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Court Appointed Intermediary Services - Framework Re-Opening October 2026

Ministry of Justice

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

TenderAmendment

30 Oct 2026 at 09:14

Tender Notice
Tender

29 Oct 2026 at 09:50

Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Ministry of Justice is procuring court-appointed intermediary services for vulnerable defendants in criminal proceedings, and vulnerable parties and witnesses in civil, family and tribunal proceedings. Intermediaries help people communicate impartially with courts and tribunals, and may assess communication needs, recommend adjustments and attend hearings to provide support. Services are required in courts and tribunals across England and Wales, and in tribunals in Scotland. This procurement covers services outside the Ministry of Justice Witness Intermediary Scheme: requests for intermediary support for witnesses in criminal cases remain within that scheme. The work is a specialist legal and court support service (CPV 75231100).

The Ministry of Justice invited tenders through an open procedure for places on two existing frameworks: the Managed and Approved Service Provider framework and the Approved Service Provider framework. The tender submission deadline was 12 November 2026 at 17:00 UTC. The contract period is 1 February 2027 to 31 March 2029. The frameworks are to reopen at six-month intervals to admit further providers who meet the selection and award criteria. A provider may hold a place on only one of the two frameworks, although there is no limit to the number of providers admitted to either. The procurement is being conducted under the Light Touch Regime and the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

The opportunity suits specialist intermediary providers, including SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises. The Managed and Approved Service Provider framework is aimed at organisations able to handle multiple bookings at once, recruit, train and manage intermediaries, and deploy them nationally across a range of vulnerabilities. The Approved Service Provider framework is intended for experienced, qualified intermediaries able to take bookings on demand. Providers should consider which model best fits their organisation, as they cannot hold a place on both frameworks at the same time. The work calls for impartial communication support, assessment of individual communication needs, practical recommendations for court adjustments and, where required, attendance at hearings. The frameworks also provide for future admission rounds.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Court Appointed Intermediary Services - Framework Re-Opening October 2026

Notice Description

This notice relates to the re-opening of framework agreements originally awarded following a procurement exercise conducted under the light tough regime, following a process similar to the open procedure. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is inviting tenders for the provision of Court Appointed Intermediary Services (CAIS), to support vulnerable defendants in the criminal jurisdiction and vulnerable parties and witnesses in the civil, family and tribunal jurisdictions. These services will be provided in courts and tribunals in England and Wales and tribunals in Scotland. Intermediaries facilitate impartial communication to enable complete, coherent and accurate communication between vulnerable people and the courts/tribunals. Intermediaries may be instructed to provide an assessment of a person's communication needs, and provide recommendations on measures that could be put in place by the court to support vulnerable people, young people, children and other individuals who may need assistance during court proceedings. The intermediary may also be required to attend hearings to provide such assistance and support. For the avoidance of doubt, the MoJ is only seeking tenders in relation to intermediary services that currently fall outside the remit of the MoJ Witness Intermediary Scheme (MoJ WIS). All requests for intermediary support for witnesses in criminal cases will continue to be managed via the MoJ WIS. Additional information: The MoJ invites tenders for Court Appointed Intermediary Services to support two existing framework agreements: the Managed & Approved Service Provider framework (MASP), and the Approved Service Provider framework (ASP). The MASP framework seeks providers with the ability to manage multiple simultaneous bookings, and the capability to recruit, train and manage intermediaries to support a range of vulnerabilities, for deployment nationally. The ASP framework seeks experienced and qualified intermediaries to support bookings on demand. There is no limit to the number of service providers awarded a place on either framework, however a service provider may not hold a place on both the MASP and ASP frameworks simultaneously. The MoJ is managing this procurement in accordance with its general obligations under UK law and specifically in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCRs) and the Light Touch Regime contained within Regulations 74 to 77. The framework agreements are dynamic frameworks and a hybrid of a framework agreement and dynamic purchasing system. As such, the framework agreements will be re-opened at six month intervals for the admission of new service providers who qualify against the selection and award criteria outlined in the procurement documents.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-d3a52d5d-ac9d-4c8e-b0b3-2ada94c1e0eb
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c32f774f-8897-4558-8ded-6c499500b751
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Dynamic, Framework
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

75 - Administration, defence and social security services

CPV Codes

75231100 - Law-courts-related administrative services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Oct 20263 days ago
Submission Deadline
12 Nov 20262 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Feb 2027 - 31 Mar 2029 2-3 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
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
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England), TLL Wales, TLM Scotland
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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