Contract for the Provision of Travel Services for Immigration Purposes.

Tender description

The Home Office is responsible, under UK legislation including but not limited to the Immigration Act 1971 and the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, for detaining and/or enforcing the removal of certain persons. It is necessary to provide sufficient travel methods (not exclusively air travel) to ensure that individuals with no legal basis to remain in the UK can be removed to overseas destinations. This includes ensuring those methods can accommodate vulnerable individuals, such as those with medical conditions, or those who refuse to comply with transfer. There may also be a requirement to manage travel arrangements for other immigration/government purposes as required by the Authority. The Authority is seeking a commercial partner to provide a number of fully integrated services in regards to Travel. These services include (but are not limited to): - Providing a comprehensive travel service that complies with requirements and restrictions imposed by airlines in relation to immigration passengers on scheduled flights; - Providing tickets for Service Users, taking into account restrictions imposed by individual airlines; - Following detailed and specific individual airline procedures for obtaining refunds; - Managing relationships with the carriers to maximise cost-effective opportunities; - Provision of a complete Charter service to meet the requirements of the Home Office; - Provision of accommodation for Home Office staff and representatives when required. Lot 1: The Authority is seeking a commercial partner to provide a number of fully integrated services in regards to travel for immigration purposes, primarily to/from destinations overseas, but including some UK based activity. These services include (but are not limited to): - Providing a comprehensive travel service that complies with requirements and restrictions imposed by airlines in relation to immigration passengers on scheduled flights; - Providing tickets for Service Users, taking into account restrictions imposed by individual airlines; - Following detailed and specific individual airline procedures for obtaining refunds; - Managing relationships with the carriers to maximise cost-effective opportunities; - Provision of a complete Charter service to meet the requirements of the Home Office; - Provision of accommodation for Home Office staff and/or representatives when required. The Authority may have requirements for other UK based travel services. If this requirement materialises, the Authority will agree with the supplier awarded the contract how these requirements can be delivered. There may also be a requirement to manage travel arrangements for other immigration/government purposes as required by the Authority. The potential length of contract will be 5 years from service commencement, with options to extend on one or more occasions up to a maximum of a further 2 years. The estimated contract value in this contract notice is calculated over the potential maximum term of 7 years including optional extensions. The estimated contract value includes pass-through costs and management services which incorporates implementation costs. Pass-through costs are costs which are associated with the purchase of travel services including tickets, chartering aircraft(s) and hotel bookings. The pass-through costs over the life of this contract are estimated to be in the range of £171m - £384m. The content of this notice, including the nature of services and estimated value (including estimated value of pass-through costs), may be subject to change. Note that services may include but not be limited to current and future related service requirements. This service is volumetric and any estimated values (including estimated value of pass-through costs) may be subject to change up or down depending on the amount of activity undertaken during the life of contract.