The Treasury agency Buying Solutions has said that a pan-government framework arrangement with 20 suppliers could be worth £6bn.

The deal, announced on 25 March 2010, will deliver desktop hardware, IT hardware infrastructure, software and associated services to Whitehall departments, their agencies, local authorities and the NHS.

According to Buying Solutions the framework "is intended to attract a wide and varied supply base, including but not limited to, specialists, niche suppliers and SMEs".

The firms signed up to the four year deal are ANS Group, Bull Information Systems, Civica Services, Computacenter, CSA, Equanet, Ergo Computing, European Electronique, Insight Direct, Fujitsu Services, Misco, Phoenix Software, Probrand, Softcat, Software Box, Specialist Computer Center, Stone Computers, Kelway, Trustmarque Solutions and Viglen.

In a separate £500m deal, Buying Solutions and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have renewed the department's existing 'Sprint' ICT contract with Specialist Computer Center.

According to a tender notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, 'Sprint ii' will fulfil the need of HMRC and other public sector organisations for a ICT "one-stop shop".

The company is expected to deliver hardware including mainframes, PCs, laptops, peripheral equipment, audio visual equipment and consumables, while software will include licences, upgrades and software as a service. Networks will include IP and VoIP equipment and links.

This article was originally published at Kable.

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