Police authorities award software contract worth up to £400m to Northgate

Essex Police has awarded Northgate Information Solutions a contract that is potentially worth up to £400m to implement a crime, intelligence and defendant management system for local police authorities.

Essex Police is leading the framework agreement, but the solution will be open to all police authorities across the UK to implement if they choose.

An online award notice highlights that the final contract is only committing to seven police authorities adopting the new system, worth £32m, but if more authorities decide to implement, this could push the contract's value up to £400m.

It is anticipated that early adopters under the agreement will be Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk police authorities, along with City of London and Kent police.

The award notice reads: "The potential early adopting forces are engaging in a collaborative project to procure an innovative and best of breed IT solution covering the business areas of crime management, intelligence and defendant management (custody and case preparation).

"The implementation of this software will assist in improving performance and the level of service that forces are able to provide to the public."

Northgate will be tasked with supplying, implementing and maintaining the new system for any of the adopting police authorities.

It is expected that the authorities procuring under the framework will take up maintenance agreements of up to, and potentially in excess of, 10 years.