Defra digital and data transformation strategy (2023 to 2030) · first published 23 November 2023
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a 7-year digital and data transformation strategy covering the core department and five main arm's-length bodies (ALBs): the Animal and Plant Health Agency, Environment Agency, Natural England, Rural Payments Agency, and Marine Management Organisation. The strategy sets out six missions covering service redesign, shared platforms, data improvement, sustainable and secure technology, digital skills, and removing internal barriers to change. Key near-term milestones target 2025, including a new grants platform, an identity management platform, replacing 20% of paper forms with digital alternatives, and doubling the Digital Academies offer for hard-to-recruit digital roles. For small businesses, this strategy signals where Defra will be spending on digital transformation over the next seven years — from building reusable platforms and data infrastructure to procuring technology and skills. It is a directional strategy, not a procurement notice, but it points clearly to where future contracts and partnership opportunities will emerge across the Defra group.
WHO THIS APPLIES TO
THE ENKII VIEW
For SMEs with digital, data, cloud, or sustainable technology capabilities, this strategy is a forward-looking map of Defra's buying intent for the next seven years — particularly valuable for positioning ahead of Spending Review 2024 (SR24)-funded procurements. The explicit focus on reusable common components, platforms, and a new grants management platform suggests opportunities for specialist SMEs to supply building blocks rather than compete for large monolithic contracts. The emphasis on sustainable technology as a differentiator ("Defra group will be a recognised role model in sustainable technology") is a genuine advantage for SMEs that can already evidence green tech credentials.
1. Monitor Defra group and its five ALBs' procurement pipelines for service redesign and digitisation work — the push to meet CDDO 'great' standard across 9 priority services and replace 20% of paper forms by 2025 will generate near-term contracts.
SMEs with digital service design, UX, or accessibility capabilities — The strategy commits to 'at least 6 of Defra group's top 9 highest volume services delivered to CDDO great standard' and '20% of Defra group's paper forms replaced with accessible digital alternatives' by 2025.
2. Position your firm now for the new grants platform and identity management platform procurements — prepare case studies and evidence of reusable component delivery to align with Defra's 'common component' reuse model.
SMEs with grants management, identity, or payments platform experience — Defra commits to delivering 'a new grants platform' and 'an identity management platform for all Defra customers linked to the Cabinet Office's One Login for government' by 2025, with a payments service also in scope.
3. Watch for procurements linked to Defra's new Chief Data Officer programme and the modern data publishing platform — engage early via the cross-government digital marketplace (e.g. G-Cloud, Digital Outcomes & Specialists).
SMEs with data engineering, analytics, or open data platform capabilities — The strategy commits to 'a data capability and transformation programme underway, led by the Chief Data Officer' and 'a modern data publishing platform linked to the cross-government marketplace' by 2025.
4. Lead with your sustainability credentials in any Defra bid — articulate how your product or service reduces environmental impact, as all IT projects must now be assessed for sustainability impacts and benefits.
SMEs with green tech, sustainable IT, or carbon measurement capabilities — The strategy requires '100% of IT projects and programmes are assessed for sustainability impacts, benefits and included in design or delivery performance indicators' and aims for Defra to be 'a recognised role model in sustainable technology'.
5. Target Defra's Digital Academies expansion — the strategy commits to doubling the Digital Academies offer for the top 4 hardest-to-recruit DDaT roles by 2025, which may create training and content development contracts.
SMEs offering digital training, e-learning, or DDaT (Digital, Data and Technology) skills development — Defra commits to having 'doubled the Digital Academies' offer to target the top 4 most hard to recruit DDaT roles' by 2025.
6. Contact Defra's digital transformation team at digitaltransformationcommunications@defra.gov.uk to understand upcoming engagements, and track SR24-funded procurements which will be shaped by this strategy.
All SMEs interested in Defra group work — The strategy explicitly states it will 'steer the Spending Review 2024 (SR24) bid, aligning strategic data investment' — SR24-funded contracts will flow from this document's priorities.
Every rule below quotes the official document verbatim.
