Becta calls for Home Access suppliers

Becta calls for Home Access suppliers

The British Educational Communications and Technology and Agency has issued a tender notice for IT companies to support the government's Home Access programme

It placed a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union on 23 May 2009 for companies interested in joining its Home Access Approved Supplier Register.

This involves the provision of equipment, software and support services for the programme, which is designed to provide children with access to IT at home to support their learning.

It follows the operation of an approved list of suppliers for the pilot phase of the programme, which Becta said has now been successfully completed.

A spokesperson for the agency told GC News it is planning to run a supplier day in early June, following which it will draw up more detailed plans for the register's operation. The tender notice says the contracts will last for two years, but as yet there is no estimate of their potential value.

Philippe Martin, a senior analyst at Kable, said the move will be significant for suppliers in the field.

"It's an important opportunity for suppliers, not only because of what they could within the scheme, but because they will be reaching 5-7 year-olds," he said. "The computers will be out of use in 3-5 years' time and it would be an advantage that these children will then be familiar with the companies' technology."