March 2026 snapshot

NATIONAL STRATEGIC AUTOMATIC NUMBER PLATE RECOGNITION PLATFORM (NSAP)

Government Transformation and Service Delivery

Record date: 31 March 2026

Whole-life cost: £391.8m
Published schedule: 01/03/2023 – 30/03/2030
NISTA delivery confidence: Not disclosed
Senior responsible owner: Ian Caplan

What the project is for

The National ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) Capability provides lines of enquiry and evidence in the investigation of crime and is used by forces throughout England, Wales and Scotland as well as approved Law Enforcement Agencies. The National Strategic ANPR Platform (NSAP) Programme is delivering the next generation of data store, integration and application capabilities to support Police and Law Enforcement in their public protection missions.

Departmental delivery commentary

Exempt under Section 31 (1) - Law enforcement

Schedule

Compared to financial year 24/25-Q4, the project's end-date at 25/26-Q4 remains the same date (29/03/30)

Cost

Compared to financial year 24/25-Q4, the project's departmentally agreed Whole Life Cost at 25/26-Q4 decreased from last year's WLC. This is primarily due to the reduction of the Optimism Bias.

Benefits

Exempt under Section 31 (1) - Law enforcement