Version 1 has been appointed as the 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 programs 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 has with a maximum call-off value of $98 million (£52 million), representing the ceiling on spend within the contract, with an option to extend by a further year.

HM Land Registry’s data estate underpins millions of property transactions annually and supports a wide range of public sector decision-making.

The modernisation program targets improvements across data services, geospatial analytics, reporting infrastructure and digital accessibility.

Strategically important geospatial and property data

The appointment of Version 1 follows a competitive procurement exercise in which the company demonstrated deep domain expertise and a strong understanding of the challenges that the program 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 program 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,” Eales added.

“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.”

Foundation of the transformation

The agency intends to lead this large-scale transformation from within, with Version 1 working alongside its teams.

“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.

“Programs 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.”

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 program… an initiative that is set to reshape how the nation’s land and property data is brought together and used.

It will act 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, by planning authorities and by the public services that depend on it.