Redfern speeding ahead with £750m government contract

TRAVEL management firm Redfern has secured a government deal worth £750m.

The Crown Commercial Service has commissioned the Bradford-based firm to provide millions of UK public sector workers with travel arrangements over the next three years.

Redfern has previously been awarded a place on the Central Government Travel Management Service, fending off global competition.

The firm has now successfully bid for the Crown Travel and Venues Services contract, covering more than 100 government bodies, including HMRC, DWP and the Home Office.

They will use Redfern’s state of the art technology, tRIPS to book travel.

Chief executive Mark Bowers said: “Redfern has continued to exceed performance levels and targets set by government during the past three years, including their target to move 95% of bookings online within the three year contract. We achieved this within the first year, saving the UK taxpayer millions and improving efficiencies across the public sector.

“The award of this contract and its predecessor highlight the government’s commitment government’s commitment to recognising the enormous skills and talent within the UKs SMEs.

“By looking beyond the usual global suppliers, the government is reaping the rewards of innovation and technological advancement – principles Redfern is founded on.”

Matt Denham, commercial delivery director at Crown Commercial Service, said: “This shift away from traditional frameworks to separate contracts is an excellent example of how the government is reshaping its commercial approach to delivering savings for taxpayers whilst making the way the government runs more efficient.”

Over the next 12-18 months, Redfern intends to invest around £500,000 in new technology to improve its travel booking system further.