This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

01 Jul 2026 at 00:00

TenderUpdate

23 Mar 2026 at 00:00

Tender

06 Mar 2026 at 00:00

Summary of the contracting process

The Scottish Prison Service initiated a procurement process titled "SPS-02234 In-Cell Digital Services" under the industry category of public order and safety. This process aimed to equip prisoner accommodations within Scottish prisons with a self-service core system for digital services, supported by a Raspberry Pi 4 device for connectivity. The procurement process followed an open procedure, designated as a services purchase, and attracted a significant level of interest, including bids from small and medium enterprises. While the tender originally had a close date of 10th April 2026, it was extended to 20th April 2026 due to bank holidays. Ultimately, the contract valued at £890,000 was awarded on 19th June 2026 to Unify Business Solutions and is set to remain active for five years with a potential three-year extension. This procurement covered a range of regional establishments, including potential new sites like HMP Highland and HMP Glasgow.

This tender creates numerous opportunities for businesses specialising in digital infrastructure, software support, and system testing, as it necessitates a combination of technical prowess and dedicated service provision. Firms adept in hosting secure vendor systems, particularly those with capabilities in cloud-based services or efficient management of vendor-hosted solutions, would find this contract align with their expertise. The Scottish Prison Service's requirement for high resilience and disaster recovery capabilities within the system also highlights an opening for businesses offering robust IT solutions. Additionally, businesses that focus on innovation in digital service offerings, network appliance configurations, and maintenance services would be well-suited to compete in this arena, providing significant exposure and potential for growth in public sector contracts.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

SPS-02234 In-Cell Digital Services

Notice Description

The purpose of this Contract is to provide the SPS with a self-service core System (database, middleware, app/web server) for use within the prisoner's personal accommodation. The System shall be hosted by the Supplier either on their own premises ('vendor hosted') using a replicated configuration across the Supplier's data centres for resilience and disaster recovery, or on a third party cloud-based Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) platform. In all cases, the System shall be securely hosted and dedicated exclusively to the SPS' use. The hosted solution shall provide a secure route from the users in-cell TVs which use a Raspberry Pi 4 device for connectivity and must be operatable for the full Contract. The Supplier shall, through testing, demonstrate that the System remains fully operational and continues to provide the complete range of Services in the event of the failure of any single system instance. The Supplier shall be responsible for providing the System; building, testing and installing the raspberry pi devices and providing the on-going service, support and maintenance for the duration of the Contract Term. The Contract Term shall be 5 years from the last Establishment Go Live Date with the option to extend for any number of periods up to a maximum of 3 years.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The SPS commenced this procurement process in good faith and with the intention of awarding a contract. Following publication of the Contract Notice, an Invitation to Tender (ITT) including the Single Procurement Document (SPD) was published by SPS and was made available to bidders. Tender responses were then evaluated by the SPS in accordance with the ITT.

Renewal: The Purchaser has the option to extend the Contract by an additional 3 years

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-r6ebe6-0000825854
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUL559156
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

30 - Office and computing machinery, equipment and supplies except furniture and software packages

48 - Software package and information systems

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


CPV Codes

30211300 - Computer platforms

30230000 - Computer-related equipment

30231100 - Computer terminals

48000000 - Software package and information systems

48222000 - Web server software package

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

72500000 - Computer-related services

72590000 - Computer-related professional services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£890,000 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Jul 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
10 Apr 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
19 Jun 20263 weeks 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
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
EDINBURGH
Postcode
EH12 9DJ
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

UNIFY BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

Further Information

Notice Documents

  • https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAR551169
    SPS-02234 In-Cell Digital Services - The purpose of this Contract is to provide the SPS with a self-service core System (database, middleware, app/web server) for use within the prisoner's personal accommodation. The System shall be hosted by the Supplier either on their own premises ('vendor hosted') using a replicated configuration across the Supplier's data centres for resilience and disaster recovery, or on a third party cloud-based Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) platform. In all cases, the System shall be securely hosted and dedicated exclusively to the SPS' use. The hosted solution shall provide a secure route from the users in-cell TVs which use a Raspberry Pi 4 device for connectivity and must be operatable for the full Contract. The Supplier shall, through testing, demonstrate that the System remains fully operational and continues to provide the complete range of Services in the event of the failure of any single system instance. The Supplier shall be responsible for providing the System; building, testing and installing the raspberry pi devices and providing the on-going service, support and maintenance for the duration of the Contract Term. The Contract Term shall be 5 years from the last Establishment Go Live Date with the option to extend for any number of periods up to a maximum of 3 years.
  • https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUL559156
    SPS-02234 In-Cell Digital Services - The purpose of this Contract is to provide the SPS with a self-service core System (database, middleware, app/web server) for use within the prisoner's personal accommodation. The System shall be hosted by the Supplier either on their own premises ('vendor hosted') using a replicated configuration across the Supplier's data centres for resilience and disaster recovery, or on a third party cloud-based Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) platform. In all cases, the System shall be securely hosted and dedicated exclusively to the SPS' use. The hosted solution shall provide a secure route from the users in-cell TVs which use a Raspberry Pi 4 device for connectivity and must be operatable for the full Contract. The Supplier shall, through testing, demonstrate that the System remains fully operational and continues to provide the complete range of Services in the event of the failure of any single system instance. The Supplier shall be responsible for providing the System; building, testing and installing the raspberry pi devices and providing the on-going service, support and maintenance for the duration of the Contract Term. The Contract Term shall be 5 years from the last Establishment Go Live Date with the option to extend for any number of periods up to a maximum of 3 years.

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.

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