Programme of the Year Award Shortlist
Sponsored by
HMRC Borders & Trade CHIEF Decommissioning Team
HM Revenue & Customs
The CHIEF Decommissioning Project team successfully delivered a Government Major Project & Programme, retiring HMRC’s 30-year-old customs system while ensuring zero disruption to UK border operations. The CHIEF system processed over 5 million monthly customs declarations and secured £11 billion in annual excise duty, supporting more than 150 systems and processes across HMRC and government.
Facing an unprecedented challenge with no existing blueprint, the team coordinated the decommissioning of 96 interconnected systems, undertaking extensive stakeholder engagement, technical workshops, and meticulous planning. Their discovery-led approach ensured seamless transition and uninterrupted service for traders despite significant backend changes.
This achievement delivered £28 million in annual IT cost savings, modernised essential customs infrastructure, and avoided costly IT upgrades. The team also implemented a new VAT908 process, moving £1 billion in fuel duty to a new platform, and established modern interface standards to enhance integration.
What sets this team apart is their exceptional collaboration, agile problem-solving, and rigorous adherence to project management principles. By successfully completing one of HMRC’s most complex system transitions, they created sustainable improvements and set a valuable precedent for legacy system decommissioning across government. Their work directly supports HMRC’s efficiency targets, safeguards critical revenue, and exemplifies the highest standards of public service excellence.
MOJ/HMPPS - New Prisons Team
Ministry of Justice, HM Prison and Probation Service
HMP Millsike, the UK’s first all-electric prison, was delivered on time and under budget, creating 1,500 new prison places and supporting the Government’s plan to add 14,000 places by 2031. At a crucial time for prison capacity, this achievement demonstrates exceptional project delivery and societal impact.
The team navigated challenging ground conditions, including a high water table, underground obstructions, and 50 km of ducting, while ensuring readiness for the first prisoner. Close collaboration with utilities providers, contractors, and the newly appointed operator Mitie ensured a seamless mobilisation, with c.5,000 actions across 17 workstreams completed and c.600 staff recruited.
HMP Millsike sets new environmental standards as the greenest prison in the estate, achieving a BREEAM Excellent rating, 10% biodiversity net gain, and using 68% less energy than comparable new builds- incorporating green technology including over 1,800 solar panels.
The project exceeded local employment and social impact targets, generating c.800 jobs during construction, including 73 held by ex-offenders or prisoners on temporary licence, and injecting over £150 million into the local economy. HMP Millsike exemplifies cross-project collaboration, innovation, and public value, delivering a secure, sustainable, and timely solution that strengthens public safety.
One Public Estate
Cabinet Office
Prisoners Building Homes (PBH) is an innovative, cross-government programme transforming rehabilitation into regeneration. Prisoners are trained to build modular, low-carbon homes on public land, providing safe housing for vulnerable communities while gaining skills and employment opportunities that reduce reoffending.
Launched in 2021 through the South West Reducing Reoffending Partnership, and supported by the One Public Estate programme, PBH addresses multiple societal challenges: equipping prisoners with construction skills, delivering high-quality homes quickly and cost-effectively, supporting Net Zero targets, and boosting the modular housing industry. The pilot successfully upskilled over 100 prisoners, with 89% securing construction employment upon release. Reoffending rates among participants have dropped to 0%, compared with the national average of 35%.
PBH has delivered over 80 homes to date, with 700 more in the pipeline, involving 10 house builders, 10 prisons, and more than 20 local authority and third-sector landowners. Homes are energy-efficient, low-carbon, relocatable, and can be delivered in under 16 weeks for £100,000 per unit, generating long-term social value estimated at £29 million by 2029.
By combining skill development, employment, sustainable housing, and social impact, PBH demonstrates the power of cross-sector collaboration. It benefits prisoners, local communities, government, and the housing sector, creating lasting change and a replicable model for future rehabilitation and regeneration initiatives.