The U.K. Cabinet Office has extended its contract with Serco working on resilience learning development until 2028. The extension supports the transition of the Emergency Planning College into the U.K. Resilience Academy, which is set to launch in the spring.
EPC serves as the national center for resilience learning and development in the United Kingdom. It assists individuals and organizations in identifying, preventing and recovering from disruptions while adapting to long-term changes, risks and opportunities. Serco has been involved in the initiative since the Civil Contingencies Act was enacted in 2004, providing essential training support for emergency preparedness.
Matthew Clarke, director of the Cabinet Office Resilience Directorate, looks forward to continued collaboration, emphasizing the importance of translating lessons learned into tangible, practical improvements. “The Cabinet Office’s continued strategic partnership with Serco provides a strong platform to further embed our offer on training and exercising and broader support for a ‘whole of society’ approach to resilience through the new UK Resilience Academy,” he said.
Ryan Flaherty, Serco’s training and resilience director, said the UKRA project builds on EPC’s 15-year history. He also explained that while the academy will remain at the Hawkhills campus near York, Serco will enhance online and off-site resources to improve accessibility.
The new contract is part of a series of recent extensions awarded to Serco by the U.K. government. In August 2024, the company received a 12-month extension to provide engineering and airfield support services at two Royal Navy air stations. Additionally, Serco will offer specialist support services at RAF Brize Norton under a $38.5 million, two-year extension of a contract originally awarded in December 2021.