Framework for the Procurement of Court Reporting and Transcription (CRT) Services

The Ministry of Justice (hereafter the Authority) intends to run a competition for the procurement of Court Reporting and Transcription Services (CRT) on behalf of HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS).

The Authority is legally required to record Court proceedings across England and Wales and where requested, produce official transcripts from these hearings. The transcripts are used as evidence in appeals, legal publishing for public interest and form part of case law.

It is the intention that the following transcription services will be procured under a framework agreement:

• a.Off-site Transcription Services (OTS) which involves the Court recordings being sent to the relevant supplier where they produce the transcription services based on the contracted service level timeframe.

• b.Attendance-based Transcription Services (ATS) comprises stenographers or loggers attending the Court proceeding and then later producing the transcript to the contracted timescales.

• c.Real-time Transcription Services (RTS) involves temporarily supplying equipment and production of near-instantaneous transcriptions of proceedings on site.

Information Assurance and Security requirements include:

• Compliance against Cabinet Office standards for providing ICT services to Her Majesty's Government (HMG) or equivalent
• All Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) data accessed, obtained or processed will not be processed or accessed from outside of the UK.

For the initial Call-Off Contracts the intention is for:

• Bidders to be limited to one Lot 1 Call-Off Contract
• Lot 2 and 3 Call-Off Contracts to be awarded to different Bidders for supplier contingency; and
• A maximum of two Call-Off Contracts to be awarded any individual Bidder.

However, this is subject to a sufficient number of Bidders being successfully awarded to the individual Lots.

Additional information:

The Authority is managing this procurement in accordance with its general obligations under the Laws of England and Wales and utilising the Light Touch Regime broadly in accordance with the Open Procedure set out in the Regulations.

Information Assurance and Security requirements include:

• Compliance against Cabinet Office standards for providing ICT services to Her Majesty's Government (HMG) or equivalent
• All Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) data accessed, obtained or processed will not be processed or accessed from outside of the UK.

For the initial Call-Off Contracts the intention is for:

• Bidders to be limited to one Lot 1 Call-Off Contract
• Lot 2 and 3 Call-Off Contracts to be awarded to different Bidders for supplier contingency; and
• A maximum of two Call-Off Contracts to be awarded any individual Bidder.

However, this is subject to a sufficient number of Bidders being successfully awarded to the individual Lots.

Based on the Authority's assessment of the Bidders' economic and financial security, some Bidders may be required to provide a signed Parent Company Guarantee within 15 working days of the Call-Off Contract Decision Letter. If a Parent Company Guarantee, signed by a Parent or Ultimate Parent Company with suitable economic and financial standing is not provided to sufficiently assure the Authority within the requested timescale, the Call-Off Contract(s) will not be placed with the Bidder.

Further detail about the requirement, competition stages, evaluation and award process is provided in the Invitation to Tender Pack.

The Bidder will need to Register on the MOJ Sourcing Portal (at https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html) if they do not already have an account which directly relates to the part of their organisation that is submitting the Tender.

Once logged in navigate to 'ITTs Open to All Suppliers' and then select 'ITT_6329' which relates to the Procurement for the Court Reporting and Transcription (CRT) Services Framework. The ITT documents are within the Attachments drop down menu.