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Request for Information (RFI) Exercise for Home Office Quality Assurance & Testing (QAT) Contracts

Home Office

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

18 Aug 2026 at 15:17

Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Home Office is planning future quality assurance and testing services for its technology portfolios. The proposed procurement is expected to consolidate existing QAT capability into two core contracts covering system quality assurance assessment and review, and software acceptance testing consultancy (CPV 72225000 and 72226000). The work is expected to support delivery across the United Kingdom and internationally, including Europe, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, British Overseas Territories and other locations worldwide. The Home Office is the buying organisation. It is seeking supplier input to shape requirements, the commercial strategy, delivery arrangements and future contracting approach before the planned procurements reach the market.

This process is at pre-market planning stage and is a Request for Information, not a call for competition. A supplier engagement event took place on 27 July 2026, followed by the RFI exercise; the planned engagement is expected to end on 4 September 2026. The future procurements are expected to be developed for competition by autumn 2027. The current expectation is for two contracts, each with a minimum three-year term and maximum spend of £150 million including extensions. The Home Office currently intends to use the GCA Quality Assurance and Testing for IT Systems 2 Dynamic Purchasing System (RM6148), while continuing to assess its options. Participation will inform planning but will not affect future procurement decisions.

The work is likely to suit quality assurance and software testing providers, including SMEs, with the scale and experience to support complex public-sector technology portfolios. Relevant capability includes testing tools and technical delivery, quality engineering and product-centric delivery, transition and mobilisation, commercial and performance management, and the use of innovation, automation and artificial intelligence. The Home Office is specifically seeking practical evidence from suppliers about procurement and delivery models, how services can be mobilised and transitioned, and how performance can be managed. Suppliers able to explain credible approaches to innovation, modern testing practices and SME participation should prepare market intelligence and delivery models for later procurement activity.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Request for Information (RFI) Exercise for Home Office Quality Assurance & Testing (QAT) Contracts

Notice Description

The UK Home Office (referred to hereafter as the Authority) is seeking further input from prospective suppliers through a Request for Information (RFI) exercise in support of its planned Quality Assurance and Testing (QAT) procurements. The Authority currently has a number of contracts for QAT capability aligned to portfolios across the Home Office and is developing a future commercial strategy that is expected to consolidate these services into two core testing capability contracts by Autumn 2027. Following the Authority's recent supplier engagement event on 27th July, this RFI forms the next stage of pre-market engagement. The event provided an opportunity to introduce our objectives and gather initial market feedback. Building on the insights received, the Authority is now seeking more detailed information from suppliers to help refine its requirements, further develop its procurement strategy, and inform decisions regarding the future commercial and contracting approach. The Authority is particularly interested in supplier views and experience relating to procurement and delivery models, transition and mobilisation, commercial and performance management approaches, the use of innovation, automation and Artificial Intelligence, tooling and technical capabilities, support for SMEs, and experience of supporting organisations to transition towards product-centric delivery models and Quality Engineering practices. The exact scope, duration and value of the future contracts remains under development. However, the current expectation is that each contract will have a minimum term of three years, with a maximum spend of PS150m (including any extensions). While the current intention is to compete these contracts through the GCA's Quality Assurance and Testing for IT Systems 2 Dynamic Purchasing System (RM6148), the Authority continues to assess its options and welcomes responses from all interested suppliers. This RFI is for information gathering purposes only and does not constitute a call for competition, nor will participation influence any future procurement process. Suppliers wishing to participate should register and respond via the Home Office eSourcing Portal: https://homeoffice.app.jaggaer.com You will find the request for information under the section with the reference pqq_864.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-218f7dce-5adb-44f7-8e2f-ed9dcbfb5951
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d826ef16-2d49-4f6c-9157-d7512d48277a
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Dynamic
Procurement Category
Not specified
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

72225000 - System quality assurance assessment and review services

72226000 - System software acceptance testing consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
18 Aug 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
4 Sep 20262 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Home Office
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 4DW
Postcode Area
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
Vincent Square
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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