Key facts
- Fujitsu will hand over operation of Horizon to Accenture between June 1 and September 1, 2027.
- The final handover date will be confirmed in March 2027, the three organizations said.
- Fujitsu's current Post Office contract runs until March 2027 and has been given a short, time-limited extension.
- Accenture won a £410 million contract in May 2026, The Register reported.
- The new system will be developed with OneView Commerce and Escher alongside Accenture, the Post Office said.
- Around 736 subpostmasters were wrongfully prosecuted and convicted over Horizon errors between 1999 and 2015, per The Register.
The Post Office, Fujitsu and Accenture jointly agreed that Fujitsu will hand over operation of the Horizon IT system to Accenture between June 1 and September 1, 2027, with the final date to be confirmed in March 2027, the three organizations said on November 10, 2026.
The Post Office's current contract with Fujitsu runs until March 2027, and a short, time-limited extension has been agreed to facilitate the transition. Post Office CEO Neil Brocklehurst said: "Ending our contract with Fujitsu is a critical milestone in the Post Office's transformation, and today's agreement secures the transition away from Fujitsu and over to Accenture safely and responsibly to achieve our target of summer 2027."
Accenture will assume day-to-day operations from Fujitsu and develop the back-end of the new system to replace Horizon, which will be used in branches. The new system will be developed in partnership with OneView Commerce and Escher, the Post Office said. Matt Prebble, head of Accenture in the UK and Ireland, said: "Our priority is a safe and carefully managed transition that supports continued trading in branches."
Horizon will be retired as part of the Post Office's five-year transformation plan. The Register reported that Accenture won a £410 million contract in May 2026, and that around 736 subpostmasters were wrongfully prosecuted and convicted over Horizon errors between 1999 and 2015. The Register also reported that Fujitsu has been awarded a contract extension to run the UK Government's Emergency Alerts platform until October 2029, worth £9.6 million ($12.8 million).