Awen Collective is now a Digital Outcomes and Specialists 5 Supplier

In October 2019 we announced that we were on the Digital Outcomes and Specialists 4 framework (DOS4) of the UK Government Crown Commercial Service.

Well, in January 2021, we now have the pleasure that we’ve been accepted on to the subsequent framework which is aptly named Digital Outcomes and Specialists 5 (DOS5).

What is DOS5?

DOS5 or the Digital Outcomes and Specialists 5 framework, is a public sector procurement framework by the UK Government Crown Commercial Service.

The precise wording is: “This agreement helps the public sector buy, design, build and provide bespoke digital outcomes by finding appropriate specialists to provide agile software development.” [REF]

The UK Government Digital Marketplace provides the ability for public sector to search for suppliers, and for members of the frameworks to look for opportunities.

What does DOS5 mean for Awen Collective?

DOS5 means that we, as Awen Collective, will continue to be able to look for relevant public sector problems where we can apply our two products:

• Dot a software system to help industrial organisations to discover devices and vulnerabilities on the Operational Technology (OT) networks, so that those organisations can gain as much actionable intelligence about their cyber risks, thereby enabling them to use budget wisely to reduce risk and increase resilience.

• Profile is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) system enabling critical infrastructure operators and their suppliers to adhere to the EU and UK-wide NIS Directive. It provides an easy-to-use web interface for collaborating, checking and monitoring compliance to the implemented directive.

The parts of public sector that use DOS is wide! Departments/Organisations such as the Cabinet Office, the MOD, the Environment Agency, the Highway Agency and also regulators. So it provides direct access between these public sector organisations and the private sector organisations on the framework - including us, Awen Collective!

What experience does Awen Collective have with government procurement frameworks?

Awen Collective is indeed now on DOS5. We first joined the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework series in the previous framework DOS4.

As of September 2020 we were also accepted on to G-Cloud 12, which is a UK Government framework aimed at the provision of cloud-based services.

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If this sounds interesting and you would like to know more, then please do contact us today.

Awen Collective is 3!

Today, 25th September 2020, Awen Collective celebrates it’s 3rd birthday as an official limited by shares company registered at the Companies House of Wales & England.

CEO & Cofounder Daniel Lewis registered the company this time in 2017. What an amazing three years these have been: developing two software products, gaining our first customers and revenue, raising investment rounds, travelling around Europe telling people about Awen. We have evolved from one person working on Awen full time (Daniel) into an amazing team of innovative, caring and hard working people who not just work for Awen, but who are Awen.

2020, as for everyone, has been challenging for Awen. The UK wide lockdown meant the team were not able to physically meet. When the tech team managed to meet at the office at the end of August 2020 and early September for a few weeks, a new set of local lockdowns begun. We are, however, in a privileged position being at the intersection of software and cyber security, where working from home is not as huge a challenge as in other sectors. Even from a marketing and sales perspective we have been fortunate to gain traction during the COVID-19 pandemic, powered by some good energy and empathy!

The future for Awen looks good. The next year will see the real beginnings of our international expansion, plans are afoot - plans which are, in part, supported by schemes such as the UK DIT Tech Exports Academy. We have some partnerships which we hope will be able to be made public in the next few months, and new clients in the pipeline. The team will continue to grow, and we will continue to be the values-driven and mission-focused industrial cyber security business that we always have been - and which will continue to evolve into the great business that we are destined to be.

We would like to thank the many people who have helped us along the way. There are too many to mention, but a particular shout out to the help given by: Our investors, KTN/DCMS prior to starting the company in 2017, The Accelerator Network in 2018 for IoTAWales & Cyber101, Tech Nation in 2019 for Cyber 1.0, Google in 2020 for the UK Immersion Programme, Cardiff Eagle Labs and Welsh ICE, MOD for our DASA project, BAR Associates (and Robin in particular) and all the individual people who have given support along the way!

Here is to a successful next few years!

Top 30 British Tech Companies Chosen for UK Gov DIT Tech Export Academy - Awen Collective included!

