British Telecom awarded four year contract to handle SIA licence applications.

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has signed a four year, £23 million contract with British Telecommunications plc. BT will use their Syntegra arm to operate a call centre and process applications for the new national licensing scheme for the private security industry.

BT will be responsible for:

• A national SIA call centre
• Processing of licence applications
• Verifying an applicant’s identity
• Initiating criminal records checks
• Producing and dispatching licences

All decisions on policy and the granting and refusal of licences will remain with the SIA.

John Saunders, Chief Executive Officer of the SIA said:

"I welcome the signing of this important contract with BT. The SIA and BT face a tough challenge to implement the practical process of licensing for the private security industry, but I’m confident that we can work together to achieve a seamless operation.

We have been through a robust tendering process and our decision to award this contract to BT is based on the quality of their proposal and value for money. All of us at the SIA look forward to working with BT to provide a swift and efficient service to the private security industry."

The initial implementation phase is expected to take around nine months with the first SIA licences issued in a pilot scheme early in 2004. Door supervisors and wheel clampers will be the first sectors of the security industry to benefit from the new national licence.