Tenders

Heathrow IRC Operator Services

Open
Deadline
637 days left
December 01, 2027
Contract Details
Category
Other
Reference
001203-2026
Value
£1,081,800,000
Location
United Kingdom
Published
February 24, 2026
Organization
CPV Code
Project Timeline

Tender Published

January 07, 2026

Deadline for Questions

November 24, 2027

Submission Deadline

December 01, 2027

Contract Start Date

March 31, 2028

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Budget
£1,081,800,000
Duration
72 months
Location
United Kingdom
Type
Other
68
Quality Score/100
Good

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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Requirements & Qualifications

1 requirements across 1 categories

Mandatory (1)
MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS1
--None explicitly stated in this notice.

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Documents

1 documents available with AI summaries

Official PDF VersionPDF
001203-2026_official.pdf

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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68
Good

Tender Quality Score

This tender notice is an early-stage announcement for a high-value, complex service contract. While it offers a clear overview of the scope, it critically lacks essential tender documents, detailed requirements, and evaluation criteria, which are fundamental for a comprehensive and fair procurement process.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance100/100

The notice mentions statutory obligations and a 'Restricted' procedure, implying adherence to procurement regulations. However, the explicit statement 'None explicitly stated in this notice' for mandatory exclusion grounds is a significant omission for a complete tender.

Absence of explicitly stated mandatory exclusion grounds.
Lack of full tender documents to verify compliance with all legal requirements.
Clarity40/100

The description of services is comprehensive and clearly outlines the broad scope of work required for operating the IRC. The application method is also clearly stated.

Completeness83/100

This notice is severely incomplete as a tender document. It critically lacks all supporting documents, detailed requirements, and evaluation criteria, which are crucial for potential bidders to prepare a submission.

No documents attached or available.
Missing evaluation criteria.
Fairness60/100

The broad and complex range of services required for Europe's largest IRC, combined with the high estimated value, inherently limits the number of potential bidders to very large, experienced operators. While not explicitly tailored to a single company, it significantly restricts competition to a niche market of large-scale detention facility operators.

The extensive and diverse scope of services may limit competition to a very small number of large, integrated service providers, potentially hindering participation from smaller or specialized companies.
Practicality40/100

The application process via the eSourcing Suite is standard. However, the lack of detailed information makes it impractical for potential bidders to assess their capability or prepare for a future submission at this stage.

Lack of detailed information makes it impractical for potential bidders to understand the full scope and requirements, hindering early preparation.
Data Consistency100/100

There are significant inconsistencies in the financial value and contract duration, which must be clarified for potential bidders.

Estimated value stated as '1,081,800,000.00 EUR' in financial information, but '£901.5m excluding VAT' in the description for the full 10 years. These figures are not directly equivalent and the currency difference is critical.
Contract duration stated as '72 months' (6 years) in the timeline, but '10 years from service commencement, with a core term of 6 years and options to extend for up to a further 4 years' in the description.
Sustainability25/100

The tender explicitly mentions 'Social Criteria' as a characteristic, indicating an intention to incorporate social value. However, the automated check flags 'Not green procurement,' suggesting environmental aspects might not be a primary focus.

Lack of explicit mention or requirements for environmental sustainability (green procurement).

Strengths

Clear title, reference number, and organization specified.
Comprehensive description of the broad scope of services.
Estimated value and contract duration are provided (despite inconsistencies).
Explicit mention of 'Social Criteria' as a procurement characteristic.
Clear instructions on how to register interest via the eSourcing platform.

Concerns

Critical absence of all tender documents, detailed requirements, and evaluation criteria.
Significant inconsistencies in estimated contract value (EUR vs. GBP) and contract duration (6 years vs. 10 years).
Lack of explicitly stated mandatory exclusion grounds.
The extremely broad and complex scope of services may severely limit competition to a few large, integrated providers.
Missing NUTS code and detailed location information beyond 'Heathrow IRC'.

Recommendations

1. Publish all essential tender documents, including detailed specifications, selection criteria, and evaluation criteria, to ensure transparency and enable fair competition.
2. Immediately clarify and reconcile the inconsistencies regarding the estimated contract value (currency and amount) and the precise contract duration (core term and extension options).
3. Explicitly state all mandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds, as well as selection criteria, in accordance with applicable procurement regulations.

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