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Heathrow IRC Operator Services

Home Office

Buyer Contact Info

Buyer Name: Home Office

Buyer Address: 2 Marsham Street, London, UKI32, SW1P 4DF, United Kingdom

Contact Name: Heathrow IRC Procurement Team

Contact Email: HeathrowIRCreprocurementproject@homeoffice.gov.uk

Status
active
Procedure
open
Value
901500000.0 GBP
Gross: 1081800000 GBP
Published
17 Mar 2026, 16:08
Deadline
20 Apr 2026, 11:00
Contract Start
n/a
Contract End
n/a
Category
services
CPV
79710000 - Security services
Region
n/a
Awarded To
n/a
Official Source
Open Find a Tender

Description

The Authority is responsible, under statutory obligations including the Immigration Act 1971, the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and the Immigration Act 2014, for detaining and/or enforcing the removal of certain persons. Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) is Europe’s largest immigration detention facility, providing a contracted capacity of 1093 beds, and is made up of two sites: Harmondsworth (754 beds); and Colnbrook (339 beds). Heathrow IRC accepts around 12,000 detained individuals every year and provides crucial strategic and operational benefits to the Home Office. The Authority is seeking a commercial partner to operate the Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre, with the required services including but not limited to: a) security services; b) canteen and catering services; c) special-purpose road passenger-transport services; d) guard services; e) building and facilities management services; f) grounds maintenance services; g) education and training services; h) accommodation cleaning services; i) recreational, cultural and sporting services; j) religious services; k) accommodation services; l) housekeeping services; and m) administration, defence and social security services.

Linked Documents

No linked documents found for this notice.

Opportunity Context

More Information Links

External Link: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024238-2026

Link Description: Tender notice on Find a Tender

Lots

Lot 1 Status: active

Lot 1 Has Options: Yes

Lot 1 Options: An initial contract term of 6 years with the option to extend for a period of up to four years, comprising of 2+1+1.

