The US government's General Services Administration (GSA) has opened bidding on what it says will be a $50bn IT services contract package.

The federal agency is now accepting applications for the Alliant 2 and Alliant 2 Small Business contracts to create what it describes as a "large, diverse pool of industry partners."

The Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts cover basic IT functions that various US government agencies ask for, including hardware, services and support, as well as some systems design and software development services. The total value of the GSA deals, which will be split among multiple providers both large and small, has been estimated at roughly $50bn.

The contracts are a continuation of the Alliant service contracts, and applicants will be chosen, in part, based on their past performance record for government services. The contracts will run for a five-year "base period," with an option to extend the deals for another five years.

"The Alliant team at GSA has worked diligently to engage with stakeholders on a transparent, collaborative and interactive process, including both federal agency and industry partner involvement during the pre-solicitation phase," Mary Davie, Assistant Commissioner with the GSA Office of Integrated Technology Services, said in a statement announcing the contracts.

"The results of that engagement are well-rounded final Requests for Proposals that build on the success of the first-generation Alliant solutions, and that incorporate feedback from customers and the vendor community."

Companies that want to take part in the contracts are being asked to submit their bids no later than August 29 through the FedBizOpps website. ®