Tender

National Witness Service - Grant Competition

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

26 Nov 2024 at 16:31

Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Ministry of Justice has initiated the tender process for the "National Witness Service - Grant Competition," classified under the "Legal advisory and information services" industry. The procurement method is an open procedure, and the total value is £56,758,261. This service operates in all Criminal Courts across England, Wales, British Overseas Territories, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Europe, and the Rest of the World. The tender was published on 26th November 2024, with applications closing on 27th January 2025. The contract period is set from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2030.

This tender offers significant opportunities for business growth, particularly for SMEs and voluntary community sector enterprises (VCSEs) specialising in legal services, emotional and practical support services, and community outreach. Businesses with expertise in providing court support services, especially those that can manage additional needs for vulnerable and intimidated witnesses, would be well-suited to compete for this contract. This procurement not only offers a substantial financial opportunity but also the chance to make a meaningful impact on the criminal justice system by supporting witnesses through a crucial process.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

D3 Tenders Premium

Win More Public Sector Contracts

AI-powered tender discovery, pipeline management, and market intelligence — everything you need to grow your public sector business.

Start Free Trial Book a Demo
All Features Pricing

Notice Information

Notice Title

National Witness Service - Grant Competition

Notice Description

Please see below Additional information: The Witness Service (WS) has been available in all Criminal Courts in England and Wales since 2003. The core purpose of the Service is to meet emotional and practical needs of witnesses, 44% of whom are also victims (2023/24), and support them to give their best evidence. In 2023/24, the current WS supported approximately 80,000 witnesses. Of these, about 28,000 were classified as vulnerable or intimidated. The key elements of the support offered by the current Service are: - To provide information to witnesses about their rights and the process of giving evidence, including the role they play in the Criminal Justice System; - To arrange and conduct pre-trial visits to court buildings (PTVs), helping witnesses to familiarise themselves with the court building and calm anxieties ahead of the day of giving evidence; - Greet witnesses on the day in Court, acting as a generally supportive presence and supporting HMCTS staff in guiding witnesses through court buildings (including the use of separate entrances and waiting rooms for witnesses) and relaying messages to witnesses from the court room. For most witnesses, this is the extent of the support they receive - with approximately 2 in 3 witnesses supported by the Witness Service receiving only support on-the-day with no prior referral. A third of witnesses need additional support, including those who are vulnerable and/or intimidated, and are typically referred to the Witness Service in advance of trial by police-run Witness Care Units. Additional support for vulnerable and/or intimidated witnesses can include: - Outreach Support - where Witness Service volunteers will reach out to witnesses ahead of trial to help them prepare for their day in court, answer questions and provide reassurance and emotional support; - Accompanying witnesses in giving evidence. This includes providing emotional support to witnesses when giving evidence in the court room, at a remote link site or other court-approved locations, when given judicial approval; - Post-trial, sign-posting witnesses to further support services. The sourcing exercise will be carried out on the MOJ e-sourcing portal, Jaggaer, which will provide a central repository of documents and full audit trail. To apply, interested parties must create or log into an account on Jaggaer to start an application. The site address is: https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk. For assistance with Jaggaer please contact: esourcing@justice.gov.uk or 0845 0100 132. The application is an online process and divided into the following sections which will all need to be completed: Qualification: Applicant shall provide responses to eligibility criteria. Technical: Applicant shall provide responses to technical-based criteria, illustrating the proposed activities, plans, resources etc. Commercial: Applicant shall provide a breakdown of funds applied for.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-afc50521-44ee-425f-b5b3-bffec124e9d9
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/89d0104b-ae6b-46db-aa1a-9c8a6270d0b9
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure (above threshold)
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79140000 - Legal advisory and information services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£56,758,261 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
26 Nov 20241 years ago
Submission Deadline
27 Jan 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2030 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
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

Download

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. 

