BIOSECURITY, BORDERS AND TRADE PROGRAMME

Rating: Compared to financial year 23/24-Q4, the Infrastructure Project Authority's Delivery Confidence Assessment rating at 24/25-Q4 remained at AMBER. This is primarily due to the following factors‚ The programme has formally closed with transition and handover successfully complete of the BAU operational delivery unit to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the residual project delivery has been merged with the Northern Ireland Directorate as part of the newly formed single trade delivery programme; Northern Ireland Biosecurity and Trade Programme (NIBTP). At closure the programme has delivered the core elements of the BTOM and now has a network of designated BCPs, new digital services for managing imports, trained inspection staff operating at ports, policy / legislation / processes in place, and has conducted extensive work with stakeholders to embed BTOM controls. The controls put in place are being used to target biosecurity risks based on commodity / country risk profiling, and the value has been demonstrated by robust controls being swiftly introduced in response to EU FMD outbreaks. An IPA Gate 5 review was undertaken in February with an AMBER outcome. The Amber rating relates to uncertainty regarding future BTOM requirements linked to EU reset, with all programme closure activity being viewed as green. The review team commended the programme for the successful delivery to date and highlighted the wider uncertainty around EU reset and alignment and the potential impact for the BTOM. All six recommendations assigned to the programme have been actioned and closed. The programme received Defra Investment Committee approval to formally close the programme in May 2025 and has been formally offboarded from GMPP. The programme has submitted a Spending Review (SR) Phase 2 bid for ongoing borders RDEL and CDEL requirements for HMT review.

Schedule: Compared to financial year 23/24-Q4, the project's end-date at 24/25-Q4 remained at 31/03/2025. This is primarily due to the following factors‚ The programme closed on 31 March 2025 as scheduled.

Cost: Compared to financial year 23/24-Q4, the project's departmentally agreed Whole Life Cost at 24/25-Q4 (measured in £m) decreased from 902 to 820. This is primarily due to the following factors‚ The programme’s whole-life cost is £820m.

Source: NISTA Annual Report 2024-25 (data)

Rating: Compared to financial year 22/23-Q4, the Infrastructure Project Authority's Delivery Confidence Assessment rating at 23/24-Q4 remained at Amber. This is primarily due to the following factors. Final Rating is AMBER from March 2024 assurance review. Several recommendations stemmed from the review to support the implementation of new import controls in April 24 and these have been accepted and actions are well underway. The report also included some recommendations linked to longer term border delivery and join-up cross government and these are being considered as part of programme transition to business as usual planning.

Schedule: Compared to financial year 22/23-Q4, the project's end-date at 23/24-Q4 remained schedule to finish on 2025-03-31. This is primarily due to the following factors. Delivery of the Border Target Operating Model is well advanced and the programme remains on track to ramp down in March 2025 with a plan to transition the core service and move into Business as Usual. A smaller residual programme will remain to deliver longer term digital service changes to align with Single Trade Window (STW).

Cost: Compared to financial year 22/23-Q4, the project's departmental-agree Whole Life Cost at 23/24-Q4 remained at 902m. This is primarily due to the following factors. Whole life costs have varied since the September 2021 baseline cost profile was submitted. This is due to several factors including the decision to delay the delivery of the BTOM as well as a greater understanding of the costs following refinement of requirements, deliverables, and expected associated costs.

Source: IPA Annual Report 2023-24 (data)