The Home Office is seeking to engage with suppliers who are interested in becoming the commercial partners responsible for delivering the Escorting Services contract, which provides the in-country and overseas escorting of detained persons and management of Short-Term Holding Facilities (STHF), across the UK and Northern France. Background: The Home Office is responsible for detaining and enforcing the removal of people from the UK who have no legal basis to remain here. The Escorting Services contract is fundamental to delivering this through the movement of people within the UK, which supports the functioning of the immigration detention / removal estate; the removal of people from the UK, which is predominately via air travel and a mix of escorted (to destination) and unescorted (not escorted to destination). The contract also includes the operation, management and maintenance of Residential Short-Term Holding Facilities and the operation and management of Non-Residential Short-Term Holding Facilities at air/seaports and Immigration Enforcement reporting centres (STHFs). STHFs support the wider immigration detention / removal estate, enforcement activity within the community and protection of the UK border. Requirement (please note not exhaustive and subject to change): Management Services – includes operational control centre, performance monitoring and reporting, audit arrangement, and complaint procedures. Core Services – includes welfare, care of children, risk assessments, use of force, staffing & personnel and training. In-Country Escorting – 24/7 escorting between locations within the UK. Includes prisons, police stations, hospitals (inc bed watches), STHFs, Immigration Removal Centres. Also includes escort to aircraft for purpose of removal (unescorted) and provision of medical escorts. Overseas Escorting – 24/7 escorting from place of detention within the UK to designated overseas destination, primarily via air travel with a mix between scheduled and charter flights. Also includes provision of medical escorts and interfacing with the authorities travel service provider. Non-Residential STHF - the operation and management of designated holding rooms across all parts of the UK. There are currently 28 of these facilities which operate up to 24/7 and can hold people up to 24 hours and beyond in certain circumstances. Residential STHF – the operation, management and maintenance of RSTHF across all parts of the UK. There are currently 3 of these facilities which operate 24/7 and can hold people up to 7 days in certain circumstances. Juxtaposed Controls (Northern France) 24/7 escorting services with the UK control zones (Calais, Coquelles, and Dunkerque) and operation and management of 5 (currently) holding rooms at these French ports.

Procurement Act 2023

The Home Office is undertaking a targeted market engagement exercise to inform future procurement and delivery arrangements for Residential Short-Term Holding Facilities (RSTHFs) as part of the wider Escorting and Related Services Procurement. Specifically, this engagement seeks to test the market's appetite for, and views on, the potential disaggregation of RSTHFs from the future escorting contract. Through this exercise, the Authority aims to better understand the viability of standalone RSTHF delivery, potential operating and commercial models, associated risks and opportunities, and whether separation could improve operational outcomes, resilience and value for money. Responses will be used solely to support strategic planning and future procurement decisions and will not form part of any procurement evaluation process. A questionnaire shall be sent to prospective suppliers by 9th October 2026, following the execution of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Supplier will have until the 23rd October 2026 to complete the questionnaire and upload their response to the Home Office's Jaggaer e-sourcing portal. Please note: To express your interest in the Market Engagement process, your organisation must be registered on the Home Office eSourcing Portal. If you have not yet registered, this can be done online at https://homeoffice.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html To register, you must have a valid DUNS number for the organisations which you are registering and who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so. Once registered, please search for the following project information: project_19029 - Escorting and Related Services pqq_891 - NDA stage - Preliminary Market Engagement: Residential Short Term Holding Facilities for Escorting and Related Services. Available at: https://homeoffice.app.jaggaer.com/go/7658823701A0FBDFD5E3