HMRC seeks digital support for Future Borders programme

Tax agency issues two contract notices for design and delivery specialists


By Sam Trendall

09 Oct 2019

HM Revenue and Customs is looking to appoint up to four suppliers to support its work for the next two years creating and implementing a range of digital services as part of the cross-government Future Borders programme.

The tax authority has published two contract notices respectively seeking commercial partners to provide additional design and delivery skills to assist in its work on a number of “operational facing digital products” to be rolled out at the UK border.

Many of the services in question are currently at the stage of “emerging and initiatives and prototypes”. Work to design, construct and, ultimately, deploy them will take place over the next two years.

HMRC is looking to appoint two partners in both the design and delivery areas. The specifics of the work to be undertaken are not clear at this stage but, rather, will be set over the course of various “outcome-based statements of work for a variety of projects” during a two-year engagement with the department.


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The chosen suppliers will be expected to be able to provide specialist teams and individuals to work as part of scrum teams delivering project sprints. All personnel provided must have baseline personnel security standard clearance.

No indicative value has been provided for either the design or delivery aspects – both of which are currently considered to be in the discovery phase.

“The Future Borders Programme sits within the Border Delivery Group which has a remit to support the departments and agencies across government,” HMRC said. “We will create and maintain a world leading border that enhances the prosperity and security of the UK… Our mission is to enhance our borders, generate prosperity and protect the public. This will be achieved through designing and operating innovative border services which are integrated across government, and enhanced by strong business relationships.”

The chosen suppliers will be able to work from their own offices in London, but will periodically need to operate from HMRC’s locations in Westminster and Canary Wharf.

Bids for the work are open until 21 October with contracts theoretically scheduled to start a week after this date. HMRC expects to evaluate four bidders in both the design and delivery categories.

The Border Delivery Group is a pan-Whitehall collective of senior officials who are charged with leading government’s preparations for all Brexit eventualities.

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