected data. |
|
Data |
Massive, unstructured data lakes holding every piece of citizen information in one place. |
Structured, highly secure data pipelines that comply with strict government ISO standards. |
|
Automation |
Instantly automating complex administrative workflows to replace manual processing overnight. |
Untangling the digital fatbergs so you do not accidentally automate and scale a fundamentally broken process. |
Plumbing before poetry in the public sector
This is exactly why High Digital is on the Spark framework. We are here to bring a heavy dose of pragmatism to the emerging tech landscape.
We do not sell overnight digital transformations, and we certainly do not sell out of the box AI toys. We sell the foundational plumbing required to make these emerging technologies actually work in the real world.
Through the Spark DPS, we will be helping public sector bodies and charities to:
* Untangle legacy databases and eliminate data silos.
* Establish secure, compliant data pipelines that align with strict public sector security standards.
* Build a single, verifiable source of truth so that when they do deploy AI or automation, the outputs are actually trustworthy.
You cannot build the penthouse until you have poured the concrete.
If you are a public sector organisation or charity looking to procure through the Spark DPS, do not start your journey by buying a shiny dashboard. Start by fixing the pipes.
Get in touch with High Digital today to discuss a foundational data audit.
