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. Description HM Passport Office (HMPO) issues approximately 7 million passports annually and is the sole provider of passports to British nationals globally. The current contract, held by Thales, covers: • UK passports and variants for Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories • Official, Diplomatic, Emergency, and Temporary passports • Biometric Travel Documents (BTDs) for UK Visas and Immigration, including those issued to stateless persons and refugees • Secure laminate for Emergency and Temporary passports 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. Potential Requirements The future contract may include: • Secure design and manufacture of UK passports and variants • Personalisation of travel documents, including biometric and visual data • Production of non-variant travel documents and potential future products (e.g., Passport Cards, 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 Contract Locations • United Kingdom (primary delivery location). Certain elements of the service may be delivered from offshore facilities, subject to compliance with security and regulatory standards. The duration of the contract is to be determined, with possible extensions; the provided timeframe is an estimate and may be subject to change. The estimated total value of the contract is between £200 million and £400 million; this figure is to be determined and may be subject to change.