KPMG is tendering as part of a private consortium to provide online property searches in a bid to simplify conveyancing.
The consultancy and accountancy firm is part of the Teramedia Consortium, which includes technology developers Intergraph; IT services company Compaq, data specialists Oracle; public-private partnership Teranet; communications systems company Cisco; and conveyancing searches
supplier The Property Search Agency. Other companies shortlisted are Hewlett Packard and Pricewater-houseCoopers.
The bid emanates from the Government's Improvement and Development Agency and HM Land Registry, which wants to set up an online integrated service.
The Government hopes to find private sector consortia for the revolutionary new scheme, which will bring together central and local government to ease property buying. The National Land Information System Channel Implementation Project, is described as a "major step towards electronic
conveyancing of property".
The bid includes the provision of 24-hour access to local authority searches and the land registry.
The successful bid will be announced in April.