2.16 The contract required the delivery of the infrastructure and bespoke software at the same time. ICL's tender proposed a start date of January 1999 and a three-year development timescale, with Libra being trialled at the first Magistrates' Courts Committee in December 2001. During post-tender negotiations, ICL offered to reduce the development timescale from three years to two. The Department declined that offer but agreed that ICL's plans showed that a 2.5 year timescale was achievable. The target for the first trial was brought forward to July 2001, with roll-out to be completed by March 2004. In addition, ICL would receive a bonus payment of £1 million if the service was commissioned at the first Magistrates' Courts Committee by February 2001. The contract would run for eight years from acceptance at the first Magistrates' Courts Committee and would end in July 2009 giving a total contract length of 10.5 years, of which five years would be full operation. The contract could also be extended twice by two years each time giving a possible contract length of 14.5 years. The gross cost to the Department of earlier delivery would be £11 million in return for the delivery of an additional nine months' worth of services.