ASD sounds out market for ITSM support

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has gone to the market for information on running IT service management (ITSM) support for one of its PROTECTED-classified systems, in a sounding that could lead to a procurement later this year.

The request for information (RFI) is explicitly market research rather than a live tender. The agency indicates it may approach the market through a procurement process in late 2026, with any resulting contract expected to run an initial term of two years from 2027.

At the centre of the opportunity is a PROTECTED cloud environment built on Microsoft Azure, which ASD staff and partners access through office desktops or remote laptops.

As at February 2026 the system had about 4,300 active users spread across Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, with the possibility of sporadic Adelaide support drawn from a surge workforce at other sites.

Support currently runs during business hours, Monday to Friday, though ASD flags that this may shift to a 24/7 model in future years. It is delivered through a dedicated phone line and on-site field agents, and underpinned by a ServiceNow ITSM tool - owned by ASD and run by the current provider - that also gives users a self-service option.

ASD is seeking providers across three service lines, and says vendors may bid for one or more, with the agency reserving the right to appoint either a single provider or several.

The first is Level 1 service-desk (call-centre) support, covering telephony, queue management, incident logging, triage and escalation, user communications, knowledge management and fulfilment of standard requests such as account creation and access provisioning.

The second is endpoint management - device build, imaging, provisioning, deployment, issuance and recovery, asset tracking, desktop hardware support and disposal - delivered through a consistent national operating model across the ASD sites.

The third is Level 2 support for the ServiceNow platform itself, spanning administration, configuration, patching, upgrades, and workflow and service-catalogue management.

On the tooling, ASD notes the ServiceNow platform is its own asset, and that while providers are welcome to propose an alternative ITSM tool, any such tool must be accredited by ASD security for a PROTECTED environment and demonstrate superior value for money.

An unnamed incumbent currently holds the contract, which concludes in June 2027.

Because the system is classified PROTECTED, vendors must be members of the Defence Industry Security Program; all personnel must hold a minimum Negative Vetting Level 1 clearance before commencing; endpoint-management roles require at least one Top Secret Positive Vetting-cleared team member in each location at contract commencement, with additional personnel potentially needing to obtain and maintain a TSPV clearance (ASD-sponsored but vendor-funded); and all personnel must obtain an ASD Organisational Suitability Assessment.

The RFI is listed under the DMP2 Professional and Consulting Services and Software and ERP marketplaces. Responses are due by 11:59pm Canberra time on 24 September 2026.