Serco wins $101Mn home office passport call center contract
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — British outsourcing giant Serco has secured a $101 million (£73.9 million) contract to manage the Home Office’s HM Passport Office contact center and associated services, stepping in to streamline customer support after years of backlogs and service challenges.
According to a report from Public Technology.net, the deal positions Serco as the main provider of contact center operations for the United Kingdom government, extending through February 2028.
Serco to oversee UK-based passport contact services
The contract, confirmed to PublicTechnology, tasks Serco with delivering a full suite of customer-contact services, including “telephony, webchat [and] email,” according to the official contract description.
The arrangement also includes services for UK Visas and Immigration, as well as certain Ministry of Justice operations.
The service is expected to remain fully UK-based, reflecting the government’s emphasis on domestic delivery. Supporting subcontractors include staffing provider Adecco UK and contact-center specialist Content Guru, who will assist in managing operations.
The contract itself is a call-off from an existing framework agreement, enabling a smoother transition and implementation.
Addressing post-pandemic backlogs
Serco was first brought in three years ago to assist previous provider Teleperformance in handling backlogs and poor service levels after a surge in passport applications following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
A National Audit Office (NAO) report highlighted the scale of the challenge: HM Passport Office had prepared for 9.5 million applications in 2022 — 36% above a normal year.
In May alone, the office processed over 1.2 million applications, “38% more than the highest month in any of the previous five years.”
The NAO noted that limitations in digital processing forced many applications onto a paper-based system, slowing efficiency.
“Media reports of delays had pushed more people to call the telephone helpline for reassurance, placing greater pressure on services,” the report said.
Outsourcing plays key role in stabilizing government services
This contract underscores the critical role of outsourcing providers in helping governments manage surges in public demand. By consolidating contact-centre services under Serco, the Home Office aims to improve efficiency and customer experience while keeping operations fully domestic.
For the broader outsourcing industry, the deal reflects a growing trend of governments turning to experienced service providers to stabilize overstretched public systems and meet high-volume service demands — particularly in post-pandemic contexts.
