Home Affairs seeks IT support provider for 19,000 staff

The Department of Home Affairs has issued a major tender seeking an IT services provider to support approximately 19,000 staff and contractors across Australia's immigration, border security and law enforcement operations.

Home Affairs operates from numerous onshore and offshore locations, including marine vessels, with sites spanning remote, regional and major cities across all Australian states and territories.

The successful provider will deliver end user services encompassing workplace technology, service desk operations, and incident management support across the department's multi-service provider environment.

Service requirements include end user computing device and software support, standard operating environment development, application packaging, and field services covering approximately 30,515 devices.

The department currently supports both protected and secret ICT environments, with 19,230 authorised end users accessing protected technology services and 5,467 users on secret networks.

An industry briefing will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams on 25 June 2025 at 2:00 PM, with registration required by 23 June 2025.

The tender seeks a single service bundle covering workplace services, service management support, service desk operations, and secret ICT services augmentation.

Workplace services encompass end user computing support, managed operating environment services, application packaging, endpoint protection, and executive support for critical business functions.

The service desk component requires 24x7 operations providing single point of contact support for authorised users, handling telephone calls, live chat, and service requests.

Service management support involves coordinating incident management across the department's technology ecosystem, including major incident identification and post-incident reviews.

The department's existing IT environment operates under a hybrid model with services delivered through internal resources and external providers across processing, networks, voice systems, and workplace technology.

Current service desk operations handle approximately 172,323 calls annually, alongside 56,076 chat interactions and 17,013 self-service requests.

The contract includes optional services such as digital lockers for device deployment, self-service vending machines for peripherals, and Microsoft Office 365 collaboration support.

Professional services may be requested for activities including procurement support, project management, and assistance with machinery of government changes and office relocations.

Tenderers must demonstrate capability to work within the department's Service Integration and Management framework whilst maintaining security clearances for personnel supporting classified environments.

The department operates both the classified Australian Secret Network and Customs Secret Network, requiring provider personnel to hold appropriate security clearances for supporting secret ICT services.

Performance requirements include meeting specified service levels across critical deliverables, with expected and minimum service level targets detailed in the contract documentation.

Successful delivery will require integration with existing departmental systems whilst supporting the agency's transition to agile working arrangements and zero trust security architecture.

The tender closes on 9 October 2025 with an estimated commencement date of 1 July 2026.