Provision of Passport Manufacturing and Personalisation Services

Description

Scope The Home Office is seeking to engage with suppliers interested in delivering a secure, end-to-end passport manufacturing and personalisation service. This includes the secure design artwork, manufacturing, and personalisation of UK passports and related travel documents under a new contract planned to commence September 2027, to replace the current agreement ahead of its scheduled expiry in 2029. This is a second round of market engagement following up on the first round which concluded in August 2025. Description HM Passport Office (HMPO) issues approximately 8 million passports annually and is the sole provider of passports to British nationals globally. The current contract, held by Thales, covers: • UK e-passports and variants for Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories • Official, Diplomatic, Emergency, and Temporary e-passports • Biometric Travel Documents (BTDs) for UK Visas and Immigration, including those issued to stateless persons and refugees • Secure laminate for Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) The new contract will be procured through a competitive tender process and must ensure continuity of service, compliance with international passport standards, and support for future innovations. Please note that the listed Total Value (Estimated) and Contract Dates (Estimated) is provisional and subject to revision. Potential Requirements The future contract may include: • Secure design and manufacture of UK e-passports and variants • Personalisation of travel documents, including biometric and visual data • Production of Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) and potential future products (e.g., Digital Travel Credentials) • Integration with HMPO systems and support for future transformation • Disaster recovery and business continuity provisions • Transition and mobilisation planning • Optional call-off provisions for crypto technologies and contingency solutions