VOA NextGen Rating Programme

Government Transformation and Service Delivery

Record date: 31 March 2026

Whole-life cost: £300.4m
Published schedule: 01/10/2024 – 01/04/2030
NISTA delivery confidence: AMBER
Senior responsible owner: Michael Brankin

What the project is for

The NextGen Rating Programme (NGR) is replacing VOA’s multiple legacy technologies for Non-Domestic Rating, digitising casework processes and customer interactions into a single integrated system. It also set out to deliver measures from the last Government’s Business Rates Review and Non-Domestic Rating Act (2023). The programme is continuing to deliver commitments on greater transparency on valuations for customers, and work is continuing on potential options for a streamlined process for challenging valuations. The programme supports the government’s ambition for a more responsive and fairer business rates system, including the move from five-yearly to three-yearly revaluations from 2023.

Departmental delivery commentary

Since the creation of the NextGen Rating Programme in October 2024, Programme teams are well established with strong governance and oversight, supported by robust supplier and financial management. This mature position has been reinforced by NISTA, who awarded the programme a Green rating in a Gate 0/3 review in January 2026. During FY25/26 the Programme delivered the first major milestones, with Disclosure and changes to support Improvement Relief for Revaluation 2026 going live in November 2025. The design and build of the core online service has been completed, with progression into Private Beta held while rollout plans are reviewed. Progress for the internal Valuation Operating System (VOS) for Non-Domestic Rating is well advanced. Release 1 (Pre-Valuation) remains on track for July 2026, followed by Release 2 (Valuation) by November 2026. Focus remains on managing testing, defect resolution and data migration, alongside supporting business readiness for upcoming changes. The Amber delivery confidence assessment reflects the need to deliver VOS Releases 1 and 2 to tight timelines, alongside some remaining uncertainty on scope, sequencing and costs for later releases. Work is underway to finalise delivery plans and commercial arrangements for these later releases, supporting improved certainty and a return to Green.

Schedule

Compared to financial year 24/25-Q4, the project's end-date at 25/26-Q4 remained the same, 01/04/2030.

Cost

Compared to financial year 24/25-Q4, the projects departmentally agreed Whole Life Cost at 25/26-Q4 (measured in £m) remained at £328.5m.

Benefits

Compared to financial year 24/25-Q4, the project's departmentally agreed Benefits at 25/26-Q4 (measured in £m) remained at £251m.