It was officially announced by UK Government on 8th September 2020 that thirty of the best British tech companies (which have applications within the growing Smart Cities sector) have been chosen as the first participants of the UK Government Department for International Trade’s (DIT) new Tech Export Academy programme. The 30 businesses chosen include us - Awen Collective!

The DIT Tech Export Academy is an exciting 9 month programme providing a package of support from both the public and private sectors, enabling the 30 businesses to expand and grow their businesses in the Asia-Pacific region.

The programme includes two virtual trade missions to each to a different half of the Asia-Pacific countries, and will culminate in a physical trade mission to Thailand supported by the Thai Government Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. The programme will focus specifically on Smart Cities, which is very important in a region that has many of the worlds megacities and a significant desire for growth and progress.

Daniel Lewis, CEO of Awen Collective said “Team Awen are very excited to exploring the Asia Pacific market with the help of the Department of International Trade, as well as partners such as PwC, Deloitte, KPMG, EY, BDO and others. It’s an entirely new region for us to explore - a region which is full of opportunities for our Dot product to truly make a difference to Cyber Resilience for Smart Cities, Critical National Infrastructure and Manufacturing.”

The programme features a wide range of businesses - including those providing services and products in: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Property surveying, Urban planning, Cycling solutions, Electric vehicle chargin, ID solutions and much more. Awen is one of a couple of cyber security companies chosen, and the only one offering a specific software solution for the discovery of assets and vulnerabilities on Operational Technologies (OT).

The programme was kicked off on the 8th September 2020 with a speech by Graham Stuart MP - UK Government Minister for Exports, and a speech by Ajarin Pattanapanchai - Permanent Secretary of the Thai Government Ministry of Digital Economy and Society.

Ajarin Pattanapanchai giving a speech to the DIT Tech Export Academy cohort

The virtual programme kick-off also included a panel consisting of DIT’s Chief Scientific Adviser Dr Mike Short, Oriel Petry (Director of the Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Directorate), Colin Sinclair (CEO of the Knowledge Quarter in Liverpool) and Jane Morrison-Ross (CEO at tech trade body ScotlandIS).

The 30 companies have been split into two cohorts to make it more manageable for the organisers and partners. The cohorts have been named Avalon and Camelot, with Awen appropriately being in the Avalon cohort. Here are the thirty chosen ones:

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Camelot Cohort

• Conigital Ltd

• Datactics

• Emu Analytics

• Intercede

• Ovon Technology

• See.Sense

• Sensat Surveying Ltd

• Space Syntax

• Sycous Ltd

• Telensa Systems

• UrbanTide

• UtterBerry

• Vivacity Labs

• Vortex IoT

• Vucity Limited

Avalon Cohort

• Awen Collective

• Alchera Technologies

• ASH Projects & Contracts Ltd

• Beringar

• Cascoda

• Crowdvision

• Filament

• Humanising Autonomy

• Informed Solutions

• Masabi

• ProtectBox

• Symphonic Software

• Unmanned Life

• Yoti

• Zapinamo

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Awen Collective receives a FairPlay Employer Award from Chwarae Teg

Awen Collective has had the pleasure of working with the gender equality charity, Chwarae Teg, through their Agile Nation 2 Business Programme, to ensure both our policies and procedures are not only fully up-to-date with the latest legislation, but also mirror best practices to ensure fairness and equality for all.

Thanks to their excellent support, we’ve implemented changes which will positively affect not only our current employees, but all the future members of #TeamAwen we look forward to welcoming as we continue to grow.

In recognition of this, Chwarae Teg have kindly awarded Awen Collective with the Developing FairPlay Employer Award.

Awen Collective CTO, Jules said: “We’re delighted with the excellent support we’ve received from Chwarae Teg through their AN2 Business Programme, and we’re proud to be recognised as a FairPlay Employer.”

The Developing FairPlay Employer Award demonstrates our commitment to developing a culture that supports gender equality, by implementing policies and associated documents that provide transparency with support from Chwarae Teg, and we look forward to continuing our development journey with them. With higher level FairPlay Employer Awards available, we’re hoping to return with more good news in the future!

Chwarae Teg’s support hasn’t only been related to gender equality, with Awen receiving support and training regarding subjects including Learning and Development, Performance Management, Flexible Working and Neurodiversity.

