---
title: "HMPPS Prisoner's Family Helpline 2026 - 2029"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05d1a1"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05d1a1"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05d1a1.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05d1a1.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "MINISTRY OF JUSTICE"
published: "2026-02-27"
---

# HMPPS Prisoner's Family Helpline 2026 - 2029

Buyer: MINISTRY OF JUSTICE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05d1a1

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## Summary

The Ministry of Justice has entered the Award stage for the contract titled "HMPPS Prisoner's Family Helpline 2026 - 2029", focusing on the provision of advice and emotional support to families and significant others of prisoners. The procurement operates under the legal basis of UKPGA 2023/54 and employs an open procurement procedure. Located in London, UK, this contract entails services within the public authority central government category, specifically for prison services and helpdesk support. The contract with the Prison Advice & Care Trust (PACT) as the supplier is set to begin on 1st April 2026 and run until 31st March 2029, with an option for a further twelve-month extension until 2030. The contract was signed on 26th February 2026, with key performance indicators to be finalised before the start date, promising a gross value of approximately £791,313.60.

This tender presents significant growth opportunities for businesses in the prison services and support sector, particularly those specialising in helpdesk services and offering cultural awareness for diverse communities. Organisations focusing on innovative service delivery methods, including digital solutions for improved engagement and support, would find this tender appealing. Businesses with a strong performance track record in supporting families affected by the Criminal Justice System and capable of effective stakeholder collaboration will be highly competitive contenders. Moreover, SMEs and VCSEs are encouraged, aligning with the contract's criteria for fostering community-focused and inclusive services. This contract could result in meaningful societal impact through reducing re-offending rates and supporting minorities within the prison system.

## Notice

The Prisoner's Family Helpline provides advice and information on all aspects of the Criminal Justice System from what happens on arrest, visiting a prison, to preparing for release. In addition to practical support, the helpline is there to offer emotional support and often advocate on behalf of the prisoner's families and significant others. Between January and March 2024 in England and Wales, 17,600 people were committed to custody and many more to non-custodial sentences in the community. In custody, many may leave children, partners, parents, other family members and significant others to manage alone. Families and significant others of offenders may find themselves marginalised by their communities with no official support agency catering for their needs. Many families do not access any available support services for a variety of reasons, such as the stigma of imprisonment or pride, and therefore they find themselves struggling to cope. Forty-four percent of adults who leave prison are reconvicted within one year of release and around half of those convicted are sentenced to serve six months or less. Research has shown that prisoners who receive visits during their time in custody are around 39% less likely to re-offend than those who do not receive any. It is further estimated that around 43% of prisoners lose contact with their families during this time. HMPPS recognises the significant role that families can play in supporting an offender and wish to improve these outcomes by supporting families and significant others where possible. The helpline is one of these ways. Importantly, 26% of prisoners are from ethnically diverse communities. Representation from those communities and an understanding of their various cultural needs must be met. Scope of contract The Prisoner's Family Helpline will provide, but not be limited to: * Practical information and guidance on all aspects of the Criminal Justice System, including arrest, detention, and trial at court. * How to organise and cope with a prison visit. * Information on how a prison works. * Information on benefits and financial help, etc. * Emotional support. * How to cope with stress. * How to cope with disruption to life. * Help with parenting and relationship issues. * How to cope with imprisonment. * Good quality information to interested parties, including professionals such as teachers, social workers, healthcare workers etc. engaging with working with families and significant others of prisoners. * Refer, as appropriate, to services that meet the cultural needs of callers, such as Gypsy Roma Traveller communities.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The Buyer may extend the Contract for a period of up to 12 months by giving not less than 3 months in writing to the Supplier prior to the Expiry Date. The Conditions of the Contract shall apply throughout any such extended period.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017766-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 27 Feb 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 20 Nov 2025 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 16 Jan 2026 |
| Contract period | 31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £495,000 |
| Lots value | £495,000 |
| Awards value | £659,428 |
| Contracts value | £659,428 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## 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 |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | PRISON ADVICE & CARE TRUST (PACT |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
- 75 - Administration, defence and social security services

### Codes

- 72253000 - Helpdesk and support services
- 75231230 - Prison services

## Release History

- 27 Feb 2026 at 10:50 - AwardUpdate - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017766-2026
- 26 Feb 2026 at 09:55 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017174-2026
- 19 Jan 2026 at 10:01 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/004198-2026
- 22 Oct 2025 at 12:56 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/067492-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017766-2026
  27th February 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017174-2026
  26th February 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/004198-2026
  19th January 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/067492-2025
  22nd October 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html
- 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-05d1a1. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05d1a1.json.