Planning

Escorting and Related Services

HOME OFFICE

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Planning

05 Feb 2026 at 16:01

Planning

18 Jul 2025 at 14:09

Summary of the contracting process

The Home Office is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process for "Escorting and Related Services", with a focus on services within the United Kingdom and Northern France. As part of this process, a Planned Procurement Notice was issued on 5th February 2026, highlighting anticipated procurement timescales without inviting tenders at this stage. The procurement, valued at up to £1.44 billion, involves comprehensive escorting and related services for detained individuals, covering in-country and overseas transport, management of Short-Term Holding Facilities (STHFs), and security operations across various UK locations including air and seaports. The main industry categories involved include security services, fleet management, and special-purpose passenger transport, with the procurement method being an open and competitive flexible procedure. Key procurement milestones include the end of the tender period on 16th November 2026 and the anticipated contract award by January 2028. The primary language for submissions is English.

This procurement process presents substantial opportunities for businesses specialising in security, transport, and facility management services. Companies with expertise in providing comprehensive operational control, performance monitoring, and management services for non-residential and residential detention facilities will find suitability in this tender. The contract offers a significant growth trajectory for businesses capable of managing large-scale operations, including 24/7 escorting services, medical support, and facility management across various high-security locations. With a clear emphasis on innovation and performance management, organisations able to demonstrate a strong track record in these areas, as well as the agility to adapt to evolving requirements, are well-positioned to benefit from this lucrative opportunity. The competitive nature of the procurement procedure encourages participation from SMEs, providing a platform for diverse business entities to enhance their market presence and expand operations within the public sector.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Escorting and Related Services

Notice Description

**This Planned Procurement Notice is issued for information only, to update the market on anticipated procurement timescales. It does not invite requests to participate or the submission of tenders.** Provision of in-country and overseas Escorting, including related services, to transport detained individuals to and from various locations including but not limited to Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs), air and sea ports, Holding Rooms, Residential Short Term Holding Facilities, and overseas to other countries. Background: The Home Office is responsible for detaining and enforcing the removal of people from the UK who have no legal basis to remain here. The Escorting Services contract is fundamental to delivering this through the movement of people within the UK, which supports the functioning of the immigration detention / removal estate; the removal of people from the UK, which is predominately via air travel and a mix of escorted (to destination) and unescorted (not escorted to destination). The contract also includes the operation, management and maintenance of Residential Short-Term Holding Facilities and the operation and management of Non-Residential Short-Term Holding Facilities at air/seaports and Immigration Enforcement reporting centres (STHFs). STHFs support the wider immigration detention / removal estate, enforcement activity within the community and protection of the UK border. Requirement (please note not exhaustive and subject to change): Management Services - includes operational control centre, performance monitoring and reporting, audit arrangement, and complaint procedures. Core Services - includes welfare, care of children, risk assessments, use of force, medical support, staffing & personnel and training. In-Country Escorting - 24/7 escorting between locations within the UK. Includes prisons, police stations, hospitals (inc bed watches), STHFs, Immigration Removal Centres. Also includes escort to aircraft for purpose of removal (unescorted) and provision of medical escorts. Overseas Escorting - 24/7 escorting from place of detention within the UK to designated overseas destination, primarily via air travel with a mix between scheduled and charter flights. Also includes provision of medical escorts and interfacing with the authorities travel service provider. Non-Residential STHF - the operation and management of designated holding rooms across all parts of the UK. There are currently 28 of these facilities which operate up to 24/7 and can hold people up to 24 hours and beyond in certain circumstances. Residential STHF - the operation, management and maintenance of RSTHF across all parts of the UK. There are currently 3 of these facilities which operate 24/7 and can hold people up to 7 days in certain circumstances. Juxtaposed Controls (Northern France) 24/7 escorting services with the UK control zones (Calais, Coquelles, and Dunkerque) and operation and management of 5 (currently) holding rooms at these French ports.

Planning Information

The Market Engagement exercise seeks to understand supplier interest, capabilities, and approaches to delivering a high-quality and compliant operational service. The Home Office seeks to understand market views on specific topics such as: Pricing mechanisms Performance management Continuous improvement and innovation Volumes Staffing Risk Management The Market Engagement process will run from the 18th July to 25th August 2025. All participants will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) prior to being given access to the Market Engagement exercise. The NDA will be accessible via Jaggaer. The stages of the process are as follows: The Home Office will send prospective suppliers a questionnaire, after the they have signed the NDA, along with a background note. Suppliers will have until the 25th of August 2025 to complete the questionnaire and upload on the Jaggaer e-sourcing portal. Suppliers shall be invited to a virtual industry day likely to take place week commencing 28th of July 2025. Suppliers are invited to request a virtual 1:1 meeting with the Home Office. Should Suppliers want a 1:1 meeting, they must indicate their interest to the Home Office at their earliest convenience, and in any event, before the 1st of August 2025. The Home Office will capture any questions raised in the 1:1 meetings and issue responses to all suppliers for transparency purposes, prior to the engagement deadline. Please note: To express your interest in the Market Engagement process, your organisation must be registered on the Home Office eSourcing Portal. If you have not yet registered, this can be done online at https://homeoffice.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html by following the Register Here link. To register, you must have a valid DUNS number for the organisations which you are registering and who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so. Once registered, please search for the following project information: project_19029 – Escorting and Related Services pqq_674 – NDA stage - Escorting and Related Services Preliminary Market Engagement

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-056241
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/010635-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

50 - Repair and maintenance services

55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

80 - Education and training services


CPV Codes

50111000 - Fleet management, repair and maintenance services

55500000 - Canteen and catering services

60130000 - Special-purpose road passenger-transport services

79710000 - Security services

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,201,000,000 £1B-£10B
Lots Value
£1,201,000,000 £1B-£10B
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Feb 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
16 Nov 202610 months to go
Future Notice Date
7 Sep 20267 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
30 Apr 2028 - 30 Apr 2038 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
HOME OFFICE
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
escorting.services.procurement@homeoffice.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 4DF
Post Town
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
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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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