Lot 1 Value: GBP 901,500,000

Lot 1 Value (Gross): GBP 1,081,800,000

Lot 1 Contract Start: 2028-04-01T00:00:00+01:00

Lot 1 Contract End: 2034-03-31T23:59:59+01:00

Lot 1 Award Criterion (quality): Quality - Technical and Social Value

Lot 1 Award Criterion (price): Price

Documents

Document Description: Not published

Document Description: Tender notice on Find a Tender

Raw Notice JSON

Expand raw payload
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        "streetAddress": "2 Marsham Street"
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      "contactPoint": {
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    "awardPeriod": {
      "endDate": "2027-11-15T23:59:59+00:00"
    },
    "description": "The Authority is responsible, under statutory obligations including the Immigration Act 1971, the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and the Immigration Act 2014, for detaining and/or enforcing the removal of certain persons.\nHeathrow Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) is Europe\u2019s largest immigration detention facility, providing a contracted capacity of 1093 beds, and is made up of two sites: Harmondsworth (754 beds); and Colnbrook (339 beds). Heathrow IRC accepts around 12,000 detained individuals every year and provides crucial strategic and operational benefits to the Home Office.\nThe Authority is seeking a commercial partner to operate the Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre, with the required services including but not limited to:\na)\tsecurity services;\nb)\tcanteen and catering services;\nc)\tspecial-purpose road passenger-transport services;\nd)\tguard services;\ne)\tbuilding and facilities management services;\nf)\tgrounds maintenance services;\ng)\teducation and training services;\nh)\taccommodation cleaning services;\ni)\trecreational, cultural and sporting services;\nj)\treligious services;\nk)\taccommodation services;\nl)\thousekeeping services; and\nm)\tadministration, defence and social security services.",
    "documents": [
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        "id": "conflictOfInterest"
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      {
        "datePublished": "2026-03-17T16:08:02Z",
        "description": "Tender notice on Find a Tender",
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    "enquiryPeriod": {
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    "hasRecurrence": true,
    "id": "Heathrow IRC Operator Services / project_18030",
    "items": [
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            "id": "79710000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
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            "scheme": "CPV"
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          {
            "description": "Special-purpose road passenger-transport services",
            "id": "60130000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
          },
          {
            "description": "Grounds maintenance services",
            "id": "77314000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
          },
          {
            "description": "Guard services",
            "id": "79713000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
          },
          {
            "description": "Building and facilities management services",
            "id": "79993000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
          },
          {
            "description": "Education and training services",
            "id": "80000000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
          },
          {
            "description": "Accommodation cleaning services",
            "id": "90911100",
            "scheme": "CPV"
          },
          {
            "description": "Recreational, cultural and sporting services",
            "id": "92000000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
          },
          {
            "description": "Religious services",
            "id": "98131000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
          },
          {
            "description": "Accommodation services",
            "id": "98341000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
          },
          {
            "description": "Housekeeping services",
            "id": "98341110",
            "scheme": "CPV"
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        "deliveryAddresses": [
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            "countryName": "United Kingdom",
            "region": "UK"
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        "id": "1",
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    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "scheme": "UKPGA",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
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              "description": "60% (including 10% Social Value)",
              "name": "Quality  - Technical and Social Value",
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
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              "name": "Price",
              "type": "price"
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          "weightingDescription": "Weighted Price per Quality Point"
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        "contractPeriod": {
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          "maxExtentDate": "2038-03-31T23:59:59+01:00",
          "startDate": "2028-04-01T00:00:00+01:00"
        },
        "hasOptions": true,
        "hasRenewal": true,
        "id": "1",
        "options": {
          "description": "An initial contract term of 6 years with the option to extend for a period of up to four years, comprising of 2+1+1."
        },
        "renewal": {
          "description": "Maximum of four years (2+1+1)"
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        "selectionCriteria": {
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              "description": "Details are included within the Procurement Specific Questionnaire.",
              "type": "economic"
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            {
              "description": "Details are included within the Procurement Specific Questionnaire.",
              "type": "technical"
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        "status": "active",
        "value": {
          "amount": 901500000,
          "amountGross": 1081800000,
          "currency": "GBP"
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    ],
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
    "procedure": {
