The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, and the Arts works to connect and enrich every Australian community. It supplies strategic policy advice, fit-for-purpose regulation, and delivers programs, projects, and services in the infrastructure, transport, communications, and arts sectors. This effort to empower the nation’s regions and support cities and territories underpins Australian society and the national economy.
In response to the Regional Telecommunications Review 2018, the Federal Government announced the initial Regional Technology Hub (RTH). Following a competitive procurement process that selected the incumbent provider, the RTH has operated since December 2020. The current contract ends in June 2023.
The Government has committed to expand and extend the RTH for three years from July 2023. In doing so, it is looking to extend the reach of the hub. The RTH currently provides online and over-the-phone independent information and troubleshooting advice to regional, rural, and remote consumers of telecommunications services. The RTH includes a website, online helpdesk, phone support line, and online discussion forum, and has a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter.
This Request for Tender (RFT) seeks innovative, value-for-money solutions from the market. The department wants to enter into a contract for the provision of a high-quality and accessible RTH that houses a range of information, materials, tools, and expertise to support regional, rural, and remote consumers with their communications issues. To deliver the department’s objectives, the solutions should provide:
· resources to support regional, rural, and remote consumers of telecommunications services to gain maximum benefit from digital technologies, increase their skills and confidence, and solve common issues
· resources on innovative residential and business applications for available communications technologies relevant to the regional, rural, and remote context
· support for unconnected regional, rural, or remote consumers over the phone, to assist them to get online and navigate available resources.
In 2022, the website received 62,600 visits and raised 1300 support tickets. The RTH received 1024 email and online contact form inbound electronic submissions, 703 phone contacts, 104 social media contacts, and 26 live chat 26 contacts. RTH staff attended 36 regional community events to promote the service. The department expects the successful tenderer to deliver above these metrics and may negotiate stretched key performance indicators.
The timeframe for delivery is expected to commence 1 July 2023.
The closing date for responses is 2pm ACT local time on 14 April 2023.
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