A host of companies, including the big IT services companies such as CSC, IBM, EDS, Accenture, BT and Fujitsu Services, are expected to bid for contracts to build the £1bn biometric identity card system.

These systems integrators are being asked to put together consortia of biometrics companies that can deliver every part of the programme, from initially storing people’s fingerprint and facial details to manufacturing the cards and managing the database of biometric information.