The Government Says

Guidance: Civil 2018 contracts tender

Updated: Publication of FAQs for latest HPCDS tender

Latest updates 13 November 2018 - Publication of HPCDS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Procurement Process for HPCDS Contracts from December 2018

Procurement Process FAQ

We have published the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document relating to the Procurement Process for HPCDS Contracts from December 2018.

The FAQ can be found in the documents section at the top of this page.

The deadline for submitting a tender as part of the Further Face to Face Procurement Process is 9am on Monday 26 November 2018

Previous updates 31 October 2018 - Notice of outcome: Housing Possession Court Duty Services in England and Wales from 1 October 2018 Tender

We have today published the outcome of a recent tender for the Chichester, Horsham and Worthing HPCDS Scheme.

A list of successful providers can be found in the ‘documents’ section above.

30 October 2018 – Housing Possession Court Duty Services in England and Wales from December 2018 Tender process opens

A new tender opportunity for HPCDS services has opened. The deadline for submitting tenders is 9am on 26 November 2018

The LAA is inviting Applicants to submit a Tender for an Exclusive Schedule under the 2013 Standard Civil Contract (as amended) for a contingency period in specific courts from December 2018. The LAA is offering up to four contracts in each of the following Schemes through this procurement process on a rota basis:

Barnet Bodmin and Truro Grimsby Winchester

Where possible, the contracts will start on 17 December 2018. This procurement process is open to any organisation who holds a 2018 Standard Civil Contract in the Housing and Debt Categories.

Further information on this procurement process including the requirements Applicants will need to meet can be found in the relevant Information for Applicants (IFA) document in the ‘documents’ section above. All tenders must be submitted using the e-Tendering system, accessed either through a link on the tender pages of the LAA website or directly at: www.legalaid.bravosolution.co.uk Contract documentation is available on the 2013 Standard Civil Contract page.

A helpline has been set up to support you if you have technical problems with the e-Tendering system: help@bravosolutions.co.uk; 0800 069 8630.

If organisations have any questions about the content of the IFA these must be raised through the e-Tendering system by 23:59 on 7 November 2018.

Questions of wider interest will be collated and answered through a frequently asked questions document which will be published on this webpage during the week commencing 12 November 2018.

25 September 2018 - 2018 Standard Civil Contract update

We have today published an update concerning verifying tenders for the 2018 Standard Civil Contract. The update can be found in the ‘documents’ section above.

17 September 2018 - 2018 Standard Civil Contract - Further Procurement Process Update

We have today published an update on the Further Procurement Process for a 2018 Standard Civil Contract.

The update can be found in the ‘documents’ section above.

14 September 2018 - 2018 Standard Civil Contract Update

We have today published an update on the 2018 Standard Civil Contract.

The update can be found in the ‘documents’ section above.

3 September 2018 – 2018 Standard Civil Contract Update

Further to the update on the 2018 civil contracts published on Friday 31 August 2018 we have published further information that can be found in the ‘documents’ section above.

31 August 2018 – 2018 Standard Civil Contract Update

We have been made aware that there are a number of providers who have not yet been able to accept their contract in CWA ahead of the contract coming into force tomorrow. We have published information for providers in this position in the ‘documents’ section above.

15 August 2018 – Publication of an amendment notice relating to the HPCDS procurement process

We have today issued a notice to amend the IFA in the Housing Possession Court Duty Services in England and Wales from 1 October 2018 Tender process.

The amendment notice can be found in the ‘documents’ section above.

13 August 2018 – Housing Possession Court Duty Services in England and Wales from 1 October 2018 Tender process opens

A further tender opportunity for HPCDS services has opened. The deadline for submitting tenders is 5pm on 7 September 2018.

On 5 July 2018 the Legal Aid Agency (“LAA”) cancelled the 2018 Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme Contract procurement process. It took that decision to give effect to the Administrative Court’s decision dated 22 June 2018 (case number CO/5321/2017) in the judicial review proceedings brought by the Law Centres Federation t/as Law Centres Network against the Lord Chancellor.

In accordance with our published intentions for contingency arrangements (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-2018-contracts-tender), in July 2018 we offered existing providers of HPCDS services an extension of their current contract for a contingency period, however, some providers did not take up the offer to deliver HPCDS services beyond 30 September 2018.

As a result, the LAA is inviting Applicants to submit a Tender for an Exclusive Schedule under the 2013 Standard Civil Contract (as amended) for a contingency period in specific courts from 1 October 2018. The LAA is offering up to four contracts in each of the following Schemes through this procurement process on a rota basis:

Bodmin and Truro Chichester, Horsham and Worthing Colchester Winchester

All tenders must be submitted using the e-Tendering system, accessed either through a link on the tender pages of the LAA website or directly at: www.legalaid.bravosolution.co.uk Contract documentation is available on the 2013 Standard Civil Contract page.

