Further assistance regarding this Request for Expressions of Interest may be obtained from:

Denis Green denis.green@dewrsb.gov.au

or

Paul Griffin paul.griffin@dewrsb.gov.au

or

John Powell john.powell@dewrsb.gov.au

*

The Initiative *

Part A Statement of Proposed Initiative *

1. Introduction *

Briefing Sessions *

Contact Between Proponents and the Project Team *

2. Background *

3. Aim *

Power of the Directory *

4. Objectives *

Business-to-Business & Business-to-Government *

Business Enterprise *

E-Commerce Product and Service Providers *

5. Scope *

Out of Scope *

Governance *

Directory Structure Policy and Registry Business Requirements *

In Scope *

a) Directory physical and technical infrastructure operations and maintenance *

b) Marketing, promotion and recruitment of clients and service providers *

c) Development of products and services. (In Scope) *

d) Issuance of Australian Business Number Digital Signature Certificates *

6. Operation of Directory *

What is a Tag? *

Registration of Tags *

Linked to Tags *

Public Business Information *

7. Timetable *

Part B Evaluation of Expressions of Interest *

8. Purpose *

9. Expression of Interest Content *

10. Selection Criteria *

Part C - Conditions of Expressions of Interest *

11. Request For Expression of Interest *

12. Disclaimer *

13. Deadline for the Lodgement of Expressions of Interest *

14. Place and Lodgement of Expressions of Interest *

15. Delivery Method *

Extension of Deadline *

16. Copies of Expression of Interest *

17. Definition of a Late Expression of Interest *

18. Admission of Late EOIs to Evaluation *

19. Communication with Proponents *

20. Further Information Prior to the Deadline for Lodgement *

Proponents’ Requests for Further Information about the RFEOI *

21. Department’s Answers to Requests for Further Information *

22. Further Information After the Deadline for Lodgement *

Confirmation of receipt *

23. Requests from Proponents on the Status of the Evaluation Process *

24. Ownership of Expression of Interest Documents Protection of Proponent’s Information *

25. No Contract *

26. No Execution of Formal Agreement *

27. Further Consideration of Proposals *

28. Consortium Expression of Interest *

29. Other Organisations *

30. Language and Measurement *

31. Offers to Remain Open *

32. Preparation of Expression of Interest *

33. Conflict of Interest *

34. Confidentiality and Freedom of Information *

35. Government Guidelines and Legislation *

36. Evaluation and Selection of Expression of Interest *

37. Right to Conduct Security, Probity and Financial Checks *

Financial and Business Reports *

38. Probity Obligations *

39. Disclosure of Information *

40. Advice to Unsuccessful Proponents *

41. Debriefing for Unsuccessful Proponents *

42. Proponent's Acknowledgment *

43. Department’s Rights *

Classes of Tags *

Structure *

The Commonwealth of Australia, acting through the Department of Employment Workplace Relations and Small Business (DEWRSB), invites suitable interested parties to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) to assist with the development and/or underwriting of an e-commerce initiative.

Expressions of interest are sought to assist with underwriting as well as providing innovative products and services to develop and secure the initiative in the commercial, online, business-to-business and government-to-business environments.

The initiative is a high level, electronic directory that will provide Australian business with an electronic environment for commercial and financial interaction.

The scope of this EOI is set out in item 5. In brief, the governance arrangements and overall management of the initiative, although open for discussion and negotiation, are required to be commercially neutral and will therefore be retained by the Commonwealth.

Similarly, the policy underlying the structure and management of the directory service will also be managed by the Commonwealth.

Apart from these two critical aspects, the Depaertment is seeking EOIs in regard to the development, marketing, utilisation and growth of the initiative.

The relative non-prescriptive and general outline nature of this invitation is designed to elicit innovative and imaginative approaches, as well as expressions that can leverage the considerable infrastructures that already exist within industries and sectors.

This EOI invites Expression of Interest from small to large innovative players or consortia. These organisations will have imaginative and innovative and sound business ideas. They will see opportunities by the approach suggested in this initiative. Expressions of interest are also sought from other established institutions found in, for example, the finance, banking, retail, agricultural and other relevant sectors.

