The NSW Government has launched a new Accreditation Scheme to qualify ICT service providers working with its agencies. The tender is part of the state government's ongoing move towards centralised ICT procurement.

According to the NSW Department of Commerce, the Accreditation Scheme will run for three years from August 2008 with a one-year extension option. The initiative is aimed at reducing ICT costs, simplify procurement processes for suppliers and agencies and increase sharing of supplier performance across agencies, the department stated.

It will replace nine existing ICT-related services contracts across several whole-of-government panel arrangements including software development, management services and IT consultancy as well as network, Internet and security products and services.

According to tender documents, services suppliers will be qualified according to three project sizes - small projects worth up to $150,000, medium-sized projects valued at up to $500,000, and larger projects valued between $500,000 and $10 million. Details on how the department will select services providers for deals worth more than $10 million has not been specified.

Those looking to qualify for smaller deals need to have two years' experience providing ICT services and annual turnover of at least $500,000 for those services. At the next level, prospective suppliers for medium-sized deals will need to have made at least $500,000 from ICT services each year for the past two years.

At the top-end, project bidders will need to have at least five years' experience providing ICT services and a minimum annual turnover of $1 million for the past two years.

The Department of Commerce said the performance of suppliers will be rated by agencies on areas such as performance, effectiveness of marketing campaigns, ongoing compliance with guidelines and client usage via its Web-based ICT Services Portal. Suppliers will also be asked to provide self assessments regularly.

Expressions of interest to participate close on July 16.

The NSW Government has announced a raft of product-based whole of government arrangements in recent years, including the Contract 2000 panel for desktop PC suppliers and the notebook suppliers contract last year.