Current portfolio

Asylum Support Accommodation Programme

Government Transformation and Service Delivery

Record date: 31 March 2026

Whole-life cost: Not disclosed
Published schedule: Not disclosed – 21/12/2029
NISTA delivery confidence: RED
Senior responsible owner: Becca Jones

What the project is for

The Asylum Support Accommodation Programme (ASAP) is focused on establishing new delivery and commercial arrangements for asylum accommodation and support services, with the aim of creating a more sustainable, scalable and effective system. The programme will deliver a suite of new and transformed contracts as part of a wider operating model, supported by enhanced management capability to improve oversight and system performance. ASAP will also replace a number of existing contracts, including the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC), Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility (AIRE), and Asylum Support Payments (ASP). This transition reflects the need to address affordability pressures, strengthen contract management, and reduce risks associated with the current delivery model.

Departmental delivery commentary

Compared to financial year 24/25 Q4, the NISTA/SRO Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) at 2025/26 Q4 increased to Red. This reflects the findings of a recent Programme Assurance Review (PAR), which highlighted significant delivery complexity and sustained pressure across key enabling functions. A revised Business Transformation Delivery Model has been endorsed, representing a change in project definition and requiring a period of re‑planning and re‑baselining across the programme. The programme continues to work towards submission of the OBC1 (FACT) which the PAR team will return to assess, and subject to a successful review, the programme will return to an Amber status for the OBC to be reviewed at InvestCo. In January 26, the Bridging Accommodation & Services Project (BASP) was closed as its original aims were no longer achievable. Activity is underway to establish the Collective Accommodation Management Service (CAMS) project within the scope of ASAP.

Schedule

The programme end date remains 14 June 2030 and is unchanged, reflecting current delivery and transition assumptions. Project closure is scheduled for 21 December 2029, following delivery of the Hybrid – Cluster 4 milestone and the ASAP – Hybrid Mobilisation milestone. This is followed by an estimated transition period of approximately 5.5 months to business‑as‑usual operations, resulting in a programme closure date of June 2030. The ASAP Programme Plan has been approved and baselined, with further work undertaken to strengthen planning quality across all levels of the programme. Detailed resource requirements are being developed to provide a comprehensive view of demand across the programme. Change control processes have been refined and aligned with established governance arrangements under the Senior Responsible Owner, ensuring that the impacts of any changes to the delivery model are fully understood and managed. Work is also ongoing to ensure that the programme plan reflects the integration of key enabling functions required to support effective management control, underpinned by a comprehensive reporting framework.

Cost

Exempt under Section 43 - Commercial interests

Benefits

The projects departmentally agreed Benefits at 25/26 Q4 (measured in £m) is 0. The programme has not yet agreed benefits profiles, these are still being developed and will be agreed at Outline Business Case stage.