The Department will decide on whether or not to proceed further with this initiative in light of the Expressions of Interest received and relevant Government priorities and policy considerations.

The Statement of Proposed Initiative provides an indication of the types of services the Department is seeking to enable respondents to lodge expressions of interests in response to this EOI. The Statement of Proposed Initiative will be further developed taking the information provided by EOI Proponents into account.

Please contact us if you wish to attend a briefing session designed for specific industry and business groups.

Please contact Denis Green by 11 May 2001 on (02) 61215880 or at denis.green@dewrsb.gov.au.

To ensure a high degree of probity in the handling of Expressions of Interest, any inquiries on the content of this document should be emailed to:

Denis Green denis.green@dewrsb.gov.au

or

Paul Griffin paul.griffin@dewrsb.gov.au

or

John Powell john.powell@dewrsb.gov.au

There are more than two million businesses with an Australian Business Number (ABN). Every business in Australia that is actively trading and involved in day-to-day business activities is uniquely identified by an ABN.

The ABN provides a unique opportunity to bring all business into the electronic environment. This is the enabler of the initiative. It is proposed to use the ABN as the unique electronic identifier for business use in day-to-day routine electronic business activities.

There are a currently barriers that impede the take up of electronic commerce by business. These include the lack of:

1. Confidence associated with confidentiality, authentication and security issues.
2. Understanding of the changes to business regimes that e-commerce may bring, coupled to natural resistance and reluctance to take-up new technology.
3. Capital or reluctance to invest capital because of the lack of suitably priced electronic business products in the marketplace that meet business requirements.
4. Confidence by software developers of the potential for reasonable return on investment when investing in the development of the e-commerce marketplace.

Through DEWRSB, the Commonwealth Government is seeking Expressions of Interest for participation by Australian businesses and entrepreneurs in an initiative, which it believes will go some way to address these issues.

The focus of this initiative is to offer all businesses in Australia, especially small business, an affordable and commercially neutral environment. This will allow automation of day-to-day business activities including routine business information exchanges and financial transactions in an open but secure electronic environment.

The aim of the initiative is to build a high level electronic directory, in an electronically open and commercially neutral environment. This directory will service national requirements by providing a high quality unique electronic identification and authentication directory.

This directory will be designed to engender confidence and trust in the online business environment. A registration process will protect:

• The brand.
• Intellectual property.
• Terms of trade of electronically based products and services.

(Note: This does not mean that an entity using the Directory would be immune to suit under the Trade Mark Act, IP Law or Patents provisions of common law.)

This initiative will be an institution that is:

• Purpose built.
• Commercially neutral.
• Technologically neutral.

This institution will be a business facility for commercial and financial interactions in an electronic environment.

Commercial electronic product and service providers will have:

• A national marketplace.
• A level playing field.
• An environment that is commercially and technologically neutral.

The objectives of the directory are to:

1. Provide a business information directory that will gain the trust of the business community.
2. Use a Public Key Infrastructure to provide strong authentication and security.
3. Provide an electronic directory with basic information about business entities.
4. Establish a registry of tags that will provide protection for:

• Brand.
• Intellectual property.
• Terms of trade associated with online products and services registered through the imitative.

1. Make it easy to identify business entities using the ABN.
2. Promote business through the benefit of an online environment.
3. Enable business to be easily found with an electronic presence and have a range of commercially viable online functionality.
4. Provide access to Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) information, i.e. whereabouts or storage of public key information.
5. Develop an education and awareness program to promote the benefits to an online business environment.

 

E-Commerce Product and Service Providers

6. Facilitate the propagation and distribution of PKI products.
7. Provide identification tags that contain information about the entity and provide pointers to the information or transaction described by the tag.
8. Encourage and facilitate the development of tags with standardised information schema and structure.
9. Engender and encourage the development of business orientated software resources.
10. Encourage electronic and associated service providers to provide electronic services and support to businesses.
11. Encourage and engender the growth and development of sunrise industries to investigate, research and develop products and services for this online environment.

