Opportunity

Court Appointed Intermediary Services

  • Ministry of Justice.

F02: Contract notice

Notice reference: 2021/S 000-019526

Published 11 August 2021, 10:45pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Ministry of Justice.

102 Petty France

London

SW1H 9AJ

Email

CCMDIntermediaries@justice.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 02033343555

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

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

one.3) Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, 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

General public services


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Court Appointed Intermediary Services

Reference number

2758

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 75231100 - Law-courts-related administrative services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

This notice relates to a procurement exercise conducted under the light tough regime, following a process similar to the open procedure.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is inviting tenders for the provision of Court Appointed Intermediary Services (CAIS), to support vulnerable defendants in the criminal jurisdiction and vulnerable parties and witnesses in the civil, family and tribunal jurisdictions. These services will be provided in courts and tribunals in England and Wales and tribunals in Scotland.

Intermediaries facilitate impartial communication to enable complete, coherent and accurate communication between vulnerable people and the courts/tribunals. Intermediaries may be instructed to provide an assessment of a person's communication needs, and provide recommendations on measures that could be put in place by the court to support vulnerable people, young people, children and other individuals who may need assistance during court proceedings. The intermediary may also be required to attend hearings to provide such assistance and support.

For the avoidance of doubt, the MoJ is only seeking tenders in relation to intermediary services that currently fall outside the remit of the MoJ Witness Intermediary Scheme (MoJ WIS). All requests for intermediary support for witnesses in criminal cases will continue to be managed via the MoJ WIS.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £20,000,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The MoJ invites tenders for Court Appointed Intermediary Services to support the formation of two framework agreements: the Managed & Approved Service Provider framework (MASP), and the Approved Service Provider framework (ASP).

The MASP framework seeks providers with the ability to manage multiple simultaneous bookings, and the capability to recruit, train and manage intermediaries to support a range of vulnerabilities, for deployment nationally.

The ASP framework seeks experienced and qualified intermediaries to support bookings on demand.

There is no limit to the number of service providers awarded a place on either framework, however a service provider may not hold a place on both the MASP and ASP frameworks simultaneously.

The MoJ is managing this procurement in accordance with its general obligations under UK law and specifically in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCRs) and the Light Touch Regime contained within Regulations 74 to 77.

The framework agreements will be dynamic frameworks and a hybrid of a framework agreement and dynamic purchasing system. As such, the framework agreements will be reopened at six month intervals for the admission of new service providers who qualify against the selection and award criteria outlined in the procurement documents.

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: £20,000,000

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

Duration in months

24

This contract is subject to renewal

Yes

Description of renewals

Framework agreements may be extended for up to an additional 24 months.

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

two.2.14) Additional information

The MoJ uses an electronic sourcing (e-sourcing) system to facilitate procurement activity. Registration via the portal is free of charge and requires no specialist software to access. Registration can be undertaken at:

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


Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information

three.1) Conditions for participation

three.1.3) Technical and professional ability

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Open procedure

four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system

The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement

Framework agreement with several operators

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: 2020/S 138-340788

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

Date

8 September 2021

Local time

3:00pm

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

Tender must be valid until: 7 March 2022

four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders

Date

8 September 2021

Local time

3:00pm


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: Yes

Estimated timing for further notices to be published: Every six months starting June 2022

six.2) Information about electronic workflows

Electronic invoicing will be accepted

Electronic payment will be used

six.3) Additional information

Nothing in this notice shall generate any contractual obligations prior to the signature or execution of agreement or contracts following completion of the tender process. The MoJ reserves the right to reject all or any of the bids for the competition and not to appoint any potential provider, without any liability on its part.

Transparency: HM Government requires that tender documentation issued by Government departments for contracts with a value exceeding GBP 10 000 over the life of the contract are published online (http://www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk) for the general public.

In the event a contract is awarded following a tendering exercise, the contract will be published on the contracts finder website, subject to the statutory grounds for redaction as set out in the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The MoJ may use its discretion to redact information to protect key commercial interests or on prescribed grounds. Therefore, bidders who wish information not to be published if successful should secure agreement with the MoJ prior to submission. Only documentation relating to awarded contracts will be published. Key commercial interests, trade secrets and commercial interests which would be prejudiced by publication, following the tests in section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 maybe redacted.

http://www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/docs/foi-exemption-s43.pdf

The prescribed grounds for redaction are:

(a) national security;

(b) personal data;

(c) information protected by intellectual property law;

(d) information which it is not in the public interest to disclose (following the tests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000);

(e) third party confidential information;

(f) IT security; or

(g) prevention of fraud.

Freedom of information (FOI)

The Freedom of Information Act came fully into force in 2005. If any organisation considers that any information supplied by them is either commercially sensitive or confidential in nature, this should be highlighted and the reasons for its sensitivities specified. In such cases the relevant material will in response to FOI requests be examined in the light of exemptions provided for in the Act.

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Ministry of Justice

London

Country

United Kingdom