The 20 files relate to 20 organisations and 54 individuals. The CPS will consider potential charges including corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, health and safety offences, fraud and fraud-related offences, and misconduct in public office.
The CPS has committed to making its charging decisions before the 10th anniversary of the fire in June 2027.
The Met's investigation, known as Operation Northleigh, has examined the actions of more than 15,000 individuals and 700 organisations connected to Grenfell Tower.
Following years of evidence gathering and analysis, 54 individuals and 20 organisations have now been identified as suspects in relation to the offences referred to the CPS.
The scale of the investigation has been extensive. The police have gathered 165 million electronic files, taken 14,700 statements and examined more than 27,000 exhibits, including cladding, insulation, doors, windows and other building components.
The Met has also submitted 14 overarching evidence files alongside the 20 files relating to the individual suspects. Its summary reports alone run to more than four million words across 12,600 pages, referencing more than 45,000 documents, images and exhibits.
The investigation has involved detailed examination of Grenfell Tower itself, which remained a police crime scene for 14 months following the fire.
As part of the initial recovery operation, every flat and communal area was searched. Police officers and forensic experts carried out a full forensic fingertip search, examining approximately 15 tonnes of debris on each floor.
Investigators have also examined the work and findings of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, including its 1,700-page final report, cross-referencing its conclusions with the evidence gathered during the criminal investigation.
More than 27,000 exhibits remain stored in a secure warehouse, including materials from the building and individual components such as screws, nuts and bolts.
The potential offences referred to the CPS include a number of health and safety and fire safety-related matters.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has confirmed that it has been referred to the CPS in relation to potential offences including corporate manslaughter, breaches of Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and acting contrary to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has also been under investigation since 2023 in relation to a potential breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
As a government department, the ministry has Crown Immunity and cannot be prosecuted in the same way as an organisation without Crown status. It could instead face a formal Crown Censure from the Health and Safety Executive.
The CPS will now independently review the evidence submitted by the Met before deciding whether charges should be brought.
Its prosecutors will consider whether there is a realistic prospect of conviction and whether prosecution would be in the public interest.
The Met has said it will continue working with the CPS and other criminal justice partners while charging decisions are considered, with the aim of ensuring bereaved families, survivors and others affected by the fire are supported through the next stages.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth described the submission as a "milestone moment" in the investigation, recognising the length of time it has taken while emphasising the scale and complexity of the work involved.
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry previously concluded that the fire was avoidable and identified a series of failures across government and the private sector that contributed to the disaster.
With the 10th anniversary of the fire approaching in June 2027, the CPS's charging decisions will mark another significant stage in the long-running process to establish criminal accountability for the failures surrounding the Grenfell Tower fire.
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