Public sector retains access to Postcode Address File

A new five-year contract providing public sector access to the Royal Mail Postcode Address File (PAF) for public bodies in England, Wales and Scotland has been agreed to run until 31 March 2028.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Geospatial Commission announced the agreement, saying that it previously had two separate agreements, one for England and Wales, the other for Scotland

The PAF is the UK’s most up-to-date and widely used postal address database. Public sector access is procured centrally by the Geospatial Commission so that usage is free at the point of use for delivery of public services.

The new agreement will continue to allow public sector bodies across Great Britain to benefit from access to 1.8 million UK postcodes and over 30 million business and residential addresses.

The contract now also incorporates Royal Mail Not Yet Built and Multiple Residence data.

By using Not Yet Built the public sector can identify and deliver services to the addresses of properties that are at the planning and construction stage. The Multiple Residence data will enable organisations to identify individual dwellings within multiple occupancy buildings that share a front door.