United Kingdom667 days leftOpen

Heathrow IRC Operator Services

Tender Overview

ORGANIZATION

Home Office

LOCATION

United Kingdom, United Kingdom

VALUE

£1,081,800,000

DEADLINE

December 01, 2027 at 00:00

CATEGORY

Other

CPV CODE

79710000

REFERENCE

001203-2026

Project Timeline

Contact Information

View Original

Original 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 1,093 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. The potential length of contract will be 10 years from service commencement, with a core term of 6 years and options to extend for up to a further 4 years. This contract covers the operation of the site at the stated capacity of 1,093, with a total estimated contract value of £901.5m excluding VAT for the full 10 years. The content of this PPN, including the nature of services and estimated value, may be subject to change. How to apply: The Home Office eSourcing is used for sourcing activities. Please follow the steps below to register your interest: 1. To express an interest, participants must first be registered on the Home Office eSourcing Suite. 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 . Please note that, to register, you must have a valid DUNS number (as provided by Dun and Bradstreet) for the organisation which you are registering and who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so. 2. Email: HeathrowIRCreprocurementproject@homeoffice.gov.uk Title of email: Heathrow IRC Procurement - Expression of Interest Email to include: Organisation name, Contact name, E-mail address and telephone number. For the avoidance of doubt, the Home Office is inviting Expressions of Interest exclusively from organisations intending to act as the prime Supplier for the operation of the Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) and the full complement of associated services. While the appointed prime Supplier may engage subcontractors across elements of the service delivery, submissions will only be considered from entities assuming full responsibility as the prime Supplier. Once the above steps are completed, documents will be made available via the portal, subject to parties signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).
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MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS

  • None explicitly stated in this notice.

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PDF
Official PDF Version
PDF001203-2026_official.pdf
Summary:
This notice invites Expressions of Interest from prime suppliers to operate the Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre, a large detention facility, for a 10-year contract valued at £901.5m, encompassing comprehensive services from security to accommodation.

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67
Good

Tender Quality Score

This tender presents a significant opportunity with a clear service description and ample time for expression of interest, but it suffers from critical omissions regarding evaluation criteria and inconsistencies in contract duration.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance75/100

The tender defines the procedure type and provides a reasonable lead time for EOI. However, the assigned CPV code is too narrow for the comprehensive scope of services, and explicit mandatory exclusion grounds are not stated, which are standard requirements.

Narrow CPV code for the broad scope of services
Missing explicit mandatory exclusion grounds
Clarity80/100

The description of the Heathrow IRC and the required services is exceptionally clear and detailed. The application process is also well-defined. However, there is a notable inconsistency in the stated contract duration (72 months vs. 10 years), which can cause confusion.

Inconsistent contract duration (72 months vs. 10 years)
Completeness60/100

While basic information, value, and location are provided, the tender is incomplete regarding crucial process details. Key omissions include the liable person, explicit mandatory exclusion grounds, and, most significantly, the evaluation criteria for bidder selection.

Missing Liable Person
Missing explicit mandatory exclusion grounds
Fairness55/100

The tender benefits from a disclosed value, e-procurement enablement, and a long lead time for EOI. However, the absence of evaluation criteria severely impacts transparency and fairness. The requirement for a 'prime Supplier' for such a large and complex operation, while understandable, inherently limits direct competition to a very small pool of large, experienced companies.

Missing evaluation criteria
'Prime Supplier' requirement significantly limits direct competition
Practicality75/100

Electronic submission is supported via the Home Office eSourcing Suite, and the eSourcing URL is provided. The contract start date is known. The primary practical concern is the inconsistency in the specified contract duration, which could complicate planning for potential bidders.

Inconsistent contract duration
Data Consistency60/100

The most significant data inconsistency is the conflicting information regarding contract duration (72 months in the timeline vs. 10 years with options in the description). A minor field, 'Liable Person', is also unpopulated.

Inconsistent contract duration (72 months vs. 10 years)
Missing 'Liable Person' field
Sustainability50/100

The tender explicitly includes 'Social Criteria' as a characteristic, which is a positive aspect for sustainability. However, there is no explicit mention of green procurement initiatives or a focus on innovation.

No explicit green procurement focus
No explicit innovation focus

Strengths

Clear and detailed description of the services and facility
High estimated value disclosed, indicating a significant opportunity
Long lead time for Expression of Interest (EOI) submission
E-procurement system (Jaggaer) is utilized for application
Includes 'Social Criteria' as a characteristic

Concerns

Missing explicit evaluation criteria for the selection process
Inconsistency in the stated contract duration (72 months vs. 10 years)
Narrow CPV code for a broad range of services
Lack of explicit mandatory exclusion grounds
'Prime Supplier' requirement significantly limits direct competition

Recommendations

1. Publish clear evaluation criteria for the EOI and subsequent stages to enhance transparency and fairness.
2. Rectify the inconsistency in contract duration to provide accurate information to potential bidders.
3. Provide a more comprehensive set of CPV codes that accurately reflect the full scope of services.

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B
Tender Quality Score
67/ 100 · Good

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