Year

Month

Procurement event

Technical transition estimate at time of event

1997

April

Business case for PFI project approved by Directorate

£41 million

May

Foreign Secretary approval to proceed with PFI approach

August

Long list of bidders announced

September

Short list of four bidders announced and Invitations to Negotiate issued

November

Invitations to tender issued to bidders

December

Revised Business Case and Project Plan approved by Board

1999

February

Deadline for tender responses

June

Announcement of two short-listed bidders

September

Directorate approval of IAS (GSL) as preferred bidder

£60 million

December

Business case to Treasury

1999

January

Project Manager resigned and new Project Director appointed

February

Objective set to produce detailed technical transition plan

October

Launch of technical transition review team to assess technical transition issues and costs

November

Review team report that technical transition costs will be around ten times higher than previously estimated

£50 million

December

Review team asked to consider ways of reducing technical transition costs

£308 million1

2000

February

Treasury cap technical transition spending at £308 million

March

Project re-designated as New Accommodation Programme to include whole business move

April/May

Lieutenant General Sir Edmund Burton produced his report on management of the project

June

£408.65 million bond issued

Contract signed with IAS

2001

January/October

Continuing re-assessment of technical transition costs

£308 million1

2002

June

Estimated total cost for moving GCHQ's business into the new building and for providing accommodation and services for the 30 years of the PFI deal: £1,623 million in cash terms, £783 million Net Present Value, including extending technical transition costs up to 2012