UK Public Sector Contracts & Tenders

This Contract Notice is for the purchase of multifunctional Mobile Biometric Enrolment (MBE) devices from a single supplier. The aim is to: reduce the need for wet ink capture and enable a solution which can connect to the Authority’s biometrics database to digitally enrol fingerprint and other biographic data. The solution will consist of a fingerprint scanner which includes MRZ functionality, and can communicate with an Android smartphone with an electronic notebook application. The tendered contract will also include a requirement for maintenance and support of the devices for a minimum 3-year period.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (referred to as the Home Office) is the lead government department for immigration and passports and is responsible for securing the UK border, controlling immigration and issuing passports and visas. The Home Office, acting through Home Office Biometrics (HOB), is the Authority seeking to procure services for the provision of Biometric Matcher Platform and associated Services (BMPS). The Matcher Service Platform (MSP) is a combination of a technology platform and the services required to support and operate the biometric matching functions. The MSP can be further broken down into: - a Matcher Service Bus (MSB) where biometric transaction processing logic, biometric workflow rules, integration of Matching Engine Software (MES) and a Service Interface used by external subsystems; and - the infrastructure platform to host and provide the computing capacity for the MSB and MES operations. The BMPS Project can be defined in 5 stages as below: Stage 1 - Transition of the services developed under the existing Matcher Platform supplier to the new supplier. These services are for the delivery of Matching Platform and Mark to Print search capability for Law Enforcement. This is expected to go live before this contract award. Stage 2 - Delivery of other IDENT1 search capabilities (Print to Print, Print to Mark & Mark to Mark) for Law Enforcement allowing for the decommission of the legacy IDENT1 matching algorithm. Stage 3 - Immigration collection moved from IABS to the Fingerprint & Face Algorithms on the MSP. This allows for the decommission of the legacy IABS fingerprint and face algorithms. This Stage deploys Face algorithm onto the Matcher Platform and is an enabler for Strategic Facial Matching for Law Enforcement as well as ETA Face for FBIS. Stage 4 - Migration of HMPO, EUSS & FBIS collections onto the MSP (re-using the Face Algorithm on the Platform), allowing for the decommission of the IABS Passport Face Matcher. Stage 5 - Facial matching for law enforcement use-case.

The Authority is responsible, under the Immigration Act 1971, the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and the Immigration Act 2014for detaining and/or enforcing the removal of certain persons (Detainees). At any one time, there is capacity for approximately 3,000 Detainees to be held overnight in one of seven Immigration Removal Centres, three residential Short-Term Holding Facilities, a Pre-Departure Accommodation (PDA), and prisons across the United Kingdom. In addition, persons can be detained for shorter periods of time in Short Term Holding Facilities (Rooms)at Reporting Centres, air and sea ports, including locations overseas at the juxtaposed controls in Calais and Coquelles and at police stations.

An Enhanced Integration Package (EIP) was announced as part of the New Plan for Immigration (NPI) in support of the objective of better protecting and supporting those in genuine need. The NPI sets out our commitment to offer an 'enhanced integration package' to 'support refugees to integrate and become self-sufficient more quickly'. The EIP will be delivered under the name of 'Refugee Employability Programme' (REP). This package will ensure that refugees, arriving via safe and legal routes, have the tools they need to become fully independent and provide for themselves and their families. The REP will provide 'tailored and flexible employment support arrangements to refugees arriving to help accelerate their progress as they adjust to life' in England.

