March 2026 snapshot

Police National Database (PND)

Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

Record date: 31 March 2026

Whole-life cost: £282.6m
Published schedule: 18/01/2024 – Low: 01/07/2027, Mid: 27/10/2027, High: 29/10/2027
NISTA delivery confidence: AMBER
Senior responsible owner: Mark Gilmartin

What the project is for

The Home Office, in partnership with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), delivers the Police National Database (PND), a national intelligence system enabling information sharing across police forces and law enforcement agencies. The system supports safeguarding, crime prevention and detection, and the protection of communities. PND is designated Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), with all users required to complete College of Policing training. In January 2024, the programme received approval for a £385.6m whole-life Full Business Case to deliver the PND 1.5 Transformation, aiming to extend service life, address technical debt, enable cloud migration, and modernise the service. Delivery challenges led to the programme being paused in June 2025. A revised delivery approach was subsequently adopted, focusing on stabilisation and sustainment through insourcing services into a Home Office data centre and addressing risks associated with legacy systems. This approach, and associated funding, was approved by the Investment Committee in March 2026. The programme is now focused on maintaining service continuity, transitioning away from the existing supplier arrangement, stabilising operations, and undertaking discovery to inform longer-term transformation options.

Departmental delivery commentary

At Q4 2025/26, the programme’s Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) improved to Amber (from Q4 2024/25). This reflects increased confidence following the decision to revise the delivery approach and focus on insourcing the PND service. Progress has been made in addressing delivery risks and constraints, including the development and review of a supplier-led plan to support insourcing. A refreshed Programme Business Case was developed and approved by the Home Office Investment Committee, supported by engagement with key stakeholders, including policing partners. In January 2026, the programme underwent an Assurance of Action Plan Review, which resulted in an Amber rating. The review recognised improvements in programme delivery confidence, supported by strengthened stakeholder engagement, effective communications, and a continued focus on collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Schedule

At Q4 2025/26, the forecast end date moved from 31 March 2026 to 27 October 2027. This reflects the revised delivery approach following the decision to pivot to an insourcing model. A delivery plan was developed with the incumbent supplier to support transition and contract exit, including an updated exit plan covering service transition arrangements. This plan sets out key milestones aligned to the insourcing approach, with delivery expected to commence in April 2026, service transition completed by July 2027, and an early-life support period extending to October 2027. The revised schedule reflects the prioritisation of a safe and secure transition, given the Critical National Infrastructure status of PND.

Cost

At Q4 2025/26, the departmentally agreed Whole Life Cost decreased from £387.64m to £289.42m. This reflects the revised delivery approach following the decision to pivot to an insourcing model. The change in approach was driven by risks to service continuity, including the ageing platform, increasing instability, and its inability to meet modern security standards. The revised Programme Business Case therefore prioritises service sustainment, continuity, and essential preparatory activity to enable future transformation. As a result of replanning, in year costs have reduced due to the pause in previously planned transformation activity and associated milestone payments. The reduced scope also results in a lower overall whole-life cost and a corresponding reduction in forecast benefits.

Benefits

At Q4 2025/26, the departmentally agreed benefits decreased from £639.31m to £43.1m. This reflects the revised delivery approach following the decision to pivot to an insourcing model. The change in approach was driven by risks to service continuity, including the ageing platform, increasing instability, and its inability to meet modern security standards. The revised Programme Business Case therefore prioritises service sustainment, continuity, and essential preparatory activity to enable future transformation. As a result of replanning and the reduced scope of transformation activity, forecast benefits have decreased. However, the longer-term benefits associated with modernisation and transformation remain achievable and will be explored through a future Business Case.

Delivery ratings

NISTA assessment: AMBER
SRO assessment: Not disclosed

These are the published NISTA and senior responsible owner assessments, not UK Pulse scores.

Financial year

Baseline: £53.7m
Forecast: £13.8m
Variance: 74.2%

At Q4 2025/26, the programme reports a budget variance exceeding 5%. This reflects the revised delivery approach following the decision to pivot to an insourcing model. The change in approach was driven by risks to service continuity, including the ageing platform, increasing instability, and its inability to meet modern security standards. The revised Programme Business Case therefore prioritises service sustainment, continuity, and essential preparatory activity to enable future transformation. As a result of replanning, in-year costs have reduced, reflecting the pause in previously planned transformation activity and associated milestone payments. The revised scope also results in a reduction in whole-life cost and associated benefits compared to earlier forecasts.

Expected benefits

£39.8m

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