Leasing vs. Buying a SCIF
Faster Deployment, Predictable Costs, Built-In Compliance
When an organisation requires a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), the choice often comes down to leasing or buying. Purchasing outright can cost over £1 million in upfront capital, along with ongoing costs for compliance, maintenance and upgrades. Leasing provides a more accessible alternative, with predictable monthly costs, faster deployment and built-in accreditation support. Below, we outline the key differences and the benefits organisations gain by choosing to lease a SCIF.
Benefits of Leasing a SCIF
Leasing a SCIF allows organisations to stay secure and compliant without being weighed down by the financial and operational burdens of ownership. Instead of tying up millions in upfront capital, leasing provides predictable monthly costs while keeping facilities adaptable to changing mission requirements.
Lease agreements often include compliance renewals, technology refreshes, and secure maintenance, helping organisations avoid hidden costs and reduce the risk of obsolescence. This flexibility ensures that secure infrastructure can scale, relocate, or evolve in line with operational needs, all while maintaining the highest standards of NPSA accreditation.
Who Benefits from Leasing?
SCIF leasing isn’t just about saving money; it’s about making secure facilities accessible to a wider range of organisations. Leasing provides the flexibility to scale, adapt and stay compliant without tying up critical capital.
Small and Medium Defence Contractors
Access NPSA-compliant facilities without the upfront cost, giving you a level playing field with larger competitors.
Companies Adapting to ICD-705
Stay compliant with NPSA, JSP 440 & NATO SDIP through leases covering testing, renewals and tech refreshes.
Growing Defence and Aerospace Companies
Scale operations fast with modular SCIFs that expand or relocate as mission needs change.
Organisations with Temporary Needs
Deploy accredited facilities fast and return or adapt them at project end, reducing long-term risk.
Leasing vs Buying: The Smarter Way to Secure Classified Data
Leasing a SCIF provides organisations with accredited, mission-ready facilities at a fraction of the upfront cost of buying. While ownership can require more than £1m in initial capital and additional hidden expenses over time, leasing offers predictable monthly payments, faster deployment and built-in compliance support. This makes leasing a more flexible and cost-efficient path to secure infrastructure, while buying locks organisations into higher risk, slower deployment and full responsibility for upgrades and maintenance.
| Factor | Leasing | Buying | ||
| Upfront Cost |  |
Minimal capital required |  |
£1m+ upfront |
| Predictable Monthly Payments | |
Fixed & transparent | |
Unpredictable OpEx |
| Compliance & Renewals Included | |
Built into lease | |
Extra, ongoing costs |
| Deployment Speed (Prefabricated) | |
Up to 40% faster | |
Long traditional build times |
| Flexibility (Scale, Relocate, Upgrade) | |
Easy to adapt | |
Fixed, costly to change |
| Obsolescence Protection | |
Covered in refresh cycles | |
Owner pays for upgrades |
| Hidden Costs | |
Absorbed in lease | |
~£233k annually overlooked |
| End-of-Term Options | |
Extend, upgrade, or return | |
Asset + ongoing liability |
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