Framework agreement in the service sector for the provision of software development services
LOT-0001
Lot 1 - JAVA-based LC/NC platform.
The Foreign Office aims to implement the increasing need for digitalization and modernization with standardized and reusable development components, with the goal of making the processes surrounding planning, software development, testing, deployment, and operation more efficient and economical. This is to be achieved through the use of a low-code platform, which focuses on reusability, the implementation of various process variants, process automation, as well as support for the production process. Therefore, a Low-Code/NoCode platform will be established in the operation of foreign IT for the implementation of specialized procedures with rapid change cycles due to normative or political requirements. The selection of a platform provider has been made with Pegasystems Inc. Initial specialized procedures to be implemented have also been identified. In the coming years, the focus will be on developing, providing, and operating new services and applications on this platform, arising from the transition of existing monolithic legacy applications or from new needs. In addition to the implementation of applications, providing services also involves meeting governance and compliance requirements with the help of a competence center to ensure reusability, quality, and compatibility with standards. Further details regarding the required quantities and needed role profiles can be found in the performance description (VV-2025-0086_Lot 1_Performance Description.docx).
LOT-0004
Lot 4 - Cloud Development.
The Foreign Office is currently at the beginning of its cloud transformation. This year, dedicated projects for the selection of public cloud providers and the establishment of a private cloud have commenced. The selection of the technology stack has not yet occurred. In the coming years, the goal will be to build or expand the respective cloud platforms, considering high security requirements, to be multi-tenant capable. Here, security and automation will be the focus. New services will then be developed on these platforms, and monolithic legacy services will be migrated. Further details regarding the required quantities and needed role profiles can be found in the performance description (VV-2025-0086_Lot 4_Performance Description.docx).
LOT-0002
Lot 2 - JAVA-based Custom Development and Integration Development.
This lot is intended to cover a broad development need across various platforms. Two significant existing platforms pertain to legal and consular affairs (RK) and a second in the area of foreign school affairs. Existing application systems need to be taken over in lifecycle management. The RK program currently represents the largest substantive and technical complexity, whose service delivery is supported by IT. The IT of the Foreign Office has more than 30 individually developed IT applications in use at the headquarters and at foreign missions, which need to be regularly adjusted or renewed according to legal requirements, changed demands, and not least within the framework of the technical lifecycle. Due to the requirements of the OZG amendment law, further procedures are to be digitized in the coming years; the goal is a seamless end-to-end digitalization of all relevant RK processes taking into account current technologies, including mobile devices. Another IT application system to be maintained serves the processing of tasks in the area of foreign school affairs. The system is based on the program libraries RegisterFactory and Isyfact and thus adheres to a standard from the Federal Administrative Office. The web-based system is used by employees of the central office for foreign school affairs and foreign schools and includes 33 software components comparable to ERP software. In the next 18 months, a gradual upgrade to the current version of the Isy-Fact standard is planned. A short handover period of one month from the previous contractor to the new contractor is envisaged. The efforts involved cannot be charged by the new contractor. For this reason, it is essential that the new contractor brings strong expertise with these program libraries. Prospectively, individual software components are to be detached from the architecture. The contracting authority provides the operation of a 3-tier staging/deployment environment with another service provider. Further details regarding the required quantities and needed role profiles can be found in the performance description (VV-2025-0086_Lot 2_Performance Description.docx).
LOT-0003
Lot 3 - Data Science and AI.
The Foreign Office possesses extensive capabilities and experiences in the areas of Data Science and AI. Both in application development and in analytical work and rapid prototyping activities, additional external services will be needed alongside internal resources. These will primarily support the project department of A-IT as well as the AI and Data Lab of the Foreign Office. The Data Science and AI activities will mainly be realized on the community cloud PLAIN 2.0. Application development will thus aim for a cloud-native operation on Kubernetes. This is developed by the Foreign Office and is available to all federal agencies. Work in the AI and Data Lab follows the typical stages of a CRISP-DM process. The focus is on the rapid development of PoCs and MVPs in the form of an agile approach. Longer-running projects up to stable releases for a permanent operation by A-IT are also part of the tender. Products can also be developed based on a low-code platform. Further details regarding the required quantities and needed role profiles can be found in the performance description (VV-2025-0086_Lot 3_Performance Description.docx).