Award

01816A Emergency Provision of In-Cell Telephony (COVID-19)

SCOTTISH PRISON SERVICE

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

07 Dec 2020 at 00:00

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process involved the Scottish Prison Service, which sought an emergency provision of in-cell telephony solutions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This tender, titled "01816A Emergency Provision of In-Cell Telephony (COVID-19)", is classified under the public order and safety industry category and is located in Scotland. The procurement method was limited, with an award decision made without prior publication of a call for competition due to the urgent need to facilitate communication for those in custody. The contract was signed on 8th May 2020, with a total contract value of £1,629,459.

This procurement presents a significant opportunity for businesses that provide telecommunication solutions, especially those capable of rapidly deploying mobile devices and management systems. Companies specialising in telephony products, particularly those with experience in secure communication for institutional environments, would be well-suited to compete in similar future contracts. The swift decision-making process by the Scottish Prison Service suggests further opportunities may arise in response to ongoing operational needs in correctional facilities, particularly as they adapt to new health and safety protocols.

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Notice Title

01816A Emergency Provision of In-Cell Telephony (COVID-19)

Notice Description

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, SPS was required to implement a telephony solution (including the provision of mobile phone handsets and a mobile device management system) to improve current communication arrangements for those in our care to maintain family contact.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The COVID-19 outbreak, has had a profound impact on all aspects of the SPS's daily operations. In particular, a key issue that resulted from the restrictions was the overriding need to continue to retain operational stability in what are unprecedented circumstances. Therefore, a number of decisions were necessarily made to curtail aspects of the prison regime to reflect social distancing measures. This included the temporary cessation of visits, which limited the ability of those in our care to make contact with family and friends. This decision gave rise to an urgent requirement for SPS to increase access for those in our care to make telephone contact with family and friends at a time where they were required to remain in their cells for prolonged periods and, additionally, to introduce a virtual prison visit facility (which was carried out under a separate procurement exercise). The ability to make calls from cells was unavailable to those in our care, as the current phone system is deployed in communal areas, which also enhances the risk of contamination through the use of shared devices. The desired timescales available for implementing this solution were extremely restricted, especially when operational stability was a primary concern. The indicative cost of the solution was expected to be higher than the current EU Threshold but if SPS were to utilise any of the procedures which required competitive tendering, it would be unable to comply with the mandatory time limits due to the extreme events that have taken place which are out with the control of the SPS. Therefore, SPS made the strategic decision to expedite the sourcing and purchase of mobile phone handsets and a mobile device management system for use. A system was identified that could provide the same technical and security related functionality currently utilised for the existing phone system. SPS has engaged with an identified supplier to negotiate acceptable terms and has subsequently contracted for the immediate provision of in-cell communications to all of its operational Establishments. This procurement has been carried out in accordance with the guidance contained under the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 regulation 33(1)(c) and 33(3).

Options: If additional handsets or subscriptions are required, then these can be called off from the contract.

Procurement Information

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a profound impact on all aspects of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) daily operations. The SPS COVID-19 response plan required a number of prompt decisions to be made to curtail aspects of the prison regime. This allowed SPS maintain effective prison operations on a basic regime whilst implementing necessary social distancing measures to keep prisoners, staff and members of the public safe. This included the temporary cessation of prison visits. This measure severely limited the ability of those in our care to make contact with family and friends. It triggered an urgent requirement for SPS to provide a method for those in our care to make contact with family and friends directly from their cell as an alternative to using existing communal phones on prison landings due to access constraints with these and the need for effective infection control.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-r6ebe6-0000626340
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=DEC401724
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

64 - Postal and telecommunications services


CPV Codes

64212000 - Mobile-telephone services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£1,629,459 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
7 Dec 20205 years ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
8 May 20205 years ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
SCOTTISH PRISON SERVICE
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
gavin.weetman@sps.pnn.gov.uk
Contact Phone
+44 1313303770

Buyer Location

Locality
EDINBURGH
Postcode
EH12 9HW
Post Town
Edinburgh
Country
Scotland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM1 East Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM13 City of Edinburgh
Delivery Location
TLM Scotland

Local Authority
City of Edinburgh
Electoral Ward
Drum Brae/Gyle
Westminster Constituency
Edinburgh West

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Further Information

Notice Documents

  • https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=DEC401724
    01816A Emergency Provision of In-Cell Telephony (COVID-19) - In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, SPS was required to implement a telephony solution (including the provision of mobile phone handsets and a mobile device management system) to improve current communication arrangements for those in our care to maintain family contact.

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