--- title: "National Witness Service - Grant Competition" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-afc50521-44ee-425f-b5b3-bffec124e9d9" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-afc50521-44ee-425f-b5b3-bffec124e9d9" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-afc50521-44ee-425f-b5b3-bffec124e9d9.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-afc50521-44ee-425f-b5b3-bffec124e9d9.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "MINISTRY OF JUSTICE" published: "2024-11-26" --- # National Witness Service - Grant Competition Buyer: MINISTRY OF JUSTICE Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-b5fd17-afc50521-44ee-425f-b5b3-bffec124e9d9 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-afc50521-44ee-425f-b5b3-bffec124e9d9) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-afc50521-44ee-425f-b5b3-bffec124e9d9.json) ## Summary The Ministry of Justice has initiated the tender process for the "National Witness Service - Grant Competition," classified under the "Legal advisory and information services" industry. The procurement method is an open procedure, and the total value is £56,758,261. This service operates in all Criminal Courts across England, Wales, British Overseas Territories, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Europe, and the Rest of the World. The tender was published on 26th November 2024, with applications closing on 27th January 2025. The contract period is set from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2030. This tender offers significant opportunities for business growth, particularly for SMEs and voluntary community sector enterprises (VCSEs) specialising in legal services, emotional and practical support services, and community outreach. Businesses with expertise in providing court support services, especially those that can manage additional needs for vulnerable and intimidated witnesses, would be well-suited to compete for this contract. This procurement not only offers a substantial financial opportunity but also the chance to make a meaningful impact on the criminal justice system by supporting witnesses through a crucial process. ## Notice Please see below Additional information: The Witness Service (WS) has been available in all Criminal Courts in England and Wales since 2003. The core purpose of the Service is to meet emotional and practical needs of witnesses, 44% of whom are also victims (2023/24), and support them to give their best evidence. In 2023/24, the current WS supported approximately 80,000 witnesses. Of these, about 28,000 were classified as vulnerable or intimidated. The key elements of the support offered by the current Service are: - To provide information to witnesses about their rights and the process of giving evidence, including the role they play in the Criminal Justice System; - To arrange and conduct pre-trial visits to court buildings (PTVs), helping witnesses to familiarise themselves with the court building and calm anxieties ahead of the day of giving evidence; - Greet witnesses on the day in Court, acting as a generally supportive presence and supporting HMCTS staff in guiding witnesses through court buildings (including the use of separate entrances and waiting rooms for witnesses) and relaying messages to witnesses from the court room. For most witnesses, this is the extent of the support they receive - with approximately 2 in 3 witnesses supported by the Witness Service receiving only support on-the-day with no prior referral. A third of witnesses need additional support, including those who are vulnerable and/or intimidated, and are typically referred to the Witness Service in advance of trial by police-run Witness Care Units. Additional support for vulnerable and/or intimidated witnesses can include: - Outreach Support - where Witness Service volunteers will reach out to witnesses ahead of trial to help them prepare for their day in court, answer questions and provide reassurance and emotional support; - Accompanying witnesses in giving evidence. This includes providing emotional support to witnesses when giving evidence in the court room, at a remote link site or other court-approved locations, when given judicial approval; - Post-trial, sign-posting witnesses to further support services. The sourcing exercise will be carried out on the MOJ e-sourcing portal, Jaggaer, which will provide a central repository of documents and full audit trail. To apply, interested parties must create or log into an account on Jaggaer to start an application. The site address is: https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk. For assistance with Jaggaer please contact: esourcing@justice.gov.uk or 0845 0100 132. The application is an online process and divided into the following sections which will all need to be completed: Qualification: Applicant shall provide responses to eligibility criteria. Technical: Applicant shall provide responses to technical-based criteria, illustrating the proposed activities, plans, resources etc. Commercial: Applicant shall provide a breakdown of funds applied for. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/89d0104b-ae6b-46db-aa1a-9c8a6270d0b9 | | Notice type | Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure (above threshold) | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 26 Nov 2024 | | Submission deadline | 27 Jan 2025 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2030 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £56,758,261 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | MINISTRY OF JUSTICE | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | 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 | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security ### Codes - 79140000 - Legal advisory and information services ## Release History - 26 Nov 2024 at 16:31 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/89d0104b-ae6b-46db-aa1a-9c8a6270d0b9 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/89d0104b-ae6b-46db-aa1a-9c8a6270d0b9 26th November 2024 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder - https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk Link to Jaggaer - e-sourcing platform ## 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-afc50521-44ee-425f-b5b3-bffec124e9d9. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-afc50521-44ee-425f-b5b3-bffec124e9d9.json.