Fifty potential suppliers to the government's planned multi-million pound biometric identity card programme participated in the first bidders' conference last week.

The procurement for the scheme was launched last month and the framework contracts – which will handle up to £2bn of subsequent business – are expected to be signed within nine months.

'The emphasis of the conference was on explaining the procurement process, the way in which we want to do business, and in particular expanding on the business principles which will guide us - to create an environment with an emphasis on cooperation while at the same time encouraging healthy competition to make sure we deliver value for money for the taxpayer," said Bill Crothers, commercial director at the Identity and Passport Service.

The deadline for the next stage of the process is in two weeks.

The first deals to go be brokered under the framework will be for an upgraded fingerprint system and enrolment processing for both passports and ID cards.