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Tenders

The Provision of Agency Operational Workers for the Probation Service

Open
Deadline
20 days left
April 17, 2026
Contract Details
Category
Open Procedure
Reference
021880-2026
Value
£146,400,000
Location
United Kingdom
Published
March 20, 2026
Organization
CPV Code
Project Timeline

Tender Published

March 11, 2026

Deadline for Questions

April 10, 2026

Submission Deadline

April 17, 2026

Contract Start Date

November 02, 2026

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Budget
£146,400,000
Duration
72 months
Location
United Kingdom
Type
Open Procedure
75
Quality Score/100
Good

Original Tender Description

This requirement is to support the Authority (Ministry of Justice) and His Majesty's Prison & Probation Services (HMPPS) in the future delivery of temporary resources for Probation Services across England and Wales. The Probation Services is seeking a supplier(s) to provide qualified probation operational workers to address temporary staff shortfalls that could jeopardise the delivery of core business objectives. This may include covering periods of absence, in lieu of permanent recruitment or to manage temporary increases in work. Probation operational temporary staff include Probation Officers and Senior Probation Officers, both of whom must hold the relevant qualification for their role. Other key roles include Probation Services Officers, Victim Liaison Officers, and Unpaid Work Supervisors. All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post. The worker volume will fluctuate dependent on business need. HMPPS employee base is diverse and geographically dispersed across England and Wales. Temporary Probation workers may be based within one of the c.120 public or private prison establishments, c.170 courts, c.110 Probation Delivery Units, c.100 Approved Premises, or some are based within Council Buildings or Police Stations. Probation is divided into 12 Regions: London, South Central, Kent Surrey and Sussex (KSS) South West, East of England, West Midlands, East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire and the Humber, North East, North West and Wales. These services are currently being delivered by two providers and these contracts expire in October 2026 necessitating the need for a new contract(s). The Indicative Competition timeline is as follows: Invitation to Submit Tenders phase - 11/03/2026 to 17/04/2026, Clarification Phase 11/03/2026 to 03/04/2026, Evaluation and internal approvals 20/04/2026 to 12/06/2026, Contract Award 15/06/26, Contract Signature & Mobilisation 26/06/2026 – 30/10/2026. Bidders should note that the dates above are indicative and may be subject to change.

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Requirements & Qualifications

16 requirements across 5 categories

Submission (3)
Mandatory (1)
Compliance (5)
Technical (5)
Financial (2)
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS3
--Bids must be submitted by the deadline of 2026-04-17T00:00:00.
--The Invitation to Submit Tenders phase is from 11/03/2026 to 17/04/2026.
--Bidders should be aware that the indicative competition timeline may be subject to change.
MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS1
--Bidders must not be subject to any mandatory exclusion grounds as defined by relevant procurement legislation.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS5
--Suppliers must be able to provide qualified probation operational workers, including Probation Officers, Senior Probation Officers, Probation Services Officers, Victim Liaison Officers, and Unpaid Work Supervisors.
--All candidates provided must hold the relevant qualifications for their role.
--All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post.
TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS5
--Suppliers must demonstrate a proven track record in supplying qualified temporary staff for operational roles within the justice or similar sectors.
--Suppliers must have robust processes for candidate vetting, including security and identity checks.
--Suppliers must have the capacity to manage fluctuating worker volumes dependent on business needs.
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS2
--The estimated value of the contract is 146,400,000.00 EUR.
--The contract duration is 72 months.

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Documents

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75
Good

Tender Quality Score

This tender for agency operational workers for the Probation Service is generally well-structured with clear objectives and a substantial estimated value. However, it lacks specific evaluation criteria and details on e-submission, impacting practicality and fairness.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance75/100

The tender adheres to open procedure and specifies a CPV code. Deadlines are provided, though the submission deadline might be considered tight by some. No disputes are noted. Regulatory compliance is assumed but not explicitly detailed.

Clarity80/100

The description of services required is detailed, outlining the scope, types of roles, and geographical coverage. Requirements are documented, but specific evaluation criteria are missing, which could lead to ambiguity.

Missing evaluation criteria
Completeness70/100

Most basic information is present, including estimated value, contract duration, and start date. However, the absence of available tender documents with content limits the completeness assessment.

No document content available
Fairness85/100

The tender is open, and the estimated value is disclosed. The criteria for eligibility and technical capability are objective. However, the lack of specified evaluation criteria and the absence of explicit e-submission details could be perceived as less fair.

Missing evaluation criteria
No e-submission
Practicality65/100

The tender specifies a contract start date and duration. However, the lack of explicit mention of e-submission and the absence of document URLs hinder practical accessibility for bidders.

No e-submission
No document URL
Data Consistency90/100

Key fields such as title, reference, organization, value, and dates are populated. There are no noted suspensions or disputes, and the dates provided are logically sequenced.

Sustainability50/100

There is no explicit mention of green procurement, social aspects, innovation, or EU funding, which are common elements in modern tenders.

Not green procurement
No social criteria

Strengths

Clear description of service requirements
Substantial estimated value
Open procedure
Detailed geographical coverage

Concerns

Missing evaluation criteria
No e-submission specified
No document content available

Recommendations

1. Specify clear evaluation criteria to enhance fairness and clarity.
2. Provide details on the e-submission process and links to tender documents.

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