Awen Collective CEO, Daniel said: "Gender equality is one of many directions that we're pushing to be the very best at. We are truly a values-driven business. We believe that it's imperative when growing a great business to have a happy and healthy workforce."

We’re commited to being a responsible employer (you can see our commitment and expectations on our careers page) and look forward to continuing to engage with Chwarae Teg and other organisations which help us reach our goals. You can see a selection of the wonderful organisations we’ve worked with on our Friends page.

Thales NDEC is now a Friend of Awen

Awen is proud to announce a friendship and partnership with the Thales National Digital Exploitation Centre.

The National Digital Exploitation Centre (NDEC) is an exciting collaboration between Thales, Welsh Government and the University of South Wales. A partnership focusing on digital and cyber security project delivery, education and research. Supporting local and regional businesses, schools and individuals in their digital endeavours, helping to position Wales as a global player in the tech industry.

Awen and NDEC are beginning a journey of exploration to find ways to best collaborate. To begin, Awen will be partnering with NDEC for demonstrations of Dot software on live environments within NDECs OT Cyber Range. Together we will be able to show critical national infrastructure organisations, manufacturers and the defence sector our capabilities to decrease cyber risk and increase cyber resilience within Operational Technology environments, and to do so at scale.

For more information about NDEC please visit their website.

For more details about Awen, please do browse our website and feel free to get in contact.

The Percy Hobart Fellowship 2020 + Awen = INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP

In July of this year Awen Collective welcomed a new member to its team, me! I’m Steve a serving member of the Royal Navy and I have been lucky enough to be placed with Awen for 12 weeks (July - September 2020) during a new and exciting programme in innovation training from PUBLIC, ‘The Percy Hobart Fellowship.’

Over the 12 week course I am working directly alongside Awen Collective, learning how a fast paced and exciting Tech Start-up operates and providing them an insight into the military mindset, in addition to this I am being provided access to taught material, mentoring and workshops combining to give a strong base in both the theoretical and practical side of innovation.

The journey so far has been an interesting one, and I could not have made to feel more a part of the family at Awen. They have firmly brought me onboard with their vision of creating a more cyber resilient world, an issue not just for the military and defence sector but for society at large. 

I’m looking forward to the rest of the journey with Awen and perhaps I will share more of my experiences with this dynamic organisation in the coming weeks.

Accenture Blue Tulip Awards Final - Starring Awen - 11th June 2020

We are proud to announce that the Finals of the Blue Tulip Awards 2020 will take place on June 11, and will be brought to you live by Accenture, Boom Chicago and RTL-Z…. and Awen will be pitching in the finals in the Security category!

LIVE RTL-Z winner announcement 

Please join the live winner ceremony starting June 11, 19:00 online at RTL Z, to find out who the 2020 winners of the Blue Tulip Awards are. In this 90-minute show, innovation experts and jury chairmen will share thoughts and insights on what impactful innovation means today. As for the eight Blue Tulip Awards themes, this year’s worthy winners will be revealed and celebrated. 

For all the latest updates on the Blue Tulip Awards 2020 Finals and the full program, keep an eye on the Blue Tulip Awards website [archive.org]. 

See you on the 11th of June?

PROFILE: Free for Healthcare in 2020 due to COVID-19

Healthcare is a critical infrastructure, which has never been so clear due to the Novel Coronavirus labelled COVID-19.

Our critical yet vulnerable health services need all the help they can get right now.

This is why we've made the decision to offer our Profile software for free this year (2020) to all healthcare providers, and specific healthcare suppliers such as ventilator, face mask and hand sanitiser manufacturers.

Profile will help to these providers and suppliers work quickly towards lower levels of cyber risk. Freeing up time to work on more important things, and lowering the potential for disruption to society caused by cyber attacks.

We have already seen cyber attacks around the world targeted at those services providing critical services during the Coronavirus outbreak. For the sake of human health, we don’t want to see increased risks to humanity caused by cyber attacks.

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If you are in healthcare or are a critical health sector supplier, please contact us by email or telephone for your free Profile accounts.

hello@awencollective.com

+44 29 2120 2936