Planning

Witness Service (2023-2027)

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Planning

01 Oct 2021 at 13:53

Planned Procurement Notice
Planning

01 Oct 2021 at 13:53

Planned Procurement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Ministry of Justice is planning a procurement process for the Witness Service, which will run from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2027. This existing service provides crucial emotional and practical support to prosecution and defence witnesses in all Criminal Courts across England and Wales, with a budget of £30 million. The procurement process is currently in the planning stage, with an indicative timeline indicating that the competition is expected to go live in December 2021. A supplier event is also scheduled for October 20, 2021, where interested parties can express their interest before the deadline of October 14, 2021.

This procurement presents an excellent opportunity for businesses specialising in justice services, particularly those offering support and advisory services for witnesses in legal settings. Companies that focus on trauma-informed care, accessibility, and technological solutions for remote service delivery will be well-suited to compete for this contract. The Ministry of Justice encourages small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) to participate, highlighting a commitment to seeking innovative solutions and improvements in service delivery through market engagement.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Witness Service (2023-2027)

Notice Description

The Ministry of Justice will shortly commence the procurement of a new contract for the Witness Service. The Witness Service is an existing service which will be recommissioned. The Witness Service has operated in all Criminal Courts in England and Wales since 2003, with a combination of volunteers and paid staff providing emotional and practical support to prosecution and defence witnesses to enable them to give their best evidence. The future service will be materially similar to the current model. However, we will also examine options for future improvement through effective engagement with the market. The Ministry of Justice is seeking a provider to provide support guided by the following principles, reflecting our vision for the service: To continue to deliver a service for witnesses attending court - building on the existing model for support and the significant benefits it provides to witnesses. To provide the service flexibility to better respond to new challenges, including pandemic-like scenarios, future use of Nightingale courts, Extended Operating Hours and support witnesses in giving remote and pre-recorded evidence. To improve the service at a detailed level, learning lessons from victim policy in recent years. This will include working to create a more trauma-informed approach, improving the accessibility of the service and improving partnership working with victim advocates. To create opportunities within the service design to test ambitious options for future improvement of the service, including through digital support. Indicative project milestones include: Competition Live - December 2021 Award confirmed and transition commenced - August 2022 Launch of the Future Witness Service (latest) - January 2021 The scope of the service, is being finalised, including through feedback from the market, and will be confirmed in the Contract notice. Please note we are still in the process of obtaining final approvals for this work. Additional information: The Authority plans to hold a Supplier Event on Wednesday 20 October 2021. Suppliers interested in attending the event should confirm their interest by 5pm on Thursday 14 October 2021 by sending an email to the Future Witness Service commercial team at VW.National.Services@justice.gov.uk. The form of response should be limited to the provision of a single point of contact (full company name, contact name, job title, e-mail address and telephone number). The Authority will then issue invitations to all interested parties, confirming the timings and location of the events. Details of interested parties shall be added to the Authority's e-sourcing portal, in order to share information.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-972b255c-5769-4cc7-8932-916097bb7601
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/bffb2e97-647e-4cd5-96a4-c37aede4bb48
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Planned Procurement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Not specified
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

75 - Administration, defence and social security services

CPV Codes

75230000 - Justice services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£30,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Oct 20214 years ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
15 Dec 2021Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Jan 2023 - 31 Dec 2027 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Cancelled
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1H 9AJ
Post Town
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

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