The Inland Border Facilities (IBF) are Government (UK and devolved) sites where customs and document checks can take place away from port locations. A number of IBF sites were made operational from 1 January 2021 and additional sites will become operational in 2022. The IBF sites include offices, parking spaces for vehicles, inspection facilities, and locations for temporary storage of goods. Sites are expected to be operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365(6) days a year.
This procurement is to cover physical and administrative duties at multiple locations across the UK. The IBF sites require a single site services operator contract, inclusive of the following core requirements:
- Site Operations
- Security Services
- Traffic Marshalling Services
- Vehicle Inspection Services (including MHE operators)
- Front Office administration receipting documentation for processing by Border Force
- Hard and Soft FM Services
HMRC also anticipates that the successful contractor will have capability to provide additional integrated services and systems to support service delivery, including, by way of example only: inventory management; pollution and adverse weather response services; parking charge management services; staff park & ride services; and other additional direct or indirect services, which will be managed through a pre-defined change control process.
There are currently projected to be five UK sites within the scope of this future service requirement. These are confirmed sites at Holyhead, Dover and Sevington, plus potential future sites based in the West of Scotland and South East England.
HMRC currently anticipates this requirement to be delivered by a single national provider to cover all sites; the future procurement is not expected to be broken down into Lots, geographical or otherwise.