The Australian Government Drupal Services Panel gives government buyers a simpler way to procure approved Drupal and GovCMS expertise. ICON is an approved small to medium enterprise supplier across Category 1 specialist personnel and Category 2 fixed-price services. We provide Australian-based teams spanning strategy, service design, UX, content, Drupal engineering, accessibility, testing, support and technical architecture.
But technical capability is only part of the value we bring. As an integrated communications agency, ICON can connect a government website with the content, stakeholder engagement, public communications and behaviour change thinking needed to help people find, understand, trust and act on government information.
What is the Australian Government Drupal Services Panel?
The Drupal Services Panel, often shortened to DSP, is a procurement arrangement established by the Australian Government Department of Finance. It provides access to approved suppliers with the skills to work with Drupal and the GovCMS platform.
The DSP is designed to help agencies find suitable Drupal specialists and simplify contract management. It can be used for Drupal and GovCMS work, but not for websites built on other content management systems.
It is useful to distinguish the panel from the platform itself. GovCMS is the Australian Government’s Drupal-based web content management platform. The DSP is the procurement arrangement agencies can use to engage people and services to assess, design, build, improve and support Drupal and GovCMS websites.
What can agencies procure through the DSP?
The panel currently covers three broad categories.
Category 1 provides specialist personnel, including business analysts, content designers, delivery managers, Drupal developers, front-end developers, information architects, technical and solution architects, testers and UX designers.
Category 2 provides fixed-price site assessment workshops and service packages, including monthly application support.
Category 3 provides Digital Experience Platform tools and services.
ICON is approved for Categories 1 and 2. This allows agencies to engage us for an individual capability, assemble a multidisciplinary delivery team or procure a defined service package.
Under the current DSP Products and Services Guide, ICON is listed as an Australian SME that does not use offshore resources or subcontractors for panel services.
How does the Drupal Services Panel procurement process work?
Agencies define their requirements using the DSP request for quote template and approach selected panel suppliers. Buyers can first seek expressions of interest to identify suppliers with the right experience, interest and capacity.
The Department of Finance recommends seeking at least three quotes to support a value-for-money assessment. Agencies then evaluate the responses, select a supplier and complete the required panel contract order process. The buyer remains responsible for the scope, evaluation and delivery acceptance.
This makes shortlisting important. Panel membership confirms that a supplier has been approved to participate, but every project still benefits from selecting a team with relevant experience, a clear methodology, available senior people and evidence that it can deliver in the agency’s operating environment.
Why shortlist ICON for a Drupal or GovCMS RFQ?
ICON has delivered complex Drupal and GovCMS programs for Australian Government departments, regulators, commissions and public bodies. Our experience spans new websites, large-scale redevelopment, platform migration, design systems, systems integration, content and information architecture, accessibility, ongoing support and Drupal upgrade readiness.
Our government clients include the Department of Defence, Department of Infrastructure, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Australian Space Agency, NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of Home Affairs, National Capital Authority and Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
That depth matters because government websites operate within constraints that extend well beyond software. They must support diverse users, complex governance, public accountability, security, privacy, accessibility, records and publishing processes. They also need to remain maintainable as policy, content, teams and technology change.
Evidence at scale and in high-trust environments
Our work demonstrates experience across several forms of complexity.
AusAlert
ICON designed and developed the AusAlert website on GovCMS SaaS, a national warning system that uses the latest technology to send emergency messages to compatible mobile devices.
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
ICON designed, developed and continues to support the Department's GovCMS SaaS website. We also assisted the Department to prepare for their upgrade to Drupal 11, auditing and remediating 26 sites across their web estate.
Veteran and Family Wellbeing Agency
A trauma-informed digital gateway delivered with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. ICON combined service design, UX, accessibility, content, visual design and GovCMS Drupal development to create clearer pathways to support.
Department of Defence
A two-year transformation program informed by consultation and a review of more than 100 websites. ICON developed a content and governance strategy, design system and front-end component library now underpinning the Defence, Navy, Army, Air Force and Minister websites.
Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV)
This landmark Australian Government initiative is designed to strengthen long-term people-to-people, cultural and economic ties between Australia and the Pacific by providing eligible citizens from participating Pacific nations and Timor-Leste with a pathway to permanent residency through an annual ballot process. ICON partnered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to deliver the program’s end-to-end digital and communications ecosystem, designing and developing the GovCMS PEV website while also leading strategic communications, content development, stakeholder engagement and ongoing campaign management. Our integrated approach ensured complex visa and settlement information was presented in a clear, accessible and culturally appropriate way, supporting prospective applicants throughout their journey while helping build trust, understanding and engagement across the region.
Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission
A GovCMS PaaS redevelopment integrating with Microsoft Dynamics to make information for more than 75,000 charities available in near real time. The solution handles more than 500,000 files and 1.2 million content items while supporting fast, accessible search.
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
Accessible Drupal services shaped through nationwide research, co-design and testing with participants, providers, workers and people with disability. The work included information architecture, content structure, design systems, search and editor training.
