BBC Technology buyers shortlist revealed

The BBC has announced today that a third stage shortlist of bidders has been selected for the final round in the procurement process for sale of BBC Technology and the new technology services agreement for the Corporation.
The three companies that have made the third stage of the bidding process are Accenture, CSC and Siemens. The bids received from the final eight were of extremely high quality and were selected through a rigorous EU procurement process conducted by the BBC’s evaluation team.
The move to procure a new technology contract followed an internal strategic review of the BBC’s technology requirements. The review identified potential annual savings for the BBC of at least £20-£30m if its technology services were outsourced.
As part of the BBC’s vision to revolutionise the use of technology within the BBC, to make and distribute programmes, the BBC is looking for a partner that will share its technology vision and make it happen over the next 10 years. The technology partner will provide the BBC with skills and expertise to reach its goals in programme innovation.
John Varney, Chief Technology Officer, BBC, said: “We have been impressed by the quality of the bids both in technology skills and delivery of services. The shortlisted Bidders have shown their ability to invest in technology innovation and enable us to revolutionise the way we make programmes over the next ten years. They have also shown a cultural alignment with the BBC that is one of the most important parts of this contract. I am confident that these three companies meet our requirements in order to progress to the final stage. The commitment from BBC Technology board and staff has been extremely professional during this period and our timetable to complete the process is on track, and we will be making an announcement on the winning bidder by this Autumn.”
BBC Staff and the Unions are being kept fully informed during the process.
The sale is subject to the approval of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The contract is worth up to £2bn.
(GB)