NSW seeks solution for new portable long service leave scheme

The New South Wales Long Service Corporation (LSC) has issued a tender for a digital solution to manage the newly announced Community Services Portable Long Service Leave scheme, which will benefit approximately 250,000 workers across the state.

The scheme, designed to support worker retention in the vital community services sector, will allow eligible workers to access 6.1 weeks of paid leave after seven years of service in the sector, regardless of changes in employer.

The digital solution will need to support employer and worker registration, levy payment processing, service records management, claims processing, and compliance reporting.

It must provide self-service web portals for employers and workers to interact with the scheme.

The tender seeks a cloud-based software-as-a-service solution that can integrate with payroll, accounting, and Australian Taxation Office (ATO) systems, as well as ServiceNSW products including authentication services and proof of identity verification.

The community services sector, which employs around 250,000 workers across 7,300 service providers, contributes an estimated $15.4 billion annually to the NSW economy.

The sector is projected to double by 2049 to meet increasing community demand.

The LSC currently administers similar portable long service schemes for the contract cleaning and building and construction sectors in NSW.

Phase one of the tender, scheduled for July 2025 to March 2026, will include administrative portals, employer service return functionality, payment processing, and worker portals.

Phase two will add worker and employer claims, compliance management, and interstate worker solutions.

The digital system will require robust security measures, including role-based access control, data encryption, and compliance with Australian privacy laws and NSW Government cybersecurity policies.

The successful vendor will be responsible for providing project management, implementation services, training, and ongoing technical support.

Security and availability requirements include 99.9 per cent uptime, comprehensive disaster recovery capabilities, and compliance with ISO 27001 or equivalent security standards.

The closing date for the tender is April 8, with an estimated decision date of May 30.