Award

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

Email a Prisoner (EMaP) Service 2026 - Probation

Ministry of Justice

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

21 Oct 2026 at 13:45

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Ministry of Justice procured a secure digital messaging platform for probation users to communicate with people in custody. The service includes platform hosting, support, maintenance and account management. It is software-related services work, intended for use across the United Kingdom and a range of overseas locations, including Europe, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the rest of the world. This requirement is specifically for communication between probation users and people held in custody, rather than a general messaging service.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded to Unilink Software Limited. The award was made on 25 September 2026, with a contract period from 27 September 2026 to 26 September 2028. The awarded value is £40,000. The Ministry of Justice used a selective call-off from a framework agreement. The procurement was estimated at £40,000, with a stated minimum value of £1. The tender deadline was 25 March 2026. The opportunity was identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises, but not for voluntary, community or social enterprises. No lots or evaluation criteria are recorded in the procurement details.

For suppliers that missed this award, the requirement demonstrates demand for a secure digital messaging service connecting probation teams with people in custody. A credible competitor would need to provide a secure platform alongside dependable hosting, user support, maintenance and account management, and be able to serve users across the UK and relevant overseas locations. The selected supplier is a small or medium-sized business, showing that this service requirement was deliverable by an SME. Experience operating digital communications for justice or custodial settings, with the resilience and service controls needed for sensitive communications, would be relevant capabilities to demonstrate when competing for this specific Ministry of Justice requirement in future.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Email a Prisoner (EMaP) Service 2026 - Probation

Notice Description

Provision of a secure digital messaging platform for Probation users to communicate with offenders in custody, including associated hosting, support, maintenance and account management services

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-9cdf9052-667c-442f-8228-8d22f42dc178
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/047b39f4-f07c-49f4-aee7-1489dfaf24ea
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Call-off from a framework agreement
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

72260000 - Software-related services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£40,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£40,000 Under £100K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Oct 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
25 Sep 20261 months ago
Contract Period
27 Sep 2026 - 26 Sep 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
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
Postcode Area
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

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Unilink Software

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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.

Loading OCDS record...