Tender

Witness Service (2024 - 2028)

  • Secretary of State for Justice

F02: Contract notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-009456

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-03a1f5

Published 31 March 2023, 12:43pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Secretary of State for Justice

102 Petty France

London

SW1H 9AJ

Email

Daren.Mills@justice.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 02033343555

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html

one.3) Communication

Access to the procurement documents is restricted. Further information can be obtained at

https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority

one.5) Main activity

Social protection


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Witness Service (2024 - 2028)

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 75230000 - Justice services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

The Secretary of State for Justice (the “Authority”) invites suppliers to bid for a contract to provide support services to witnesses attending court or involved in court hearings including:

- Providing information to witnesses about their rights and the process of giving evidence;

- Supporting witnesses through the trial process, before, during and after the trial;

- Offering outreach support to vulnerable and intimidated witnesses.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £45,100,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 75231100 - Law-courts-related administrative services
  • 79140000 - Legal advisory and information services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKC - North East (England)
  • UKD - North West (England)
  • UKE - Yorkshire and the Humber
  • UKF - East Midlands (England)
  • UKG - West Midlands (England)
  • UKH - East of England
  • UKI - London
  • UKJ - South East (England)
  • UKK - South West (England)
  • UKL - Wales

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The Witness Service is an existing service which is being re-procured. The service operates in all Criminal Courts in England and Wales, delivered by a combination of volunteers and paid staff providing emotional and practical support to prosecution and defence witnesses to enable them to give their best evidence.

In the service being re-procured, priority will be given to delivering essential improvements in value-for-money and quality of service, as well as testing ambitious options to future-proof the design of the service based on lessons learned in recent years.

The Authority intends to award a contract to a supplier to provide support which is guided by the following principles:

- Continue to deliver a service for witnesses attending court - building on the existing model for support and the significant benefits it provides to witnesses.

- Improve the service at a detailed level, learning lessons from victim policy in recent years. This will include working to create a more trauma-informed approach, improving the accessibility of the service and improving partnership working with victim advocates.

The anticipated quantity or scope is an estimate of the potential value of the contract and does not in any way guarantee any level of expenditure. All values should be considered as indicative only.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents

two.2.6) Estimated value

Value excluding VAT: £45,100,000

two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Start date

1 April 2024

End date

31 March 2028

This contract is subject to renewal

No

two.2.10) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: No

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No


Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information

three.1) Conditions for participation

three.1.2) Economic and financial standing

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

three.1.3) Technical and professional ability

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

three.2) Conditions related to the contract

three.2.2) Contract performance conditions

Condition stated in the procurement documents.


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Open procedure

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

four.2) Administrative information

four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number: 2023/S 000-003102

four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date

17 May 2023

Local time

10:00am

four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted

English

four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

Duration in months: 10 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)

four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders

Date

17 May 2023

Local time

12:00pm


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: No

six.3) Additional information

The services being procured are covered by the type of services listed in Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR) and so pursuant to Regulation 74 will be subject to the Light Touch Regime. The Authority will conduct a procedure similar to the Open Procedure but with some modifications which are set out in the procurement documents, and will comply with its obligations of equal treatment, transparency, non-discrimination and proportionality at all times during the procurement.

QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT:

Details of the objective criteria for selecting a winning bidder will be set out in the procurement documents.

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT

Details of the Authority's approach to Economic and Financial assessment will be set out in the procurement documents.

AWARD CRITERIA:

The award criteria will be based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender, evaluated on a Price per Quality Point basis. Variant bids will not be permitted

REGISTRATION:

The Authority will be performing events through its e-Sourcing Portal known as Jaggaer. Jaggaer is an online application that allows all potential suppliers to create and submit their responses in any procurement via the internet.

Bidders Instructions to express an interest in this tender

1). Login to the Portal with the username/password.

2) Click the 'PQQs / ITTs Open To All Suppliers' link. (These are pre-qualification questionnaires or invitations to tender open to any registered supplier).

3) Click on the relevant SQ/ ITT to access the content using the following:

Project Code - prj_9882

ITT Code - ITT_7158

4). Click the Express Interest button at the top of the page. This will move the ITT into your My ITTs page. This is a secure area reserved for your projects only.

5) You can now access any attachments by clicking Buyer Attachments in the ITT Details box. Instructions on how to submit a tender will be provided.

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Ministry of Justice

London

Country

United Kingdom