Version 1 appointed as Data Delivery Partner to accelerate transformation of the UK's land and property data
HM Land Registry is advancing one of the most significant data modernisation programmes in UK government, bringing in specialist technology services firm Version 1 to transform how the nation's land and property data is managed, delivered and used.
The four-year Data Delivery Partner contract, with a maximum call-off value of £52 million representing the ceiling on spend within the contract, with an option to extend by a further year, gives HM Land Registry a partner with specialist knowledge in geospatial data, cloud transformation and public sector analytics. The appointment follows a competitive procurement exercise in which Version 1 demonstrated deep domain expertise and a strong understanding of the challenges that the programme presents, as well as a powerful technology ecosystem to support and deliver at scale.
"HM Land Registry holds some of the most strategically important geospatial and property data in the country," said Kirsty Eales, Deputy Director of Strategic Resourcing, Planning and Performance at HM Land Registry. "This programme is about making that data work harder for our organisation, for government and for the citizens and businesses who depend on it every day. We needed a partner that understands the land economy, operates well in a risk-sensitive environment and is committed to HMLR achieving its own capability rather than creating long-term dependency. Version 1 did not arrive with a fixed view of what the answer should look like but instead they listened carefully, asked the right questions and came back with proposals that were specific to our situation and our constraints, giving us confidence in how this partnership will succeed in practice.”
HM Land Registry's data estate underpins millions of property transactions annually and supports a wide range of public sector decision-making. The modernisation programme targets improvements across data services, geospatial analytics, reporting infrastructure and digital accessibility. HM Land Registry intends to lead this large-scale transformation from within, with Version 1 working alongside its teams throughout.
Version 1 brings to the programme a broad capability set spanning AWS and Microsoft cloud platforms, data engineering, artificial intelligence, machine learning, user-centred design, security and geospatial services. The partnership model centres on knowledge transfer from day one, with HM Land Registry retaining and building its own expertise as the programme progresses.
"HM Land Registry is one of the most data-rich organisations in the UK public sector, and what they are setting out to do here matters well beyond their own remit," said Roop Singh, Chief Executive Officer at Version 1." They know what their data can do, they understand the scale of what it means for citizens, business and the wider public sector and they have been deliberate and serious about how they go about realising that. Programmes of this ambition succeed or fail on whether the client is leading from the front. HMLR is doing just that and our job is to match that ambition, bring the right expertise to bear and make sure the capability we build together outlasts our involvement."
The programme starts with delivery phased across the contract term and work is already underway with the design and build of the prototype environment at the heart of HM Land Registry’s Geospatial and Data Transformation programme. This is the initiative that is set to reshape how the nation’s land and property data is brought together and used. It acts as the foundation on which the next several years of transformation will be built, with outcomes determining how land and property data is accessed and used across the property market, planning authorities and the public services that depend on it.
HM Land Registry's registers underpin the property market, inform planning decisions and support housing policy across England and Wales. Modernising its data infrastructure will benefit conveyancers, mortgage lenders, planning authorities and the wider range of public and private services that depend on accurate, accessible land data.
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