      "features": "Stage 1\tProcurement Specific Questionnaire\nSubject to Bidders completing and returning the Authority NDA, Bidders will be provided access to the Authority Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ).  All responses will be evaluated in accordance with the guidance contained within the PSQ documentation. Bidders will be required to respond via the Authority\u0027s eSourcing portal. \nStage 2 \tIssue of ITT Procurement Documentation \nFollowing successful completion of the PSQ stage, bidders will be granted access to the full set of procurement documentation via the Authority\u2019s eSourcing portal. \nStage 3 \tSite Visit and Group Dialogue \nA site visit to view the IRC will be arranged for all bidders who have successfully passed the PSQ stage (date to be confirmed). \nFollowing the site visit, the Authority will host an in\u2011person Group Dialogue session. This session will provide the Authority with the opportunity to explain pre\u2011identified aspects of the procurement documentation to ensure that bidders have a clear understanding of the tender requirements. Bidders will also have the opportunity to ask clarification questions in a group setting. \nStage 4 \tOne to One Dialogue \nFollowing the Group Dialogue session, individual virtual one\u2011to\u2011one Dialogue sessions will be available to bidders (dates to be confirmed). Attendance at these sessions is optional and bidders are under no obligation to participate. \nThe purpose of the one\u2011to\u2011one Dialogue sessions is to provide bidders with an opportunity to raise bidder\u2011specific or commercially confidential queries with the Authority. \nFollowing completion of the Dialogue stage, the Authority reserves the right to make minor amendments to elements of the tender documentation. Any revised documentation will be issued to all bidders via the eSourcing portal in advance of the deadline for submission of bidders\u2019 initial proposals. \nStage 5\tBidders submit fully costed initial proposals \nBidders are required to submit their fully costed proposals to the Authority in accordance with the instructions contained within the tender documentation.  \nStage 6\tEvaluation and Moderation of Initial Bidder proposals (including feedback) \nBidder proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the Detailed Evaluation Guidance (Technical Envelope) issued within the ITT documents. \nFollowing completion of the initial evaluation, Technical Envelope question scores will be moderated to ensure compliance with evaluation principles and to confirm that assessments by individual evaluators have been conducted in accordance with the published scoring methodology. \nEvaluation will be undertaken by the panel of initial evaluators for each relevant section and will consider each question independently of any others. A single consensus final qualitative score will be agreed at moderation for each technical question response submitted by each bidder. The final qualitative scores, agreed by consensus, will be recorded on the Authority\u2019s eSourcing portal and used to generate each bidder\u2019s overall Quality score (%) as described above. \nBidders will be provided with feedback on their proposals via the Authority\u2019s eSourcing portal. \nAt the conclusion of the Evaluation and Moderation stage, the Authority reserves the right to: \n-\tExclude Bidders who achieve less than 60% of the available marks in the technical quality assessment (i.e., scoring below 60 out of 100 for the quality section; or\n-\tProgress to the Negotiation stage with all remaining bidders; or \n-\tProceed directly to Contract Award Due Diligence (Stage 9) without entering into Negotiation and Best and Final Offer (BAFO) stages. \nStage 7\tNegotiation \u0026 BAFO \nShould the Authority elect to undertake Negotiations, bidders who progress from the initial ITT Evaluation and Moderation stage will be invited to participate in a Negotiation phase covering a number of pre\u2011identified themed areas. The Authority is not obliged to enter into a Negotiation phase and may instead proceed directly to Contract Award Due Diligence without conducting Negotiations or inviting Best and Final Offers.\nBidders will also be given the opportunity to propose additional areas for Negotiation, which the Authority may accept or reject at its sole discretion.\nAt the conclusion of any Negotiation phase, bidders will be issued with a summary of the Negotiation discussions and will then be invited to submit their Best and Final Offer.\nStage 8\tEvaluation and Moderation of BAFO \nBidders\u2019 submissions will first be evaluated and moderated in accordance with the published award criteria and assessment methodology, consistent with the approach outlined in Stage 6.\nOnce evaluation and moderation stages have been completed, scores awarded in respect of quality and price will be combined to determine bidders\u2019 overall score and ranking. \nThe outcome of this stage will be the formulation of a provisional recommendation for Contract award to the highest\u2011scoring bidder. The formulation of a provisional recommendation does not constitute a decision to award the Contract. \nStage 9\tContract Award Due Diligence\nThe provisional recommendation for Contract award will be subject to a separate Due Diligence stage. This stage will include the completion of relevant checks and the approval of the recommendation in accordance with the Authority\u2019s appropriate governance arrangements. \nA decision to award the Contract will only be taken following the successful completion of the Due Diligence and Governance stages. The Authority reserves the right not to proceed to award the Contract."
    },
    "procurementMethod": "open",
    "procurementMethodDetails": "Competitive flexible procedure",
    "recurrence": {
      "dates": [
        {
          "startDate": "2032-03-17T23:59:59+00:00"
        }
      ]
    },
    "riskDetails": "There is a potential requirement for the Authority to relocate the Heathrow IRC to an alternative site during the life of the contract arising from the proposed construction of a new third runway at Heathrow Airport. The timing of any relocation and the future location of the facility are currently unknown. This scenario could impact the Contractor\u2019s ability to deliver the services in accordance with the existing contractual arrangements and may require adjustments to operational models, staffing, mobilisation, or infrastructure to ensure continuity of service. \nWhile the Authority considers that such a relocation could jeopardise the satisfactory performance of the contract, the specific details of if and when it may occur, and the characteristics of any new facility, are not yet known and therefore cannot be addressed within the contract at award. As such, the risk meets the definition of a \u201cknown risk\u201d under the Procurement Act 2023 because it is identifiable but cannot currently be mitigated through contractual provisions or specification requirements. \nA relocation may require revisions to service delivery arrangements, staffing patterns, site specific operational procedures, mobilisation/demobilisation activity, or logistical planning to ensure service continuity. The scale of potential impact cannot be determined at this stage due to the absence of confirmed information on the future site and timeline. \nShould this known risk materialise, the Authority may consider modifying the contract in accordance with the \u201cmaterialisation of a known risk\u201d provisions contained in paragraphs 5 to 7 of Schedule 8 of the Procurement Act 2023. Any such modification would be limited to what is necessary to address the consequences of the relocation, and would be subject to statutory conditions, including publication of a Contract Change Notice where required.",
    "status": "active",
    "submissionMethodDetails": "Authority\u0027s eSourcing portal : https://homeoffice.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html",
    "submissionTerms": {
      "electronicSubmissionPolicy": "allowed",
      "languages": [
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    "tenderPeriod": {
      "endDate": "2026-04-20T12:00:00+01:00"
    },
    "title": "Heathrow IRC Operator Services",
    "value": {
      "amount": 901500000,
      "amountGross": 1081800000,
      "currency": "GBP"
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}