The Singapore Government will be awarding between $2.5 billion to $2.7 billion worth of infocommuncations and technology (ICT) contracts in the financial year of 2019 (April 2019 to March 2020).
Out of these, 80 per cent of contracts will be up for grabs for SMEs.
The announcement came at GovTech’s annual Smart Nation and Digital Government industry briefing, and is a bump up from the $2.4 billion offered last year.
In 2018, SMEs clinched about 60 per cent out of 500 contracts at a value of $800 million, GovTech said.
This year, the Government plans to put over 60 per cent of its ICT contracts towards the development of five national platforms that come under the Digital Government Blueprint.
The five platforms include:
- Singapore Government Technology Stack (SGTS) which helps government agencies develop digital services
- National Digital Identity (NDI), a credential for Singaporeans to transact securely with businesses and the Government
- Smart Nation Sensor Platform, a nationwide sensor system that collects and analyses data
- Moments of Life, a platform that integrates various government services relevant to citizens at their stage of life
- Adaptive Digital Workplace, a platform for public servants to work collaboratively
Earlier in the year, SMEs also gained more opportunities to take part in higher-value government projects, with the upper limit for quotations raised from $70,000 to $90,000.
Previously, government projects worth over $70,000 fell under the procedure for tenders.
By raising the limit for quotations, Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah said small companies and startups would be able to secure higher value government projects “with simpler contractual terms and conditions”, and shorter processing times than tenders.
Featured Image Credit: Štefan Štefančík, Unsplash
