UK government seeking fingerprint technology for law enforcement

The UK government is looking to meet with biometric technology firms to help determine existing marketplace capacity to provide fingerprint devices and capture software, which will be used by frontline law enforcement, according to a report by Government Computing.

The move comes a few months after the Home Office announced it would provide more than £26 million in additional police transformation funding in support of 28 projects or technology plans over the next three years, including a joint forensics and biometrics program, as well as a national data analytics focus.

The Home Office Biometrics (HOB) Programme has issued a prior information notice (PIN) for a market engagement designed to figure out the requirements for fingerprint devices, capture software and process management solutions for law enforcement.

As part of an overall project called the Strategic Mobile Solution, HOB plans to award a three year agreement for the fingerprint technologies.

The Home Office is looking to engage with potential vendors via a questionnaire and then hold potential one-to-one meetings to assess the feasibility and market interest in the opportunity.

Potential vendors can submit their questionnaires until June 2, after which point expects to begin holding meetings about its procurement plans and how they may be improved to ensure a more competitive, higher value process approximately two weeks later.

The market engagement’s main focus will be trying to understand any concerns vendors may have about the Home Office’s method of acquiring fingerprint capabilities for law enforcement, as well as possible solutions for avoiding difficulties in the future.

The strategy is set to build on informal feedback the Home Office has already received through previous market engagements, and will specifically analyze the current capabilities and capacity in the marketplace to meet its upcoming fingerprint technology requirements.

Plans for the Strategic Mobile Solution are currently in the “early stage”, with the Home Office striving to determine the level of competition in the market, as well as helping vendors understand their fingerprint solution and supporting technology requirements.

The PIN states that market interest in the potential opportunity is one of several main concerns that will be addressed through the engagement.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  fingerprint technology  |  government purchasing  |  Home Office Biometrics (HOB)  |  law enforcement  |  UK