To achieve these objectives, a number of developments will be necessary.

Two key developments fall outside the scope of this EOI. They include:

• Governance and management structures.
• Directory structure, policy and registry business requirements.

Developments that fall inside the scope of this EIO include:

1. Directory physical and technical infrastructure and operations.
2. Marketing, promotion and recruitment of clients and service providers.
3. Development of products and services.
4. Issuance of ABN DSCs and other digital certificates.

The Governance and management structure and arrangements are to be put in place by DEWRSB and DEWRSB’s decisions in relation to this will be final..

The principles are that:

• All sectors of the business community and IT industry have the ability to participate without incurring large or even mildly prohibitive costs.
• The initiative operates in an open commercially neutral environment.
• There are technical open-standards and a non-proprietary environment.

• Ownership by a commercial operator is precluded.

1. Directory physical and technical infrastructure operations and maintenance

The initiative will require the establishment of a considerable IT infrastructure to support the development of the directory and registration services and associated administrative requirements.

It will capitalise on the emerging standards that are complimentary to the requirements of this initiative. These standards may include, for example, XML, HTTP, SOAP, PKI, UDDI and other open standards.

 

2. Marketing, promotion and recruitment of clients and service providers

There is potential for individual businesses and industries to use this initiative to market and develop products and services. There is potential to have access to every business in Australia. Potential investors participating in development will have first access to the marketplace with their services and products.

 

3. Development of products and services. (In Scope)

Potential exists for the development of products and services that can be utilised by the two million businesses that may choose to use this initiative. Products and services may include:

• ISP services.
• E-transaction and information hosting services.
• Financial services.
• Development of software and hardware products to for online services and online business requirements.

This will include digital certificates as well as other security, validation and authentication products. This initiative calls for strong authentication and security systems that are flexible, open and have the potential for development and wide application.

The primary focus is to engender an electronic trading environment in which the business community will:

• Develop confidence and capability.
• Find practical and effective in meeting business needs.
• Meet the security, authentication and non-repudiation requirements of critical areas of the business including financial transactions.
• Protect other non-repudiable information interactions.

The Commonwealth Government requirement for Public Key Infrastructure is that they comply with Gatekeeper requirements.

The initiative is to build a high level directory in an electronically open and commercially neutral environment. This directory uses Tags.

Tags are designed to allow business entities to register their products and services on the directory so that primarily, but not exclusively, machine-to-machine interaction can be facilitated. Below is an overview of Tags. A more completed explanation and description can be found in the Appendices A and B.

A tag consists of four fundamental properties:

1. An identifier or Tag Name.
2. A description of the product or service associated with the tag. A description of the input or output information of the product or service transaction. These descriptions will be based on standards such as XML, BizTalk, Commerce 1, etc.
3. A pointer (url) to the location or source of the electronic transaction or information exchange associated with the tag.
4. A declaration of the codes of conduct, standards of integrity, security and privacy to which the service provider will indicate they are willing to or are required to comply.

Registration of Tags to ensure that Brand, Intellectual Property and Terms of Trade can be:

• Uniquely registered and not usurped.
• Remain confidential where required.
• Not be commercially compromised.

(Note: This does not mean that an entity using the Directory would be immune to suit under the Trade Mark Act, IP Law or Patents provisions of common law.)

Brand, Intellectual Property and Terms of Trade can be uniquely linked to a Tag. The Tag will:

• Be given an alphanumerical identifier.
• Be registered exclusively on the Directory.
• Have a pointer to the location of the electronic resource that will deliver the e-service or interaction.

Company A may have an online product called, "e-terrific". They register the tag, "e-terrific", on the directory. The company will then have exclusive use of that tag and similar tags such as "eterrific". This will exclude others who may try to exploit the brand by confusing the marketplace.

As shown in this example, the brand, intellectual property and associated terms of trade can be afforded some protection through this Directory.

Public business information will also be maintained in generic tags.

