This article is more than 1 year old

DVLA deals £300m card-style licence contract

ID cards by any other name

A Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency contract to supply card-style driving licences could be used to continue to produce ID cards for foreign nationals.

In a tender notice in the Official Journal of the European Union on 9 April 2010, the DVLA says it is looking for a supplier to design services for chipped and non-chipped cards.

Initially they will be used for used for driving licences, digital tachograph cards and driver qualification cards. However, other government agencies, including the UK Border Agency (UKBA) which issues foreigners with identity cards, will be able to use the contract.

The DVLA has been producing identity cards for the UKBA since 2008. The blank card is manufactured by Trub under a subcontract with the DVLA's IT supplier IBM. Some 100,000 cards have been produced so far.

The anticipated scope of the new deal, to generate between 11 million and 20 million cards each year at a value of between £60m and £300m, reflects the potential for varying take-up.

The successful supplier will be expected to have capabilities including the development and supply of chip operating systems, carrying out independent laboratory tests and developing the DVLA's future initiatives.

Although the contract will be signed for an initial six years, there is an option for a two-year extension.

This article was originally published at Kable.

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