The strategy covers Defra core department and five named ALBs: Animal and Plant Health Agency, Environment Agency, Natural England, Rural Payments Agency, and Marine Management Organisation. (Defra group — core department and five named ALBs)
“Its commitments cover the core department and its main arm's length bodies (ALBs): Animal and Plant Health Agency, Environment Agency, Natural England, Rural Payments Agency, Marine Management Organisation.”
Defra has six transformation missions: transformed services; common business capabilities and modern delivery practices; better use of data; efficient, secure and sustainable technology; digital confidence and skills at scale; and removing barriers to transformation. (Defra group strategy 2023–2030)
“Our 6 missions: Transformed services that deliver the right outcomes for people and the environment. Putting in place common business capabilities and modern delivery practices to realise better digital services. Make better use of data to power decision-making and services. Efficient, secure, and sustainable technology and services. Digital confidence and skills at scale. Removing the barriers to transformation.”
By 2025, at least 6 of Defra group's top 9 highest-volume services must be delivered to the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) 'great' standard. (Defra group priority services, milestone by 2025)
“at least 6 of Defra group's top 9 highest volume services delivered to CDDO 'great' standard”
By 2025, 20% of Defra group's paper forms must be replaced with accessible digital alternatives. (Defra group, milestone by 2025)
“replaced 20% of Defra group's paper forms with accessible digital alternatives, as part of wider end-to-end business service improvements”
Defra currently operates over 600 services, with a longer-term aim to reduce this number. (Defra group — all services, long-term ambition)
“Longer term we will start to see a reduction in the number of services (currently over 600).”
By 2025, Defra will deliver two exemplar common platforms: a new grants platform and an identity management platform linked to the Cabinet Office's One Login for government. (Defra group, Mission 2 milestone by 2025)
“By 2025 we will have delivered 2 exemplar platforms of common business capability for use across the Defra group: a new grants platform, an identity management platform for all Defra customers linked to the Cabinet Office's One Login for government.”
By 2025, work will have started on a payments service usable by any public-facing business service across Defra group. (Defra group, Mission 2 milestone by 2025)
“Work will have started on a payments service that could be used by any public facing business service across Defra group.”
By 2025, a data capability and transformation programme will be underway led by a new Chief Data Officer. (Defra group, Mission 3 milestone by 2025)
“a data capability and transformation programme underway, led by the Chief Data Officer, to ensure data is consistent and coherent, enabling the effective sharing and use of data across Defra group”
By 2025, a modern data publishing platform linked to the cross-government marketplace will be developed to provide interactive access to Defra group's open data. (Defra group, Mission 3 milestone by 2025)
“developed a modern data publishing platform linked to the cross-government marketplace to provide interactive access to Defra group's open data across government and the public”
By 2025, 100% of IT projects and programmes must be assessed for sustainability impacts and benefits. (Defra group IT projects and programmes, Mission 4 milestone by 2025)
“ensured that 100% of IT projects and programmes are assessed for sustainability impacts, benefits and included in design or delivery performance indicators”
By 2025, Defra will double the Digital Academies' offer targeting the top 4 hardest-to-recruit Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) roles. (Defra group, Mission 5 milestone by 2025)
“doubled the Digital Academies' offer to target the top 4 most hard to recruit DDaT roles”
Defra aims to become a recognised role model in sustainable technology and an exemplar to other government departments and to industry. (Defra group, Mission 4 — sustainable technology ambition)
“The aim is to ensure Defra group will be a recognised role model in sustainable technology and an exemplar to other government departments and to industry.”
Defra intends to shift from funding projects to funding services, with both capital and resource funding understood and provided for in all business cases. (Defra group — investment and governance model)
“fund services not projects – both capital and resource funding are understood and provided for in all business cases”
Defra's data transformation strategy will be used to steer the Spending Review 2024 (SR24) bid, aligning strategic data investment to level up data maturity. (Defra group, SR24 planning milestone)
“used the Defra group data transformation strategy to steer the Spending Review 2024 (SR24) bid, aligning strategic data investment to level up data maturity for essential data”
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