The NSW government is asking startups to bid for short-term contracts worth up to $250,000 in a reform of ICT procurement policy. From October, startups with quick, testable and innovative ideas will compete for deals that will run for up to 75 days as part of the government’s plan to work with innovative businesses through its ICT purchasing process. NSW Minister for Finance and Services, Dominic Perrottet announced the changes on Wednesday night at the launch of the 2014 NSW iAwards at the University of Technology, Sydney. Minister Perrottet said changing the risk parameters for these types of contracts will encourage the public sector to embrace more innovative solutions. The government said these parameters are being changed the realise the wider potential of new, innovative good or services, rather than simply favouring previous tried and tested solutions. “This is good news for small businesses with big ideas,” said minister Perrottet. He added that it’s been a challenge for smaller firms to demonstrate value for money when they’re starting out. “We now want to make it easier for small or medium enterprises to demonstrate potential value for money on ideas in the proof of concept phase of development,” he said. A NSW government spokesperson said that each government agency is responsible for contracting services that best meet their own needs, and there is no prescribed quota for the short-term contracts. “Approaches to market are determined by individual agencies, and agencies may adopt different procurement plans that best suit their needs,” the spokesperson said. Meanwhile, the government on Thursday morning issued a tender for a supplier to deliver mobile device management (MDM) and/or mobile application management (MAM) solutions ‘as-a-service’ made available to all agencies from an ICT service catalogue. The mobile solutions will improve productivity and be interoperable between agencies, community, and industry, the government said. The project is part of the NSW Government’s ICT Strategy – released in 2012 – which details a shift to a service approach to purchasing technology services to reduce duplication and promote a cohesive, sector-wide approach to ICT that reduces costs. Related content BrandPost Retail innovation playbook: Fast, economical transformation on Microsoft Cloud For retailers, tight integration of data and systems is the antidote to a challenging economy. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 3 mins Retail Industry Digital Transformation BrandPost How retailers are empowering business transformation with TCS and Microsoft Cloud AI-powered omnichannel integration and a strong, secure digital core lets retailers innovate across four primary areas while staying compliant, maintaining security and preventing fraud. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 4 mins Retail Industry Cloud Computing BrandPost How to Build ROI from Cloud Migration This whitepaper and webcast can help you calculate the ROI and create a business case for modernizing your legacy applications to the Microsoft Cloud. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 1 min Retail Industry Cloud Computing BrandPost How to power a sustainable enterprise on Microsoft Cloud In this eBook, we’ll follow the journey of Amal Skye, a fictitious woman who is committed to living in a way that preserves the planet for the future —and how businesses like Tata Consultancy Services and Microsoft are making that possi By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 1 min Retail Industry Green IT Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe