Doing business with us
The UK Border Agency works with a number of external suppliers in delivering its core business services. This includes the detention estate, accommodation and cash support for asylum applicants, and processing payments for applications made in the United Kingdom and overseas.
We are required to procure all goods and services through fair and open competition and by complying with the regulatory framework set out in the EU public procurement directives. Although the directives do not apply to ALL procurements, we must always comply with the overarching principles and procedures, which prevent discrimination against suppliers from any member state and allow for the free movement of goods and services across borders.
It is not our policy to use or develop lists of approved suppliers. All our procurements that exceed the EU public procurement thresholds are advertised in the supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) through a contract notice. Our lower-value requirements are subject to mini competition between three or more suppliers.
More information is available from the Office of Government Commerce website and in the OJEU contract notices.