The Office of Government Commerce has announced new standard contract terms which are aimed at speeding up the tendering process for public sector IT. Two standard sets of terms and conditions have been produced after consulting with government departments and the IT industry; one for goods and supplies, and the other for services. The sets are hoped to save contractors and those procuring goods and services time and legal fees. John Oughton, OGC Chief Executive, said: "These new contract terms will simplify the IT tendering process and deliver significant time and money savings for suppliers and public sector buyers. “The publication of these new terms shows that the Government continues to listen to the IT industry and is determined to simplify the procedures and reduce duplication and bureaucracy in IT contracting." The documents have been designed to be tailored for particular situations and products. Guidance for use has also been published alongside the template terms and conditions at the request of both the IT industry and public sector procurement agents. OGC is planning to run seminars about the new contract templates, and is currently in discussion with UK trade association Intellect about running joint seminars. Links
OGC terms and conditions template
