Official UK procurement notice
Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) Passport Scheme
Authority: Security Industry Authority (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis notice is to alert the supplier community to a potential opportunity, and to assist the Security Industry Authority (SIA) with developing aspects of its procurement strategy.
The SIA is reviewing possible options for its Approved Contractor Scheme passport route which is subject to the Concession Regulations 2016.
The SIA is responsible for regulating the private security industry in the UK. It is an independent body reporting to the Home Secretary, under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (PSIA). The SIA’s mission is to deliver proportionate regulation to the private security industry to reduce criminality, protect the public and improve standards under the PSIA.
The SIA has two main duties. One is the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities within the private security industry; the other is to manage the voluntary approved contracts scheme for private security organisations.
The Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) is one of the regulatory objectives to be delivered by the SIA as defined within the Private Security Act 2001.
ACS is a voluntary scheme of approval for private security businesses operating within the UK. Organisations seeking approval need to be delivering private security related services within the sectors that the SIA licence individuals in.
Please see details of what a passport scheme is here Setting up an ACS passport scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk ↗)
CPV: Corporate governance rating services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Firstly, to be eligible to bid for a passport contract suppliers will need to have…Awarded
Firstly, to be eligible to bid for a passport contract suppliers will need to have created a bespoke passport scheme prior to bidding.
That bespoke scheme needs to comply with the bullets below:
- integrates international, British and other industry standards with the ACS standard.
- recognises other accreditation or certification schemes.
- is accredited by the SIA and quality assured by a UKAS accredited assessment body.
Please see details of what a passport scheme is here Setting up an ACS passport scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk ↗)
This process can take up to one year and with significant costs. Please note that setting up a passport scheme does not guarantee a contract will be awarded to your organisation.
Secondly, once suppliers’ schemes are reviewed and approved by the SIA, they would then be eligible to bid for the passport scheme once it is advertised.
The estimated contract length for successful suppliers would be 2 years maximum.
This exercise is designed to provide a platform for the SIA to brief suppliers on the opportunity. A key ambition of this market engagement is to test the appetite, market capacity, capability, experience, and maturity to be able to provide this service.
Any parties interested in expressing an interest in this opportunity are required to register by emailing [email protected] and providing details of your organisation and key contact details.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 1 Feb 2024, 08:50 GMT
- Last source update
- 9 Dec 2025, 12:16 GMT
- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-081021- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04362cFind a Tender
- Why no open competition
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive
- Published justification
A notice relating to the Passport Scheme has been published with the following reference: 2024/S 000-003290. As no expressions of interest were received the contract has been awarded using the following exemption: 31, 6, b (ii) from the concessions regulations 2026.
Publisher note: Please note: this is a concession contract.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
31 Jan 2024 → 9 Dec 2025 · 2 dates- Next notice expected31 Jan 2024
- Notice published322 days ago9 Dec 2025, 12:16 GMT
Notice history
2 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 9 Dec 2025- Status changed to complete9 Dec 2025, 12:16 GMT
- Procurement method changed9 Dec 2025, 12:16 GMT
Published amendments (1 · 0 deadline changes)
| When | What | Before | After | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | TextII.1.4 | Contract notice 2024/S 000-003290 published 1 February 2024 is cancelled | Contract notice 2024/S 000-003290 published 1 February 2024 is cancelled |
Contract notice 2024/S 000-003290 published 1 February 2024 is cancelled.
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insight Certification Ltd T/A NSISME | — | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) Passport Scheme · Insight Certification Ltd T/A NSISME
- Signed
- 12 Nov 2025
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1bids | — | — | £2,143 – £3,300 |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Public Procurement Review ServiceReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Insight Certification Ltd T/A NSIAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.