Serco wins £0.5bn contract to operate HMP Dovegate

01 December 2025

Serco, the international provider of critical services to governments, has been awarded a contract worth around £500 million to manage HMP Dovegate in Staffordshire following a competitive procurement process. 

The contract will run for 12 years with options for three additional one-year extensions.

Serco has operated HMP Dovegate successfully since 2001. The new contract will include service enhancements, such as new delivery models for education, creating new job opportunities in addition to the current workforce of over 500 dedicated and passionate people.

HMP Dovegate is a category B adult male facility near Uttoxeter that holds 1,160 convicted prisoners and those on remand. It is a training prison with a unique Therapeutic Community for people with emotional or behavioural issues.

Serco's primary purpose is to treat prisoners convicted in a safe and decent environment, protect the public and work towards the rehabilitation of prisoners and their reintegration into society. 

Anthony Kirby, Serco Group Chief Executive, said:

"We are delighted to have been chosen by the Ministry of Justice to continue to operate HMP Dovegate.  We have managed the prison since 2001 and we are very proud of our track record there and our team that performs a challenging and difficult role with great professionalism and humanity. 

"I am also pleased that the new contract will see more colleagues employed at the prison, which will create job opportunities locally.

"Serco has extensive experience of running prisons, both in the UK and internationally. HMP Dovegate is a well-run prison with highly respected Therapeutic Community provision and a range of offending behaviour programmes. We believe that our approach and ethos will bring about continued positive change to the prisoners who are there, helping to protect wider society."

Ends.

For further information, please contact:

Jamie Hastings, Head of Investor Relations | +44 (0) 7718 195 074 | jamie.hastings@serco.com

Scot Marchbank, Group External Communications Director | +44 (0) 7958 675 706 | scot.marchbank@serco.com

About Serco

Serco brings together the right people, the right technology, and the right partners to create innovative solutions that make a positive impact and address some of the most urgent and complex challenges facing the modern world.

With a primary focus on serving governments globally, Serco's services are powered by more than 50,000 people working across defence, space, migration, justice, healthcare, mobility, and customer services.

Serco's core capabilities include service design and advisory, resourcing, complex programme management, systems integration, case management, engineering, and asset & facilities management.

Underpinned by Serco's unique operating model, Serco drives innovation and supports customers from service discovery through to delivery.

More information can be found at www.serco.com.

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