---
title: "Prisoner Integrated Communications Service (PICS) - Preliminary Market Engagement"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-050449"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-050449"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-050449.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-050449.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "MINISTRY OF JUSTICE"
published: "2025-04-16"
---

# Prisoner Integrated Communications Service (PICS) - Preliminary Market Engagement

Buyer: MINISTRY OF JUSTICE  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-050449

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## Summary

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process for the "Prisoner Integrated Communications Service (PICS) – Preliminary Market Engagement." This initiative aims to replace the existing Prisoner Telephony Service with a more advanced and strictly monitored digital communication system. The PICS will be implemented across public prisons in England and Wales, providing approximately 70,000 prisoners with digital communication channels through devices like laptops or tablets. The procurement process is in the planning stage with significant market engagement scheduled, including responses to a Request for Information (RFI) due by 22 May 2025. Future notices and further supplier engagements are planned until November 2026.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for businesses specializing in telecommunications systems, mobile telephones, pay phone provider services, IP telephone services, SMS services, and more. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations are encouraged to participate. The project, valued at up to £378 million, promises potential business growth through innovation in prisoner communications and rehabilitation support services. Businesses adept in digital communication solutions, network infrastructure, and secure service delivery will find this procurement particularly suitable for their expertise.

## Notice

The Prisoner Integrated Communications Service (PICS) is to replace the current Prisoner Telephony Service (PTS) currently implemented across public prisons in England and Wales. The current PTS involves use of what are widely referred to as PIN phones - pay-phone devices, which are operated with a Personal Identification Number (PIN) linked to a specified prisoner's account (instead of cash or a phonecard). A prisoner can only make calls to limited nominated numbers which are pre-vetted. This includes family, friends, legal representatives and the Samaritans. This service is currently provided to approximately 70,000 prisoners, through over 60,000 in-cell phones and 5,000 wing phones, across 109 public prisons in England and Wales. The service is critical for prisoners and prison staff as it contributes to wellbeing, rehabilitation, and supports discipline by enabling prisoners to maintain contact with key people such as friends, family and support services. The replacement PICS will provide prisoners in England and Wales with strictly monitored digital communication channels (voice, messaging & potentially in-cell video at a later date) via digital devices such as laptops or tablets (currently Launchpad laptops) to securely contact family and friends, legal contacts, prison officers and external organisations to support their overall wellbeing and rehabilitation. MoJ is in the process of defining its design for the future PICS and is seeking supplier insights and feedback for potential enhancement options that could be included in the proposed solution through preliminary market engagement.

### Planning Information

MoJ hosted an early market engagement event on the 28 February 2023. In November 2023 MoJ informed suppliers that had expressed an interest in the opportunity and attended the event that the prisoner telephony project would be paused to enable a further period of discovery in anticipation of hosting the next market engagement event at the end of Q1 or early Q2 2024 which was delayed by the general election. 
MoJ issued a further PIN in August 2024 to inform the market of the MoJ’s intention to re-engage with suppliers through a market engagement webinar to be held on 19 September 2024 and to publish a Request For Information (RFI) seeking suppliers’ input into a series of questions aimed at developing the potential PTR solution and testing market appetite. 
MoJ is seeking for organisations to respond to a further Request for Information (RFI) in order to inform the future design for the Prisoner Integrated Communications Service and give organisations the ability to submit their thoughts on various aspects of the potential future requirements. Suppliers interesting in responding to the RFI are asked to submit their responses to this RFI by the 22nd of May 2025. 
MoJ may choose to engage further with suppliers throughout the pre procurement process that may include; 
• a request for information (RFI)
• webinar(s) 
• one to one supplier meetings
• supplier presentations 
• solution demonstrations
• workshops 
Organisations should respond to this Notice by registering on the MoJ eSourcing Portal at https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk/ and, within the eSourcing Portal, register for event ‘ Prisoner Integrated Communication Service'. 
Once registered and your account has been activated, please email prisonercommunication@justice.gov.uk confirming your interest in participating in the market engagement by responding to the RFI so you can be granted access to view, share and submit information relating to this and any future market engagement.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/015657-2025 |
| 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 |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 16 Apr 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 30 Nov 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 31 Jan 2029 - 31 Jan 2040 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £302,400,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Planning |
| Lots status | Planning |
| 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

- 32 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment
- 64 - Postal and telecommunications services

### Codes

- 32250000 - Mobile telephones
- 32412100 - Telecommunications network
- 32520000 - Telecommunications cable and equipment
- 32524000 - Telecommunications system
- 64212100 - Short Message Service (SMS) services
- 64212800 - Pay phone provider services
- 64212900 - Pre-paid phone card provider services
- 64214400 - Communication land-line rental
- 64215000 - IP telephone services

## Release History

- 16 Apr 2025 at 15:13 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/015657-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/015657-2025
  16th April 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk/
- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/procurement
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-h6vhtk-050449. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-050449.json.