The Department of Finance said in a statement today "in preparation for a possible sale" it was releasing a tender for companies to bid to provide advice on the technology framework required to support the sale.
Release of the tender comes after the Minister for Finance, Senator Nick Minchin, announced the government would move to the next stage of preparations for a possible sale of the remainder of the carrier.
Legislation enabling the sale has passed federal parliament and a scoping study recommended the preferred timing for a public share offering be late 2006.
"The technology framework advisor will provide independent advice on the application of data management, processing, transacting and on line technologies in support of a large scale share offer," the Finance tender stipulates.
"The advisor will also assist in the development of detailed tender specifications and the selection of technology related suppliers for any sale process."
The successful organisation will not be allowed to tender for future technology design and implementation roles in the sale process, however.
The tender follows the government's appointment of another legal partner, United States law firm Skadden, for the "possible sale" of Telstra.
