Government seeks IT suppliers

THE government is holding an event in Manchester today to highlight a raft of contracts that are available to IT and technology companies.

It wants to save money by putting more public services online and is looking for innovative companies to help it achieve this goal.

The first wave of services to be redesigned includes driving test bookings, tax returns, and state pension applications. The government says this will save £1.2bn by 2015.

The Manchester event will be held at the Midland Hotel at 6pm.

Fracis Maude, minister for the Cabinet Office, said: “The way that government does business is changing. The days of waste and inefficiency, when public sector IT was dominated by overlong, restrictive contracts with a supplier oligopoly, are on the way out.

“We are making it easier for companies of all sizes to win government business. We want to see agile, innovative suppliers working with government on shorter, bespoke contracts to create the digital systems that support 21st century public services.”