Scottish Executive signs £25m IT services contract

The Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (Seerad) has signed a new £25m, five year IT services contract.

The contract with Sopra Newell & Budge covers IT application development, and will include areas such as business intelligence, consulting, geographical information systems and testing.

The company had a previous contract with the department which ran for six years and included a joint project by Seerad and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to allow efficient sharing of data and secure information transfer using the Government Gateway.

Seerad is responsible for advising ministers on policy relating to agriculture, rural development, food, the environment and fisheries.

Its head of IS, Brian Pearson, said Sopra Newell & Budge is the first incumbent supplier to win the Seerad contract relet and said this reflects the quality of the service provided as well as the value for money offered in the new contract.