The government yesterday put out a contract for £4.5bn worth of IT services.

The contract is split in to two parts. £3bn worth of the tender is for a six-year desktop services contract from 2010, which the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced in July.

"We are committed to ensuring that future IT services continue to be provided in a way which delivers the best service to the citizen and maximum value for the taxpayer," Joe Harley, chief information officer for the DWP, said at the time.

The other part of the tender is for a four-year framework agreement that would see a vendor supplying £1.5bn worth of desktop services to a number of central government departments and executive agencies through government purchasing agency OGCbuying.solutions.

The desktop services for both parts of the contract include the provision of PCs and laptops, desktop software, security, infrastructure and support services, as well as office print, mail and intranet services.

A spokesman for the DWP confirmed that the department was awaiting applications.