Kainos secures £150m Defra digital services procurement contract

Kainos, the Belfast-based IT firm, has won a £150 million (€190 million) contract with the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs for digital application development and managed services. The four-year agreement, with an optional one-year extension, represents the largest public sector contract in the company's 25-year history and follows a two-year £54.5 million digital support contract awarded in 2021.

Irish News reported that the contract falls under Defra's application development, maintenance and support (ADMS Plus) procurement process, covering application development and maintenance support across a broad range of digital initiatives. Kainos will contribute expertise spanning DevOps, digital transformation, build and transition, end-to-end development and data management, helping Defra deliver services more effectively.

The procurement supports Defra's digital transformation objectives across the department and its arm's length bodies, enabling more effective service delivery to citizens. Government digital procurement emphasises managed services approaches combining application development, maintenance, support and infrastructure management under integrated contracts.

Kainos chief executive Brendan Mooney said the company was enjoying a steady flow of major government contracts over longer periods. The announcement comes less than two weeks after Kainos reported 17 per cent annual revenue growth, with adjusted pre-tax profit of £67.1 million on revenue of £431.1 million for the 2025/26 financial year.

Daniel Kemp, Kainos' digital services director, said: "We are delighted to have been appointed to the Defra ADMS Plus contract and to be partnering with Defra to deliver high-impact digital services that restore nature, support growth and enhance security. We are proud of our 12-year history working together to deliver critical programmes such as EU exit, border target operating model and digital inspection systems to protect biosecurity."

Access complete details of Kainos' Defra ADMS Plus digital services contract and delivery scope.