Further to a Prior Information Notice (PIN) ref: 2022/S 000-027907 issued on 4 October 2022, the Secretary of State for the Home Department (the Authority) is undertaking this procurement to appoint a suitably capable and experienced provider of User Services for the Emergency Services Network (ESN). The information previously shared as part of the market engagement activity has now been superseded by the procurement and contract documentation issued in connection with this contract notice. Only the information shared pursuant to this contract notice should be relied upon by suppliers deciding whether to request to participate in this procurement The ESN will replace Airwave in the future as the main critical communications system for first responders across Great Britain. There are more than 300,000 emergency service users who will rely on the system we are creating for their own operational safety and the welfare of the British public. The Emergency Services Mobile Communication Programme (ESMCP) is responsible for delivering the programme and we need companies with high standards, who can work with us to provide the technical building blocks needed, and who believe in the significance of what we are creating in ESN. ESN will be provided by the User Services Supplier working in conjunction with other suppliers to the programme, principally the Mobile Services Supplier (currently EE). The Mobile Services Supplier provides the radio access network infrastructure and related services. The User Services Supplier is responsible for the following areas: Programme and project management delivery ·System integration, including the production of end-to-end designs and managing the integration of all systems and interfaces necessary to deliver ESN · Delivery of network and IT infrastructure as required for the User Services, including a dedicated dual 4G/5G SA mobile core network · Provision of a 3GPP-compliant solution for Mission Critical Services (MCX) supporting Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT), Data (MCData) and Video (MCVideo) features · Specification and certification services for third-party devices and systems to connect to ESN · Provision of an enterprise mobility management service for ESN devices · Provision of customer support, including a self-service interface, billing and reporting services · Provision of service integration and service management, co-ordinating support from other ESN suppliers and managing end-to-end support for ESN User Services must be resilient by design and optimised to work over mobile networks. The MCX Services, which are core to the User Services, will provide prioritised group and individual voice, data and video communications over the 4G mobile network which is currently provided by EE (Mobile Services Supplier). This opportunity is to establish a contract for User Services for the ESN and will be operated in line with the Competitive Dialogue Procedure under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Regulations) The procurement comprises a multi-stage procurement process that is intended to short list qualified bidders, via an assessment of responses to the Standard Selection Questionnaire (SQ), who will in turn be invited to participate in dialogue with the Authority and tender for the contract opportunity. The SQ document is provided on the Authority's e-sourcing portal and will be available to suppliers who sign the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and Ethical Walls Agreement (please see Section VI.3 below for detail on how to access this). Note the date & time in IV2.2/ IV2.3 relates to SQ closing. The evaluation panel shall evaluate the SQ responses using selection criteria detailed in the SQ document. A Descriptive Document (DD) which sets out the Authority's requirements will also be made available to suppliers who sign the (NDA & EWA).   The Authority intends to issue draft contractual documentation at a later stage in the procurement, as detailed in the SQ.

The Home Office is seeking a supplier that will support the identification of suitable locations to allow Asylum seekers to conduct Asylum interviews virtually across the UK.

Further to a Prior Information Notice (PIN) ref: 2023/S 000-027712 issued on 20 September 2023, the Secretary of State for the Home Department (the Authority) is undertaking this procurement to appoint a suitably capable and experienced provider of an MCX Dispatcher and related services for the Emergency Services Network (ESN). The ESN will replace Airwave in the future as the main critical communications system for first responders (Police, Fire and Rescue and Ambulance services) across Great Britain. The information previously shared as part of the market engagement activity will be superseded by the procurement and contract documentation is now available in connection with this contract notice. Only the information shared pursuant to this contract notice should be relied upon by suppliers deciding whether to request to participate in this procurement. This opportunity is to establish a contract for provision of an MCX Dispatcher solution for the ESN and will be operated in line with the Competitive Procedure with Negotiation under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Regulations). The Authority are seeking to procure a standalone, MCX Dispatcher product which allows a desk-based operator the ability to access and utilise the supervisory and control elements of the MCX services and capabilities of the Emergency Services Network via a graphical user interface. The proposed solution will initially be used as a test tool by the ESMCP programme and is then intended to be deployed to most of the 200 existing emergency service control rooms (in limited numbers per control room) during the transition from Airwave to ESN. In addition, a number of the ‘non-emergency services ESN users’ have contributed to the consolidated requirements and will look at the feasibility of this product to provide their control room solution when migrating to the ESN.

Border Force Maritime Command (BFMC) is the UK's only national maritime law enforcement body. Its fleet of six Coastal Patrol Vessels play an essential role in delivering the Government's crime reduction and border protection objectives, alongside a range of wider maritime security goals. The current fleet of CPVs is at or nearing the end of their design life. This SLEP activity is applicable for up to six (6) CPVs (see ITT for details).

Further to a Prior Information Notice (PIN) ref: 2023/S 000-027709 issued on 20 September 2023, the Secretary of State for the Home Department (the Authority) is undertaking this procurement to appoint a suitably capable and experienced provider of a TETRA/ MCX Interworking Gateway Solution for the Emergency Services Network (ESN). The information previously shared as part of the market engagement activity has now been superseded by the procurement and contract documentation issued in connection with this contract notice. Only the information shared pursuant to this contract notice should be relied upon by suppliers deciding whether to request to participate in this procurement. The ESN will replace Airwave in the future as the main critical communications system for first responders (Police, Fire and Rescue and Ambulance services) across Great Britain. During transition to ESN, communications between Emergency Service users must be maintained between the existing and future services through a key transitional technical solution described as ”Interworking”. This will allow members of a talk group on the legacy TETRA system to communicate with members of a corresponding communications group on ESN, and vice versa. This opportunity is to establish a contract for provision of a TETRA/ MCX Interworking Gateway solution for the ESN and will be operated in line with the Competitive Procedure with Negotiation under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Regulations).

Irregular Migration Management Services, to include Operator and Healthcare Services at the Home Office Border Force Disembarkation and SOLAS (Saving of Lives at Sea) Point and Manston Reception Centre in Kent, known as the Sites. This includes the provision of general operation, security, facilities management and medical services.