The UK government is inviting bidders for a £49 million contract to integrate open banking technology into the Gov.UK Pay payments platform.
Gov.UK Pay is utilized by central government, local authorities, police forces, and NHS teams to facilitate digital payments for their services. The platform serves over 1,000 different public sector services and has processed more than 94 million transactions since its inception in 2016.
Following a request for information about new suppliers late last year, the Government Digital Service (GDS) has issued a market notice.
GDS is seeking a payment service provider to support the Gov.UK Pay platform, specifically for processing credit and debit card payments as well as pay-by-bank (open banking) transactions.
The contract is valued at approximately £49.2 million for an initial 36-month period starting in early July 2025, with options for two 12-month extensions. The selected provider will undergo a 12-month onboarding phase before launching services in 2026.
Currently, Gov.UK Pay employs Stripe for payments from local authorities, police, and government-affiliated charities, while it relies on Worldpay, a service provided by Government Banking, for central government, arm’s length bodies, and NHS transactions.