A PAYME tag for receipt of payments could be implemented so that any business ABN, plus the PAYME tag, will return the information about that business online payment system or payments service provider.

If that business changed its payments service provider or its domain, then this change can be implemented easily by changing the Tag pointer (i.e. the URL). This will negate the need to inform tens or hundreds of business clients that it has a new URL to its payment gateway.

A more detailed overview of Tags can be found at Appendices A and B.

The closing time for the lodgement of Expressions of Interest is at 4:00pm on 8 June 2001 Eastern Standard Time. Upon the receipt of all Expressions of Interest, DEWRSB will commence shortlisting. Proponents who are shortlisted may be requested to provide a presentation to the evaluation panel.

This part of the document outlines the selection process and specifies the minimum requirements to be met by Proponents.

Parities are expected to provide as a minimum, information on the items addressed in item 10, Selection Criteria, when submitting their Expression of Interest.

This initiative is commercially neutral. Therefore, Expressions of Interest are invited from any organisation that believes they can contribute to and benefit from this initiative. For example, a small business may be interested in one small idea or aspect of the initiative, while a larger organisation or consortium wishes to promote a full range of products and services. Both responses are sought.

Expressions of Interest will be assessed by an Evaluation Panel appointed by the Department, according to the criteria outlined below. Failure to address the criteria may result in the EOI not being further considered.

1. That the Expression of Interest demonstrates that it is consistent with the aims outlined in item 3.
2. That the Expression of Interest significantly meets the objectives outlined in item 4.
3. The Expression of Interest presents a well-clarified and substantial business case that demonstrates a viable business proposition.
4. The Expression of Interest is focussed on a long-term, strategic investment and mutual development of the initiative, and wide e- commerce potential. It is not focussed on short-term commercially narrow opportunities.

1. The Expression of Interest should outline a business case that articulates and quantifies the advantages to the initiative and EOI parties. This business case should promote the benefits to the initiative, the end user and your organisation.
2. The Expression of Interest should indicate any scope for future development that will require planning and consideration at the initial development stage of the initiative.

1. That the Expression of Interest is based and developed within Australia.

By this Request for Expressions of Interest the Commonwealth of Australia, acting through the Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business (‘DEWRSB’ or ‘the Department’) seeks Expressions of Interest based on the terms and conditions contained herein.

The issue of this Request does not in any way commit or otherwise oblige the Commonwealth to proceed with all or any part of a procurement process.

The Request is not the subject of any process contract or any contractual obligations between the Commonwealth and Proponents or potential Proponents.

The Department may, at its absolute discretion, elect to abandon any part or whole of the process without giving prior notice to the Proponents or potential Proponents.

Written Expressions of Interest will be received until 4pm Australian Eastern Standard Time on 8 June 2001.

Expressions of Interest are to be lodged at:

on or before 4.00 p.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time at the place of lodging on 8 June 2001. All material, including the required number of copies of responses and supplementary material (Section 16 Copies of Expression of Interest) must be received by the Deadline.

Expressions of Interest must be delivered by hand, or posted to reach the Tender Box by the specified closing time. DEWRSB will not accept facsimile, internet or email responses. (See 14 above).

The Department reserves the right to extend the Deadline in exceptional circumstances. The Deadline set for lodgement of EOIs may be extended only by written notice from the Department. Any extension notice will be given the same distribution as the original Request for Expressions of Interest. (RFEOI).

The original and two copies of the Expression of Interest are to be lodged in single sided A4 loose-leaf format. The original is to be marked as the original and each copy sequentially marked with a copy number.

In the event of a discrepancy between any copy and the original, the original takes precedence. The Department may copy the Expression of Interest documents as it requires for the purposes of assessment.

Any EOI (including an EOI received at any point in the Department other than the location of lodgement, regardless of when it was received) will be deemed to be late if it is received in the EOI box or at the postal address provided after the Deadline.

Any EOI lodged at the EOI Box through the postal address will be deemed to be late unless the date of despatch can be proven to have been on or before 6 June 2001.

