The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer now invites tenders for professional services to undertake information technology projects in the Government under the Standing Offer Agreement for Quality Professional Services.

The new scheme covers four categories of IT services, namely pre-implementation and independent programme/project management services; ongoing services; implementation and full system development life cycle services; and information security services.

It replaces the existing Information Technology Professional Services Arrangement scheme, which expires in December. Up to 44 standing offer agreements will be awarded for all the categories for a contract period of 42 months.

70% weighting on quality

The office said the new scheme will reinforce the Government's IT outsourcing strategy by enlarging the delivery capacity for IT services and accelerating the delivery of IT solutions. It will also enlarge the market size to enhance further development of the local IT industry.

The scheme will place more emphasis on service quality and innovation. Its marking scheme for selecting tenderers will put a 70% weighting on quality and 30% on price. 

The number of standing offer agreements has also been raised from 23 in the old scheme to a maximum of 44 in new one, boosting opportunities for participation by IT contractors, including small and medium enterprises.

Deadline: April 22

A number of improvement measures have also been introduced in the new scheme to improve efficiency in providing IT services.

The tender notice was published in the Government Gazette today. The tender document is available at the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, 6/F, Guardian House, 32 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai for collection. It can also be downloaded from this website.

Tender proposals should be placed in the Government Secretariat Tender Box at the lift lobby of the lower ground floor of the Central Government Offices (East Wing), 20 Lower Albert Road (at its junction with Garden Road), Hong Kong before noon on April 22. Late tenders will not be accepted.