Census Assisted Digital Services - AWARD

The Office for National Statistics is running a competition on Lot 1 of the Digital Support and Training Framework for the following service:

Will you help us get the \"can't do digital\" group online for the 2021 Census?

Every census marks a once-in-a-decade opportunity to shape the future of our country. The next census in 2021 will mark some significant 'firsts' - it will be conducted mainly online and, for the first time, help will be offered for those who don't have digital skills to complete and submit their census on the internet.

ONS are aiming for 75 per cent of households in England and Wales to do their census online. This is an exciting opportunity for companies promoting digital inclusion.

Making the census work is a massive undertaking. It's probably the most visible public campaign held in this country. The statistics obtained are a unique snapshot in time of the population, reflecting changes in society and a level of detail unobtainable elsewhere.

Every business needs census information to inform development decisions. Local and national government depend on these results to inform critical funding decisions in areas including education, transport and health.

We want to offer face to face digital help in selected locations throughout the 9 weeks of the 2021 Census. Providing this help is an opportunity for businesses of all sizes - from local specialists to national concerns - to get involved in a prestigious project and have an impact on the future of our society. We are also keen to develop the service with the advice and expertise of digital assistance companies.

If you can offer help for the digitally willing but unable, a place for them to complete their online questionnaire, internet-enabled equipment and a flexible approach, then we hope you will find this an interesting and exciting opportunity. We do not need digital training - most people will only need 5 to 20 minutes of help. The impact will be significant, helping those who feel left behind in a digital world to participate in a vitally important project.