Prison Operator Services Framework Agreement - Generation Two - Early Market Engagement 2

The Ministry of Justice (the "Authority") previously issued a Prior Information Notice (PIN) informing the market that it is considering its strategy for the future delivery of Prison Operator Services in England and Wales, beyond the expiry of the current Prison Operator Services Framework (POSF) Agreement in July 2025.

This Prior Information Notice (PIN) is for the purpose of initiating market engagement activity with regards to Prison Operator Services as referred to in the previous PIN. The Authority will engage with the market, initially, by way of an introductory webinar via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 27 February 2024 at 10:00, followed by 1-2-1 engagements with interested suppliers.

Background: Prison Operator Services (also referred to as "Prison Management" in global markets) involves the provision of Operational Custodial Services and Facilities Management of prisons in England and Wales. The Authority has tendered the operation of prisons to the private sector since the early 1990s and has long advocated a shared approach to prison operation that includes a mix of public, voluntary and private sector involvement.

The Authority established the Prison Operator Services Framework (POSF) Agreement in 2019 and appointed six Framework Operators who demonstrated that they had the capability, strategy and understanding to operate new and existing prisons in England and Wales. The objective of the procurement for the framework was to test bidders 'ability to deliver value for money through the right blend of quality, innovation in service delivery, and price in any prison competed under the framework. Some of the benefits that have been delivered to date include:

- Demonstrating commitment to a clear pipeline of business opportunity by successfully awarding five(5) Call-Off Contracts on time, including during the pandemic at a time of acute pressure on the estate. - Enabling the efficient management and delivery of operator competitions for both expiring PFI/Manage& Maintain prison contracts for new build prisons through its streamlined Mini-Competition process, with appointed Framework Operators eligible to compete in further competitions for individual Call-Off Contracts. - Maximising bidder participation across all competitions by eliminating conflicts (e.g., overlaps in key market activity across competitions) so bidders do not have to choose which prisons to bid for.

The current POSF is due to expire in July 2025, therefore, to build upon these benefits, it is anticipated that another framework is likely to be procured in due course to manage the next phase of a perpetual pipeline of current private prison contracts (as they expire) and new build prisons. The Authority is now experienced in running operator competitions, implementing extensive learning into our future approach and looks forward to engaging with the market to develop and inform our strategy.

Additional information: The Ministry of Justice (the "Authority") previously issued a Prior Information Notice (PIN) informing the market that it is considering its strategy for the future delivery of Prison Operator Services in England and Wales, beyond the expiry of the current Prison Operator Services Framework (POSF) Agreement in July 2025.

That notice was issued on Find a Tender Service (Publication reference: 2024/S 000-000092) and Contracts Finder (Publication reference: tender_366202/1297577).

This Prior Information Notice (PIN) is for the purpose of initiating market engagement activity with regards to Prison Operator Services as referred to in the previous PIN. The Authority will engage with the market, initially, by way of an introductory webinar via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 27 February 2024 at 10:00, followed by 1-2-1 engagements with interested suppliers. Information about how to take part in this webinar and the 1-2-1 engagement sessions is provided below.

HOW TO ENGAGE:

The Authority is holding an introductory market engagement webinar via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 27 February 2024 at 10:00, which will run for approximately 1.5 hours.

To participate in this opportunity and register your organisation's interest, please register for an account (if you do not already have an existing account) at Jaggaer, https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk and search for "PQQ_404 - Market Engagement for Prison Operator Services Framework Agreement - Generation Two" within the 'PQQs Open to All Suppliers' section. Once you have located PQQ_404, please confirm your interest by selecting 'Express Interest'.

If you have forgotten your log in details, please do not register again but instead use the 'I cannot access my account' link within the login window.

The Authority will hold 1-2-1 engagement sessions with suppliers between 4 March - 15 March 2024 (subject to change). The sessions will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams and will run for up to 1 hour each. Allocation of these sessions will be on a first come first served basis and will be limited to 1 session per organisation .

Once your organisation has expressed interest, you will be invited to provide details of your attendee list (a maximum of four per organisation) for the webinar and 1-2-1 engagement sessions, via the messaging function within PQQ_404. A meeting invitation will then be issued.

All suppliers who have expressed an interest in this opportunity, including those who are unable to attend the webinar or 1-2-1 engagement sessions, will have access to relevant information, a copy of the webinar slides and a supplier questionnaire which will be made available via the Attachments section within "PQQ_404 - Market Engagement for Prison Operator Services Framework Agreement - Generation Two" at https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk