---
title: "Email a Prisoner (EMaP) Service 2026 - Probation"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-9cdf9052-667c-442f-8228-8d22f42dc178"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-9cdf9052-667c-442f-8228-8d22f42dc178"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-9cdf9052-667c-442f-8228-8d22f42dc178.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-9cdf9052-667c-442f-8228-8d22f42dc178.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Ministry of Justice"
published: "2026-10-21"
---

# Email a Prisoner (EMaP) Service 2026 - Probation

Buyer: Ministry of Justice  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-9cdf9052-667c-442f-8228-8d22f42dc178

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-9cdf9052-667c-442f-8228-8d22f42dc178)  
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## Summary

The Ministry of Justice procured a secure digital messaging platform for probation users to communicate with people in custody. The service includes platform hosting, support, maintenance and account management. It is software-related services work, intended for use across the United Kingdom and a range of overseas locations, including Europe, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the rest of the world. This requirement is specifically for communication between probation users and people held in custody, rather than a general messaging service.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded to Unilink Software Limited. The award was made on 25 September 2026, with a contract period from 27 September 2026 to 26 September 2028. The awarded value is £40,000. The Ministry of Justice used a selective call-off from a framework agreement. The procurement was estimated at £40,000, with a stated minimum value of £1. The tender deadline was 25 March 2026. The opportunity was identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises, but not for voluntary, community or social enterprises. No lots or evaluation criteria are recorded in the procurement details.

For suppliers that missed this award, the requirement demonstrates demand for a secure digital messaging service connecting probation teams with people in custody. A credible competitor would need to provide a secure platform alongside dependable hosting, user support, maintenance and account management, and be able to serve users across the UK and relevant overseas locations. The selected supplier is a small or medium-sized business, showing that this service requirement was deliverable by an SME. Experience operating digital communications for justice or custodial settings, with the resilience and service controls needed for sensitive communications, would be relevant capabilities to demonstrate when competing for this specific Ministry of Justice requirement in future.

## Notice

Provision of a secure digital messaging platform for Probation users to communicate with offenders in custody, including associated hosting, support, maintenance and account management services

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/047b39f4-f07c-49f4-aee7-1489dfaf24ea |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 21 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 25 Sep 2026 |
| Contract period | 27 Sep 2026 - 26 Sep 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £40,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £40,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Ministry of Justice |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Postcode area | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1H 9AJ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Unilink Software |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 72260000 - Software-related services

## Release History

- 21 Oct 2026 at 13:45 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/047b39f4-f07c-49f4-aee7-1489dfaf24ea

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/047b39f4-f07c-49f4-aee7-1489dfaf24ea
  21st October 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/0ab46697-bc85-4b54-9cfb-3295c921eb5c
  n/a

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-9cdf9052-667c-442f-8228-8d22f42dc178. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-9cdf9052-667c-442f-8228-8d22f42dc178.json.