Defra awards contract to transform digital services

The UK’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has signed a £74 million contract with Cognizant to help build its new digital platform capability.

The two-year contract will see Cognizant help Defra enhance its supply chain model under the department's Application Development and Maintenance Support (ADMS) services programme - part of a procurement initiative intended to support its digital  ambitions.

Cognizant will help develop a digital service delivery portfolio, which is to be reused across the core Defra group, including its partner organisations such as the Environment Agency, the Animal Plant Health Agency, and the Rural Payments Agency. 

The aim of the new digital platform is to provide consistency and a streamlined journey for Defra’s clients by improving processes and the quality of Defra’s digital services. 

“Defra is pleased to enhance its relationship with Cognizant who will play a key role in supporting its ambitious digital service delivery portfolio over the forthcoming years,” said Colin Banno-Thornton, Director of Digital Delivery at Defra. 

“The contract covers application development services and will provide crucial capacity and capability to support Defra in delivering its digital delivery portfolio in a cost-effective and sustainable way. We look forward to working with the Cognizant team to deliver essential digital services to help Defra and its arms lengths bodies to achieve its strategic objectives.”

“Defra is on a mission to improve the way it does business with its clients and in doing so, the world at large,” added Rohit Gupta, Managing Director, UK&I, Cognizant. 

“This project will support the delivery of an outstanding knowledge capability for our natural environment which will help Defra enhance the UK’s landscapes, improve biodiversity and encourage innovation.”