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<p>The procurement exercise for asylum accommodation and support for the North East,
Yorkshire and Humber and Northern Ireland regions is underway and is based on the
same set of requirements as the initial procurement. We have taken steps to mitigate
the time delay that this second procurement activity will take and have condensed
our procurement activity to ensure that the transition period is protected. We remain
confident of delivering a fully operational accommodation contract before the expiry
of the current arrangements, with sufficient time to properly transition the services.</p><p>The
Home Office has designed the project to replace the current asylum accommodation and
support services so as to ensure a smooth transition of services from one Provider
to another. The timetable allows eight months for mobilisation and transition activities.
The transition planning activity has been underway for some time, allowing the Home
Office to engage with Providers as soon as the contracts are let, this is a key lesson
from the previous transition. The transition plans have also built on a number of
other lessons, including the creation of a team with suitable experience, expertise
and understanding of the new contracts and the early engagement with enabling functions
from across the Home Office to plan out the demands that will be placed on them.</p>
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