FOI release

FOI202600011S Contracts re. the Security Bodies

Published 12 June 2026

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST REF: FOI2026/00011S 

Thank you for your email of 28 May 2026 asking for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. You asked: 

“Please provide the following information: 

1. Summary of contracts awarded to private companies (each company listed by name with contract value) for the provision of services relating to the collection, analysis and distribution of information for GCHQ and SIS in the period 2020-2026.  

2. Number of private contractors holding Developed Vetting clearance in relation to the provision of the above services. 

3. Confirmation of procedures and framework for the management of private contractors in relation to ensuring oversight and accountability. 

4. Confirmation of processes to outlining delineation of services performed by government employees and private contractors.” 

I am writing to confirm that we have now completed the search for the information which you requested.  

FCDO Services can neither confirm nor deny that it holds information relevant to your request, as the duty in Section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, does not apply by virtue of Sections 23(5) and 24(2) of the Act. Section 23(5) is an absolute exemption and there is, therefore, no public interest test to consider. To the extent that Section 24(2) of the Act applies, we have determined that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exclusion of the duty to confirm or deny outweighs the public interest in confirming whether FCDO Services holds the information, and that to give a statement of the reasons for this would involve the disclosure of information which would itself be exempt information. Therefore, under Section 17(4) of the Act, FCDO Services is not obliged to give such a statement. However, this should not be taken as evidence that any information that would meet your request exists or does not exist. 

Further to this, FCDO Services can neither confirm nor deny whether it holds any additional information that would meet the terms of your request, in reliance on the exemptions in sections 43(2) and (3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. To the extent that section 43(3) applies, the department has determined that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exclusion of the duty to confirm or deny outweighs the public interest in confirming whether or not the information is held. 

Once an FOI request is answered, it is considered to be in the public domain. To promote transparency, FCDO Services may now publish the response and any material released on GOV.UK in the FOI releases section. All personal information in the letter will be removed before publishing. 

If you would like to request a review of our decision, you should write to the Data Protection Officer (DPO), Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) Team, FCDO Services, Hanslope Park, Milton Keynes, England, MK19 7BH (e-mail: FCDOServices.DataProtectionOfficer@fcdo.gov.uk). Please note you have 40 working days to do so from the date of this letter. Please quote the reference number above in any future communications. 

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may then apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the Information Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the FCDO. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, or online at: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/ 

Yours sincerely, 

FOI Officer 

Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) Team 

FCDO Services 

For information about how FCDO Services handles personal information please see our Personal Information Charter.