HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has set out an intention to deploy a software-as-a-service customer relationship management platform with a price tag of up to £1 billion.
It has published a preliminary market engagement notice stating that, as well as the core platform, it plans to procure SaaS software for identity, verification, access and fraud, digital exchange and communication and document storage – along with architecture and product technical support.
“These capabilities are intended to form the backbone of HMRCs customer management capabilities and will be made available to tax regimes in priority order,” the notice says.
It adds that the new system will be expected to integrate with existing customer service platforms, including the contact centre as-a-service that HMRC expects to procure this year.
Contract timescale
The department is aiming to get the contract in place by February 2026 with a duration of 10 years and a possible extension of five more.
An informal market engagement has already taken place, to be followed by a virtual supplier briefing this week.
Publication of the notice has come weeks after the National Audit Office published a report criticising the performance of some digital services at HMRC, and Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee identified failings in its service to taxpayers. The latter highlighted long waits for customers to have phone calls answered.
