Official UK procurement notice
SPS-02206 Justice Partners Escort and Court Custody (Scotland)
Authority: Scottish Prison Service·Consortium: 5 public authorities
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is seeking a competent service provider to undertake the delivery of the SPS-02206 Justice Partners Escort and Court Custody (Scotland) (JPECCS) contract. The SPS is the ‘lead’ authority in terms of managing the contract on behalf of the Scottish Government, led by the Criminal Justice Partners (including the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Services and Police Scotland). The Criminal Justice Partners will be seeking a service provider to deliver the full requirements of the JPECCS contract which covers all prisoner escorts in Scotland, including court movements, police custody unit movements, hospital appointments, inter-prison transfers, community work placements and transportation for home leave, together with court custody operations. In addition, there are a number of secure movements from police stations and prisons elsewhere in the UK to Scotland and vice versa. The service provider will also provide hospital watch escorts for those prisoners admitted to hospital. In 2023/24 there were approximately 37,000 secure and community movements transporting over 125,000 individuals under the contract. In addition, the service provider will require to have robust data collection systems and reporting tools to support the delivery of the contract and to measure performance.
- Recurrence: The initial Contract Term will expire during January 2035. There is a Contract extension of up to a further four years available.
CPV: Prisoner-escort services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Contract Award for the Justice Partners Escort and Court Custody (Scotland) (JPECCS)AwardedRenewal
Contract Award for the Justice Partners Escort and Court Custody (Scotland) (JPECCS). The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is the ‘lead’ authority for the 4th generation contract which provides services for its collaborative partners: the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, Police Scotland and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
The JPECCS contract has two key elements which are prisoner escorts and the management of prisoners in courts and supporting services as described in the tender documentation.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published sub-criteria (10)
- Prisoner Care and Welfare: 6%
- Leadership, Culture and People Management: 9%
- T Systems, Data Integrity and Process Management: 6%
- Security and Good Order: 6%
- Logistics and Planning Management: 8%
- Service Delivery: 8.5%
- Continuous Improvement: 2.5%
- Mobilisation and Readiness: 2.5%
- price: 50%
- Social Value: 1.5%
Published award criteria (10)
- Prisoner Care and Welfare: 6
- Leadership, Culture and People Management: 9
- T Systems, Data Integrity and Process Management: 6
- Security and Good Order: 6
- Logistics and Planning Management: 8
- Service Delivery: 8.5
- Continuous Improvement: 2.5
- Mobilisation and Readiness: 2.5
- Social Value: 1.5
- Price: 50
- Economic & financial standing
Bidders will be required to provide assurance that they are financially stable in order to fulfil the full requirements of the Contract. This can be:
Evidencing the bidding organisation has a minimum yearly turnover of GBP30m over the last 3 years; or
If bidding as a consortium or Joint Venture (JV), information to evidence that each of the bidding entities are financially viable, have partner stability, the JV structure, funding arrangements, financial liability and assurance of cash flow forecast throughout the Contract Term.
Minimum: Employers Liability insurance GBP10m Public Liability insurance GBP10m Medical Malpractice insurance GBP5m Lock Indemnity insurance GBP150k Airside insurance GBP 100k. Motor Vehicle Insurance including any third party liability in accordance with any lega… - Technical & professional ability
The Service Provider shall be required to demonstrate their capability and competence in the delivery of the required service. This includes:
The safe and secure movement of individuals between multiple locations and authorities (in 2023/24 this was for over 125,000 individuals).
The management and appropriate care and welfare of those individuals in accordance with the levels indicated within the ITT.
A significant number of movements (in 2023/24 there were approximately 37,000 secure and community movements) to diverse locations across a wide geographical area.
Minimum: Bidders should note that the following minimum levels will be evaluated as part of the award criteria: The Service Provider will be required to have valid Disclosure Scotland certificates (Enhanced level for PCO and Healthcare professionals and Standard for all other staff) or as…
- Staff
- Names and qualifications of delivery staff must be submitted
- Successive reduction
- Candidates will be reduced successively across stages
- Price carries 50 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 5 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Competitive procedure with negotiation
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
Yes · The initial Contract Term will expire during January 2035. There is a Contract extension of up to a further four years available.
- First published
- 7 Mar 2025, 13:26 GMT
- Last source update
- 27 Jan 2026, 13:42 GMT
- Authority reference
SPS-02206- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-007105- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04ea86Find a Tender
- Electronic trading
- e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
- Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:
Bidders seeking a review should contact the Head of Procurement at the above SPS address or e-mail (see para VI4.1).
Publisher note: Bidders should note that legislative compliance in the following areas will be evaluated as part of the award criteria: The Service Provider shall comply with, and demonstrate how it will ensure compliance with, inter alia: Criminal Justice and Public Order (CJ&PO) Act, 1994; The Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016; The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012; The Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971; and The Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989. Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2011. Bidders will also be required to comply with, and ensure that their operational instructions, processes and procedures and the delivery of the services ensure compliance with the relevant regulatory and legislative obligations including, but not limited to those relating to: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974; Food Safety Act 1990; Employment; General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); Equality Act 2010; Data Protection Act 2018; The Human Rights Act 1998; Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act 2000 (RIP(S)A); United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT); and Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016. (SC Ref:821084)
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 7 Apr 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Participation fee
- document
Timeline
7 Apr 2025 → 23 Jan 2027 · 4 dates- Submission deadline7 Apr 2025, 12:00 BST
- Invitations to tender expected16 Apr 2025, 00:00 BST
- Notice published268 days ago27 Jan 2026, 13:42 GMT
- Today22 Oct 2026
- Contract startsin 93 days23 Jan 2027
Notice history
1 event · 2 releases on Find a Tender- Status changed to complete27 Jan 2026, 13:42 GMT
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitie Care & Custody Ltd | £415,353,498 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 007105-2026-SPS-02206 Justice Partners Escort and Court Custody (Scotland)-1 · Mitie Care & Custody Ltd
- Signed
- 23 Jan 2026
- Value
- £415,353,498
- Period
- … – 31 Mar 2035
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3bids · 0 electronic | 0 | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
5 public bodies on the noticeConsortium members and other public bodies
- Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal ServiceContracting authority
- Scottish Courts and Tribunals ServiceContracting authority
- Scottish GovernmentContracting authority
- Scottish Police AuthorityContracting authority
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Edinburgh Sheriff CourtReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Mitie Care & Custody LtdAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.