Planning

Provision of Actors for Family Liaison Officer Training

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

28 Apr 2026 at 09:44

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Ministry of Justice is initiating a procurement process for the provision of actors to support Family Liaison Officer training within His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. This initiative falls under the services category with a focus on education and training services, and is expected to take place at the Prison Service College, Newbold Revel, United Kingdom. The procurement is currently in the planning stage, with key market engagement scheduled for 12th May 2026. Interested suppliers must register by 11th May 2026. This procurement includes a light-touch regime, and the tender’s gross estimated value is £127,000. The contract period is planned to commence on 13th October 2026, lasting until 12th October 2031.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs) specialising in performance arts and training. The requirement is for two actors per course, who will play the next of kin roles to enhance the training realism for Family Liaison Officers. This offers businesses experienced in simulation and role-play training the potential to expand their services within the public sector. Actors involved will be required to adapt dynamically during scenario exercises, ensuring a natural and responsive portrayal that adds value to the training programme. Being part of this procurement can lead to recurring engagements, given the anticipation of monthly training sessions with potential additional courses as required.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of Actors for Family Liaison Officer Training

Notice Description

The Authority is preparing to launch a tender for the provision of actors to support the delivery of Family Liaison Officer training in His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). Through this notice the Authority is looking to engage with the current market regarding this future requirement. Family Liaison Officers (FLOs) are responsible for maintaining communication with a prisoner's next of kin, including making initial contact and handling sensitive discussions. They play a key role in supporting families during difficult and emotional circumstances. In order to undertake this role, all FLOs complete a four-day training programme delivered by Prison Learning Design and Delivery (PLD&D) within HMPPS, which equips them with the skills to support family members through grief and bereavement following a prisoner's death, as well as during situations involving terminal illness diagnoses. This requirement is for an external organisation to provide two actors across two days for each training course to play the part of the next of kin which will bring a sense of realism to the scenarios in order for the FLOs to prepare for real life situations. The actors would be required to attend the course in-person on days 3 and 4 of the training, with all sessions taking place at the Prison Service College, Newbold Revel. On the day of the assessment, actors will receive a scenario brief outlining the role of the next of kin they will portray with profiling on characteristics such as religion and background. There will not be a specific script, and instead actors are expected to respond and adapt to the interaction as it develops. Following the exercise, actors will provide feedback on the conversation with the FLO from the perspective of the next of kin. The current expectation is that one course will be delivered per month, with additional courses commissioned on an ad hoc basis if required. We intend to provide at least one month's notice for each course.

Planning Information

Market Engagement will be taking place on the 12th May 2026 and will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams; - 10am-10:45am – Market Engagement Presentation from HMPPS and MoJ Commercial. The objective of this session is for the Authority to provide an insight into our requirement and a chance for both the Authority and suppliers to ask questions in a group setting. - 11am-4:30pm - Optional supplier one-to-one meetings, available upon request. There will be eight 30-minute slots available, and the Authority will allocate the time slots on a first come, first served basis. The objective of these sessions is for the Authority to ask questions which will be shared within the Presentation, and for suppliers to answer and ask any of their own questions in a private setting. Please register your interest through the messaging function of 'PQQ_577 - Provision of Actors for Family Liaison Officer Training' in the MoJ Jaggaer Portal by no later than 12pm Monday 11th May. Providers are limited to an attendance of two members of staff. Please include the following detail in your message; - Full name(s) of attendees - Company/organisation name - Contact details (E-mail) - Confirmation if you would like a separate one to one session If you do not already have a Jaggaer account please register to create an account via the following link - https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk/ If you have any issues registering, please contact 0845 0100 132 or email esourcing@justice.gov.uk. This notice is for Information only and the Authority reserves the right to not proceed to tender. Additionally the Authority (MoJ) reserves the right to discontinue the tendering process and not to award the contract. The information contained in this notice, including information relating to the nature and scope of the requirements, the estimated value, the service classification of this requirement or the list of CPV codes, is only indicative of current thinking and is neither exhaustive nor binding and the Authority reserves the right at it's absolute discretion to amend it at the time of issue of any further notices or at any other time. The publication of this notice in no way obliges the Authority to commence any competitive tender process. The Authority is not / shall not be liable for any costs incurred by those expressing an interest in participating in this market engagement exercise. Any contracts are subject to the relevant legal and Cabinet Office controls and policies. The Authority reserves the right to source items included through other means (e.g. an existing contract or framework).

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-068c55
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038397-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£105,833 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Apr 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
22 Jun 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
12 Oct 2026 - 12 Oct 2031 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
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
LEEDS
Postcode
LS1 4AP
Post Town
Leeds
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE4 West Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE42 Leeds
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Leeds
Electoral Ward
Hunslet & Riverside
Westminster Constituency
Leeds South

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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