ATO to seek $100m app panel

The Australian Taxation Office intends to release a tender within the next month that will set up a standing panel of application developers.

The ATO has issued a pre-release notice indicating a need for an application services panel worth up to $110 million. (Credit: Liam Tung/ZDNet Australia)

The tax office will look for highly experienced and qualified providers to develop applications for the ATO's Standard Operating System.

The length of the standing offer agreement will be three years, with two one-year extension options attached, stretching the possible contract length out to five years in total.

The estimated value of the tender is between $100 million and $110 million.

Each tender entrant would be required to sign a separate deed of agreement upon joining the vendor panel.

The pre-release notice specifies that the IT services panel may provide services to other government departments if required in the contract period.

The tender had been due to be kicked off today, but the ATO delayed its release until 12 August 2010.

"The ATO has delayed the proposed release of this RFT [request for tender] to allow for further refinement of the RFT documents to ensure understanding in the marketplace of the ATO's scope of requirements and assist potential vendors in delivering well-developed responses," the tax office told ZDNet Australia in a statement.