Australian Space Agency
A standalone GovCMS SaaS website combining discovery, content audit, UX, visual design and development. The project received a Web Excellence Award and the GovCMS Connecting with Community Award.
One team across the digital service lifecycle
ICON can support an agency from early problem definition through to launch, optimisation and ongoing support. Depending on the requirement, a team may include:
- business analysts and delivery managers
- user researchers, service designers and UX designers
- information architects and content designers
- accessibility specialists
- Drupal solution architects, technical architects and developers
- front-end developers and theme builders
- testers and quality assurance specialists
- Drupal content publishers and trainers
- communications, stakeholder engagement and behaviour change specialists
This breadth reduces handover gaps between discovery, content, design and development. It also allows the team to respond as the real shape of a problem becomes clearer through research and testing.
Digital delivery connected to communications and behaviour change
Government websites rarely exist as isolated technology products. They are often the trusted destination for a reform, service, campaign, consultation, regulatory change or public information program.
The website may need to do more than publish information. It may need to help someone understand an entitlement, comply with an obligation, make a safer choice, seek support, complete a task or trust information during a period of uncertainty.
ICON’s integrated model connects digital delivery with strategic communications, PR, stakeholder engagement, content, creative, reputation and behaviour change. This means we can consider the full public journey from the outset.
For agencies, that can support:
- a clearer connection between policy intent, public messaging and the service experience
- content based on real user questions, barriers and decision points
- accessible, plain-language information that is easier to find and act on
- coordinated launch, stakeholder and channel planning
- behaviour change interventions that extend beyond awareness
- issues and reputation planning for high-profile or sensitive services
- measurement across communications, user experience and service outcomes
Not every Drupal project needs every communications discipline. The advantage is that the expertise is available when the public outcome requires it, within one coordinated agency team.
User-centred, accessible and standards-aligned delivery
ICON’s approach aligns with the Australian Government Digital Service Standard, including understanding user needs, leaving no one behind, building trust, reusing established patterns, monitoring performance and keeping services relevant.
We embed accessibility, content design and usability throughout delivery rather than treating them as checks at the end. Our teams use research, co-design, prototyping and testing to validate decisions with the people who will use the service.
This is particularly important for services used by people with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, people experiencing distress and users with lower digital confidence.
Sustainable delivery and knowledge transfer
A successful government website must work for the people who manage it as well as the people who use it. ICON designs for sustainable ownership through reusable components, content governance, documented decisions, editor-friendly workflows, training and structured handover.
For ongoing services, we provide planned maintenance, development support, transparent reporting and access to senior technical leadership. Agencies can engage ICON for a defined assessment or project, additional specialist capacity, or ongoing application support under the DSP.
When should an agency consider ICON?
ICON is a strong shortlist candidate when an agency needs:
- a new Drupal or GovCMS SaaS or PaaS website
- a complex redesign, migration or Drupal upgrade
- a design system or reusable component library
- user research, service design, UX or information architecture
- accessible content and inclusive co-design
- integration with CRM, search, data or other government systems
- an assessment of an existing site’s technology, content and user experience
- ongoing Drupal maintenance, enhancement and application support
- a digital service connected to a wider communications or behaviour change program
Whether the procurement begins with an EOI, RFQ or RFP, we can help agencies clarify the delivery approach, assemble the right senior team and provide a response linked to outcomes, risk and value for money.
Talk to ICON about your Drupal or GovCMS requirement
If you are preparing a Drupal Services Panel approach to market, invite ICON to your EOI, RFQ or RFP shortlist. Search for our company name, Iconinc Holdings Pty Ltd.
We can respond to a defined scope, provide specialist personnel, conduct a fixed-price site assessment or help shape a practical delivery pathway for a complex Drupal or GovCMS requirement.
Or contact us directly to discuss your project, timing and panel procurement needs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Australian Government Drupal Services Panel?
The Drupal Services Panel is a Department of Finance procurement arrangement that gives eligible government buyers access to approved suppliers with Drupal and GovCMS expertise. It supports specialist personnel, fixed-price services and selected Digital Experience Platform tools and services.
Is ICON an approved Drupal Services Panel supplier?
Yes. ICON, listed under Iconinc Holdings Pty Ltd, is an approved Australian SME supplier for Category 1 specialist personnel and Category 2 fixed-price services. ICON’s current panel listing states that it does not use offshore resources or subcontractors for these services.
What Drupal and GovCMS services can ICON provide through the panel?
ICON can provide business analysis, content design, delivery management, Drupal publishing and development, front-end development, information architecture, solution and technical architecture, testing and UX design. Fixed-price services include site assessment workshops and monthly application support packages.
Does ICON work with both GovCMS SaaS and PaaS?
Yes. ICON has designed, developed, migrated, integrated and supported websites across GovCMS SaaS and PaaS. We help agencies choose an approach based on user, functional, integration, governance, security and maintenance requirements.
What makes ICON different from a specialist Drupal development company?
ICON combines Drupal and GovCMS engineering with service design, accessibility, content, communications, stakeholder engagement, creative, reputation and behaviour change expertise. This helps agencies align the technical service with public understanding, trust and action.