UK ID card and ePassport contracts awarded

After a lengthy procurement process involving dozens of companies, CSC and IBM have emerged victorious in two significant contract awards by the UK Identity and Passport Service (IPS).

CSC has been awarded the £385 million contract to upgrade IPS’ application and enrolment system, whilst IBM was awarded a £265 million contract to continue existing UKBA fingerprinting capabilities and to build and run the database that will store the facial images and fingerprints that are needed to keep the passport in line with international standards, as well as to support the delivery of the ID card.

Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, said: “These contracts bring ID cards and more secure British passports a step closer, taking advantage of the best technology available to bring real benefits. ID cards and passports with fingerprint and facial biometrics will provide a safe and secure way of protecting personal details and proving identity. Our passport is already respected across the world as a Gold Standard for travel documents - these improvements will further help protect our borders.”

CSC’s contract to upgrade IPS’ application and enrolment system will provide:  

• a new system for processing applications for both passports and ID cards;
• the ability for customers to apply online;
• improved background checking for applications;
• new systems to report lost and stolen passports and ID cards;
• support for customers updating their personal data; and
• new IT and telephony systems for IPS.

IBM’s contract will provide:

• a database to store the fingerprint and facial biometrics of applicants for passports and ID cards; and
• a replacement for the UK Border Agency’s (UKBA) Immigration and Asylum Fingerprint System (IAFS) which holds biometrics collected from visa applicants.

James Hall, chief executive of the Identity and Passport Service, said: “Both contracts will…help deliver the ID cards programme.”

The next generation of passport containing chips with facial images and fingerprints will start to be issued from 2011, at which point customers will get the choice of applying for an ID card as well.

During the next ten years the cost of running IPS and upgrading the British passport is £3.595bn, with an expected spend of £1.190bn for delivering ID cards.

John Granger, General Manager, IBM Global Business Services, said: "IBM is pleased to have been selected as the preferred bidder for the National Biometric Identity Service (NBIS). NBIS is a substantial and sophisticated system and we are pleased that our designs and plans for its implementation have been recognised by this decision.”

Foreign nationals are already being issued with ID cards and from the autumn staff working airside at Manchester and London City airports will be issued with cards as part of an 18 month evaluation period.

A limited number of British citizens who want to volunteer for an ID card can do so in the autumn, ahead of wider roll-out to young people in 2010.

IPS will issue two further contracts this year: 

• Card Design and Production – to develop and produce the physical Identity Cards required for the implementation of the Scheme. Fujitsu, IBM and Thales UK are bidding for the contract which will be issued in the autumn; and
• Passport Design and Production – to develop and produce Passports, replacing existing arrangements when they expire. 3M SPL, De La Rue, Gemalto and Thales UK are bidding for the contract which will be issued in summer.

In August 2008, Thales UK was awarded the £18 million three year contract to deliver the first ID cards to airside workers and volunteers starting in autumn this year.