The Department will decide whether or not to accept a Late EOI. A Late EOI will be rejected unless the Department considers that there were exceptional circumstances beyond the control of the Proponent. The Proponents will need to provide evidence to support any claim that failure to meet the Deadline was for reasons beyond the Proponent’s control. For this reason Proponents are strongly encouraged to retain any postal or courier verification which shows the date of dispatch. The Department’s decision to admit or reject a Late EOI will be final. No correspondence will be entered into in relation to the decision, other than to inform the Proponent of the decision.

The Department reserves the right, at its absolute discretion, to engage in any clarification of any matter related to submitted EOIs. However Proponents will not be permitted to provide additional information that could materially alter the EOI. Proponents are therefore advised to ensure that their case is fully and adequately stated in the EOI.

Any request for clarification should not be interpreted as an indication that a Proponent will or will not be successful.

All contacts will be strictly confidential. Proponents who fail to observe confidentiality about such contacts may be excluded from further consideration.

All requests for further information regarding this EOI must be in writing and directed to one of the Departmental Contact Officers nominated below:

Denis Green

E-commerce Initiative EOI

Online Services Group

Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business

GPO Box 9879 Canberra City 2601

or,

Email denis.green@dewrsb.gov.au

or

Paul Griffin paul.griffin@dewrsb.gov.au

or

John Powell john.powell@dewrsb.gov.au

or

By notifying one of the persons listed above and the sending of the enquiry by facsimile message to Fax (02) 6121 7037

Where the Department requires it, requests for further information must be put in writing and sent to the Departmental Contact Officer at the above address.

Answers to requests for further information may be given verbally or by written notice from the Department, at its sole discretion. Where, in the opinion of the Department, further information provided to one Proponent should be provided to all potential Proponents, such information will be given the same distribution as the original Request for EOI.

Potential Proponents should note that the Department will be unaware of their existence if the Request for EOI was obtained through a process that did not capture the potential Proponent’s contact details - for instance, automatic downloading from the internet. Potential Proponents in these circumstances should contact the Departmental Contact Officer after downloading to provide their contact details by contacting Denis Green at denis.green@dewrsb.gov.au. Where a potential proponent does not advise these details to the department in the described manner , the Department takes no responsibility for failure to distribute any updated information.

Proponents should note that the commercial confidentiality of information provided to the Department will be taken into consideration when determining the distribution of further information.

Receipts of lodgement will be sent out within ten working days of the closing date. Proponents who have not previously received a receipt of lodgement of their EOI from the Department will be able to request that a receipt be mailed to them by contacting:

Denis Green

Email denis.green@dewrsb.gov.au

All such requests must be made within the two (2) working days immediately following the ten working day deadline.

The Department will not accept or respond to Proponents’ requests for information on the status and progress of the EOI evaluation process.

All Proponents will be informed in writing of the outcome of the EOI process at its conclusion.

Additional information on the outcome of the EOI process will be published in the Commonwealth Purchasing and Disposals Gazette.

All Expressions of Interest documents will become the property of the Department. In submitting the EOI the proponent is agreeing to allow the Department to use the concepts outlined in the development of the

E-commerce Initiative and that no consideration is payable. Where the Proponent believes that information provided in response to this EOI:

• is, or should be, confidential; or
• disclosure of this information would unreasonably affect the Proponent’s personal privacy; or
• disclosure of this information would unreasonably affect the Proponent’s business affairs,

notice is to be given at the time of delivery of the information or documents by clearly marking such information ‘confidential’ or ‘commercial-in-confidence’. Insofar as its obligations under the law permit, the Department will give effect to the Proponent’s stated wishes, and requests for access to such information will be determined under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

The Department is not bound contractually or in any other way to any Proponent to this Expression of Interest. The Department is not liable for any costs of compensation in relation to the consideration of this Expression of Interest or any Expression of Interest by the Proponents to this Expression of Interest whether or not the Department terminates, varies, or suspends the Expression of Interest process or takes any other action permitted under this Expression of Interest, including consideration of concepts proposed in future developments.

