Singapore govt to call for S$2.82b of ICT tenders in FY16: IDA

THE Singapore government will be calling for a projected S$2.82 billion of infocomm technology (ICT) tenders across FY2016, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) disclosed at its annual industry briefing on Monday.

IDA, or the soon-to-be-formed Government Technology Agency (GovTech), said these ICT tenders are aimed at enhancing the quality of citizens' lives and make business transactions with the government easier.

The tenders will comprise infrastructure and ICT security bulk contracts due to some multi-year contracts ending in FY16, as well as contracts relating to agency-specific systems.

One key focus for government procurement this year will be to enhance ICT infrastructure to better support the data and digital services needs of a Digital Government in a Smart Nation.

For example, increased data centre virtualisation will allow the government to modernise its hosting of ICT applications and ensure faster time to production for new digital services. Wi-Fi will be extended to more areas in government schools to support smart learning.

The government will also continue to invest in its cybersecurity efforts, with a bulk tender for IT security services to be called in this fiscal year. Such projects, which are larger in scope, will be rolled out over a few years.

In FY15, the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) accounted for more than half of the total contracted value of ICT tenders.