Contract for the provision of operational, management and maintenance services at Hassockfield (now known as Derwentside) Immigration Removal Centre.

The Authority is responsible under the Immigration Act 1971 and the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, for the detaining and/or enforcing the removal of certain persons (Detainees), being persons detained under the Acts and assigned by the Authority to an Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) from the United Kingdom (UK).

At any one time, approximately 3,400 Detainees are held overnight in one of seven IRCs, two residential Short-Term Holding Facilities, Pre-Departure Accommodation (PDA), prisons and police stations across the UK. In addition, persons can be detained for shorter periods of time in Short Term Holding Facilities (Rooms) at Reporting Centres, air and seaports, including locations overseas at the juxtaposed controls in Calais and Coquelles.

The Authority sought a commercial partner to provide services at Hassockfield (now known as Derwentside) IRC. Services at the IRC include (but are not limited to): Overall management of the IRC; Security and Guarding services; Safeguarding and welfare; Well-being and cleaning; Local escorting and hospital bed watches; Recreational, Sporting and Educational facilities; Catering and Shop Services; Religious and welfare facilities; Provision of furniture and equipment; and Facilities Management and Cleaning Services; and Landscaping services.

This procurement was undertaken using the Negotiated Procedure Without Prior Publication under regulation 32 (2) (c) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCRS) due to extreme urgency, resulting from the unexpected closure of Morton Hall IRC.

This urgent requirement was created by the Ministry of Justice giving notice that they would be closing Morton Hall IRC. The closure could not be delayed by the Ministry of Justice due to an urgent need for prison beds, nor could the loss of the Morton Hall IRC detention beds be accommodated by the Home Office.

To address this urgent need a search for an alternative site was commissioned, which resulted in the Home Office purchasing the Hassockfield (now known as Derwentside) site. This site needed extensive refurbishment, which left insufficient time to conduct a procurement under regulations 27 to 30 of the PCRs and fitout and mobilise the new site for commencement of IRC services at Hassockfield (now known as Derwentside).

Under regulation 32(2)(c), publication of a formal Contract Notice to commence a procurement is not required, and a contracting authority can negotiate directly with a chosen supplier. Incumbent IRC suppliers were invited to submit short high level proposals to identify which supplier might be negotiated with, to provide the solution for Hassockfield (now known as Derwentside) IRC.

This Hassockfield (now known as Derwentside) IRC contract is a short-term 2-year contract (+ 3 month extension option), required as an immediate mitigation to the loss of Morton Hall IRC. This contract covers the minimum time period required to procure and mobilise a longer term solution for Derwentside.

A Prior Information Notice was issued on 5/2/2021 on Find a Tender (find-tender.service.gov.uk) for the replacement longer term contract. (Publication Reference : 2021/S 000-002422). It is anticipated that a contract notice for the replacement longer term contract might be published on 20/7/2021.