Nothing in the Request for Expression of Interest or your Expression of Interest constitutes a contract with the Department. The Department intends that no agreement will be formed.

The Department reserves the right to further investigate shortlisted proposals.

A Consortium is a group of organisations that lodge a joint EOI. A partnership does not constitute a consortium. If your group of organisations has incorporated, the incorporated body is not considered to be a consortium for the purposes of this RFEOI but is an organisation in its own right.

A Consortium may lodge an EOI and the Consortium will appoint a lead member of the consortium as agent for the other members. The lead member will be authorised to act and bind each member of the consortium. Each member of the consortium will be identified and will confirm in writing the authority of the lead member as required by the Department.

Expressions of Interest must provide full details of any proposed lead member and other members of the Consortium. If requested by the Department, Statutory Declarations will be executed by the lead member and other members in a form provided by the Department.

Proponents must provide the names and addresses of any other organisation(s) which may be used to perform part of the proposed solution and details of their involvement.

All EOIs and supporting material must be in English and all measurements in Australian legal units of measurement.

Any offer in response to this RFEOI remains open until 31 August 2001 or until receipt by a Proponent of notification from the Department that its EOI was not to be further considered.

Expressions of Interest are made on the basis that each Proponent acknowledges that:

1. The Expression of Interest specifies the Department’s rights in respect of the Expression of Interest and the Proponent agrees that the Department may exercise its rights set out in the Expression of Interest in respect of the Expression of Interest process;

1. The proponent is to nominate a representative who will be responsible for:

• Preparation and lodgement of its Expression of Interest;

• Any subsequent discussions;

• Any other action or response in relation to this Expression of Interest;

9. The Department is not responsible for any costs or expenses incurred by the Proponent or any other person in responding to or taking any other action in relation to this Expression of Interest; and

1. The Proponent will comply with the rules set out in this Expression of Interest.

In the event that the nominated representative (see h) above) is not contactable at the address provided the Department may choose not to proceed with consideration of that EOI.

Should a Proponent find any discrepancy, error or omission in the Expression of Interest documents, the Department should be notified in writing thereof as soon as possible and in any event , on or before the date and time of closing of the Expression of Interest.

A Proponent will be excluded from consideration if, in its preparation, any person misuses any position or knowledge or opportunity which the person may have (or may have had) relating to the activities of the department or the assessment of responses. No Proponent may have in the provision of an EOI a personal interest which may be inconsistent with its role in the provision of any future service to the Department.

Information forming part of an Expression of Interest, submitted in response to this Expression of Interest, shall be treated as commercial in confidence to the extent requested by a Proponent, and thus protected from disclosure subject to any legal obligations on the Department to disclose such information.

Proponents should be aware that the Department is subject to the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 1982, which allows public access to government documents. If this is of concern, the Act provides avenue for submissions to be made that particular information about the business, commercial or financial affairs of an entity or undertaking not be disclosed.

The Department is required by law to publish summary details RFEOI activity in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette – Purchasing and Disposals and may publish other details in the public Interest.

The Department requires suppliers to comply with their obligations, if any, under relevant guidelines, regulations and legislation, and in particular the Electronic Transactions Act.

Proponents are advised that detailed responses against each element contained in Part 10 of this document will be assessed for overall best effectiveness for the Commonwealth..

The Department reserves the right to set priorities and weight the assessment criteria or vary those priorities or weighting at its absolute discretion.

The Department reserves the right to make available to advisers and third parties a copy of any Proponent’s Expression of Interest or part of the Expression of Interest for evaluation purposes only.

Proponents may be shortlisted and inspections of samples of solutions sought.

The Department may conduct inspections of the shortlisted Proponents’ proposed solution at the proponents facilities during the Expression of Interest evaluation phase, or prior to appointment of the shortlist of Proponents.

Additionally, the Department may, on request, interview key personnel of customer(s) for whom the Proponent has previously carried out work, to assess the similarity of the work to the Department’s requirements and to obtain independent assessments of the Proponent’s performance.

The Department may accept all or part of an Expression of Interest, or may accept none of the Expression of Interest.