BBC invites bids for £2bn IT outsourcing contract

The BBC is looking to shortlist at least three suppliers in the bidding for its £2bn 10-year IT outsourcing contract.

IT vendors have until 9 January next year to submit initial applications to take control of the BBC Technology unit, which made a £19m profit on revenue of £220m this year and employs 1,500 people.

The winning bidder will buy BBC Technology and take over a range of services including IT hardware, systems and applications to 25,000 users; telephony; consulting; project services and broadcast system services to the BBC's infrastructure.

The sale "could include a transfer of staff from within the BBC" a contract notice said.

The BBC is looking to award the contract next autumn but James Hemmington, overseeing the procurement process at the BBC, said the timetable may change.

"The plan is to invite tenders around the end of January. From then the process is pretty flexible depending on the response from the market in terms of numbers of suppliers," he said.

Although the formal contract notice only went out this week, Hemmington said a number of companies have already expressed interest in bidding.