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-b5fd17-afc50521-44ee-425f-b5b3-bffec124e9d9-2024-11-26T16:31:09Z",
    "date": "2024-11-26T16:31:09Z",
    "ocid": "ocds-b5fd17-afc50521-44ee-425f-b5b3-bffec124e9d9",
    "language": "en",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "tender": {
        "id": "tender_436828/1429220",
        "title": "National Witness Service - Grant Competition",
        "description": "Please see below Additional information: The Witness Service (WS) has been available in all Criminal Courts in England and Wales since 2003. The core purpose of the Service is to meet emotional and practical needs of witnesses, 44% of whom are also victims (2023/24), and support them to give their best evidence. In 2023/24, the current WS supported approximately 80,000 witnesses. Of these, about 28,000 were classified as vulnerable or intimidated. The key elements of the support offered by the current Service are: - To provide information to witnesses about their rights and the process of giving evidence, including the role they play in the Criminal Justice System; - To arrange and conduct pre-trial visits to court buildings (PTVs), helping witnesses to familiarise themselves with the court building and calm anxieties ahead of the day of giving evidence; - Greet witnesses on the day in Court, acting as a generally supportive presence and supporting HMCTS staff in guiding witnesses through court buildings (including the use of separate entrances and waiting rooms for witnesses) and relaying messages to witnesses from the court room. For most witnesses, this is the extent of the support they receive - with approximately 2 in 3 witnesses supported by the Witness Service receiving only support on-the-day with no prior referral. A third of witnesses need additional support, including those who are vulnerable and/or intimidated, and are typically referred to the Witness Service in advance of trial by police-run Witness Care Units. Additional support for vulnerable and/or intimidated witnesses can include: - Outreach Support - where Witness Service volunteers will reach out to witnesses ahead of trial to help them prepare for their day in court, answer questions and provide reassurance and emotional support; - Accompanying witnesses in giving evidence. This includes providing emotional support to witnesses when giving evidence in the court room, at a remote link site or other court-approved locations, when given judicial approval; - Post-trial, sign-posting witnesses to further support services. The sourcing exercise will be carried out on the MOJ e-sourcing portal, Jaggaer, which will provide a central repository of documents and full audit trail. To apply, interested parties must create or log into an account on Jaggaer to start an application. The site address is: https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk. For assistance with Jaggaer please contact: esourcing@justice.gov.uk or 0845 0100 132. The application is an online process and divided into the following sections which will all need to be completed: Qualification: Applicant shall provide responses to eligibility criteria. Technical: Applicant shall provide responses to technical-based criteria, illustrating the proposed activities, plans, resources etc. Commercial: Applicant shall provide a breakdown of funds applied for.",
        "datePublished": "2024-11-26T16:31:09Z",
        "status": "active",
        "classification": {
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "id": "79140000",
            "description": "Legal advisory and information services"
        },
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "postalCode": "SW1H 9AJ"
                    },
                    {
                        "countryName": "British Oversea Territories"
                    },
                    {
                        "countryName": "Channel Islands"
                    },
                    {
                        "countryName": "Europe"
                    },
                    {
                        "countryName": "Isle of Man"
                    },
                    {
                        "countryName": "Rest of the World"
                    },
                    {
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ]
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amount": 56758261,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "procurementMethod": "open",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Open procedure (above threshold)",
        "tenderPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2025-01-27T23:59:00Z"
        },
        "contractPeriod": {
            "startDate": "2026-04-01T00:00:00+01:00",
            "endDate": "2030-03-31T23:59:59+01:00"
        },
        "suitability": {
            "sme": true,
            "vcse": true
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "documentType": "tenderNotice",
                "description": "Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder",
                "url": "https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/89d0104b-ae6b-46db-aa1a-9c8a6270d0b9",
                "datePublished": "2024-11-26T16:31:09Z",
                "format": "text/html",
                "language": "en"
            },
            {
                "id": "2",
                "description": "Link to Jaggaer - e-sourcing platform",
                "url": "https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk"
            }
        ]
    },
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-CFS-183111",
            "name": "Ministry of Justice",
            "identifier": {
                "legalName": "Ministry of Justice"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "102 Petty France",
                "locality": "London",
                "postalCode": "SW1H 9AJ",
                "countryName": "England"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "name": "Tabitha Falcus",
                "email": "tabitha.falcus@justice.gov.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ]
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-CFS-183111",
        "name": "Ministry of Justice"
    }
}