Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on what dates the procurement exercise for an ID verification contract for Companies House (a) opened and (b) closed.

Companies House is unable to procure an identity verification provider until the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency (ECCT) Bill has received Royal Assent. As such, the tendering exercise to procure an identity verification service has not yet begun.

To note, entirely separate to any ID Verification procurement exercises, Companies House did advertise a Digital Delivery Partner opportunity on GOV.UK Digital Marketplace from 10^th October to 24^th October 2022. This contracting opportunity relates to internal system changes that will move Companies House from the current model of multiple account services to a single log-in portal. Whilst this activity is an enabler for ID Verification, it is wholly distinct from any identity verification provider procurement exercise.