2024 has seen several converging internal and external challenges for the UK. With a new Government facing a mix of conflicting near-term and long-term priorities, our public sector and defence clients face a complex dynamic when procuring solutions.
There is much talk of the potential of new technologies, not least AI, to solve challenges and drive productivity improvements, but there are equal and rising concerns about sustainability and the importance of societal balance. Increasing awareness of the environmental costs of data – for which volumes continue to explode – has helped drive social value to become intrinsic to solutions rather than a parallel stream of value.
For Government, the never-ending need to do more with less continues. Initiatives aimed at breaking down silos across departments have gained significant momentum, paving the way for a more cohesive approach to public services.
In Defence, the need to harness data and AI is potentially even more urgent. The creation of JSP936 shows UK MoD at the forefront of ethical, safe and responsible adoption of AI, putting AI-readiness as a cross-cutting theology across delivery of professional services, platforms and technology.
Envitia in 2024
Envitia has grown substantially in 2024. Our capabilities have continued to expand, adding deep expertise to our consultancy, engineering and agile delivery teams. We continue to pride ourselves on working collaboratively with our clients to understand and explore their problems and constraints. Our teams are committed, transparent and obsessed with delivering business value.
We have found success with significant new clients within the Central Government, Defence and National Security sectors. Our workbook covers, amongst other things, enterprise architecture, digital strategy, data mapping, data cataloguing, agile engineering and AI-readiness. We remain world-class in all things geospatial, whilst broadening our reach to solve a wide range of complex data problems.
As we grow we have worked hard to maintain our SME identity, prioritising staff development and retention and over-achieving against DE&I goals.
Looking forward
2025 brings a number of Government-led changes that will influence the relationship they have with suppliers, especially SMEs. With the Procurement Act coming into effect in the first half of the year we expect to see lower barriers to entry and greater emphasis on value rather than cost. The shift from the “Most Economically Advantageous Tender” (MEAT) to the “Most Advantageous Tender” (MAT) model ensures that social, economic, and environmental benefits are considered.
The upcoming Defence Strategic Review is likely to confirm the UK’s commitment to spend 2.5% of GDP on Defence. It will be interesting to see how they prioritise long-term vs short-term capabilities, but it is certain that increasing exploitation of technology and data has a key part to play.
At Envitia we are planning for further substantial growth: recruiting subject matter experts in multiple fields, creating internal centres for excellence and investing further in our software and solutions. We look forward to helping our customers use data to navigate a complex and evolving world.
CEO, Dom Eade comments;
“The world faces many challenges, but we are highly optimistic that the UK’s best days lie ahead. We see demand continuing to rise for the skills and capabilities we bring and we look forward to strengthening our relationship with customers and partners in the years ahead. Thank you to everyone who has supported us this year, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”