A helpline has been set up to support you if you have technical problems with the e-Tendering system: help@bravosolutions.co.uk; 0800 069 8630.

If organisations have any questions about the content of the IFA these must be raised through the e-Tendering system by 23:59 on 21 August 2018.

Questions of wider interest will be collated and answered through a frequently asked questions document which will be published on this webpage during the week commencing 27 August 2018.

10 August 2018 - Update on the 2018 Standard Civil Contract verification process

We have today published an update on the verification process for the 2018 Standard Civil Contract.

The verification update can be found in the ‘documents’ section above.

27 July 2018 - Update on the 2018 Standard Civil Contract verification process

We have today published an update on the verification process for the 2018 Standard Civil Contract.

The verification update can be found in the ‘documents’ section above.

26 July 2018 - Publication of Further Face to Face Procurement Process FAQ

We have published the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document relating to the Further Face to Face Procurement Process for a 2018 Standard Civil Contract.

The FAQ can be found in the documents section at the top of this page.

The deadline for submitting a tender as part of the Further Face to Face Procurement Process is 5pm on Friday 10 August 2018

25 July 2018 - Publication of an amendment notice relating to the Further Face to Face procurement process

We have today issued a notice to amend the Mental Health Invitation To Tender (ITT) in the e-tendering system.

A response to the Mental Health ITT is required by organisations who wish to tender for a 2018 Contract under the Further Face to Face Procurement Process to deliver contract work in the Mental Health category of law.

The amendment notice can be found in the ‘documents’ section above.

The Mental Health ITT has been republished and is available in the e-tendering system (ITT 577 in the e-tendering system). This can be accessed either through a link on the tender pages of the LAA website or directly at: https://legalaid.bravosolution.co.uk

13 July 2018 - Update on the 2018 Standard Civil Contract verification process

We have today published an update on the verification process for the 2018 Standard Civil Contract.

The verification update can be found in the ‘documents’ section above.

6 July 2018 - Approach to providing Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme (HPCDS) services from 1 October 2018

On 5 July 2018 we gave notice cancelling the 2018 Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme Contract procurement process: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-2018-contracts-tender

It is our intention to offer all existing providers of HPCDS services an extension of their current contract for an initial period of 12 months from 1 October 2018 until 30 September 2019.

We have written to current providers setting out our proposals and will be sending a formal offer of a contract extension shortly.

Where current providers do not intend to accept the contract, the LAA will make alternative arrangements to avoid clients being prejudiced.

More information on the contract extension offers will be published shortly.

5 July 2018 – Publication of a cancellation notice relating to the procurement process for HPCDS services from 1 October 2018

Today the LAA has cancelled the procurement process for HPCDS services from 1st October 2018 in its entirety.

The cancellation notice can be found in the ‘documents’ section above.

The LAA will publish further information regarding the next steps for HPCDS contracts as soon as possible.

3 July 2018 – Publication of an amendment notice relating to the Further Face to Face procurement process

We have today issued a notice to amend the Selection Questionnaire (SQ) in the e-tendering system which is required as part of a Tender for a Civil 2018 Contract under the Further Face to Face Procurement Process.

The amendment notice can be found in the ‘documents’ section above.

The SQ has been republished and is available in the e-tendering system (ITT 573 in the e-tendering system). This can be accessed either through a link on the tender pages of the LAA website or directly at: https://legalaid.bravosolution.co.uk

27 June 2018 – New opportunity to bid for 2018 face to face contract work opens

A new tender opportunity for 2018 face to face contract work has opened. It is open to both existing contract holders and new entrants.

The deadline for submitting tenders is 5pm on Friday 10 August 2018.

This is a single stage process that will assess an organisation’s suitability to contract with us and their ability to meet our service requirements.

Contracts will be procured through a non-competitive process, with tenders invited across all procurement areas and in the following categories of law:

family (which includes both private family law and public law childcare work)

housing, debt and welfare benefits

immigration and asylum (excluding Immigration Removal Centres)

mental health

community care

claims against public authorities (formerly known as ‘actions against the police etc’)

clinical negligence

public Law

family mediation

Organisations that have previously tendered successfully for a 2018 face to face contract do not need to tender again as part of this procurement process.

To submit a complete tender all applicants must submit a response to both the:

Selection Questionnaire (SQ)

relevant Invitation(s) to Tender (ITTs) for category(ies) of law they wish to deliver

Further information on this procurement process including the requirements applicants will need to meet can be found in the relevant Information for Applicants (IFA) document in the ‘documents’ section of the 2018 Civil tender page.

Published alongside the IFA, and available in the ‘documents’ panel above are two further documents to give further information to bidders. Potential applicants are advised to read these in addition to the IFA.

All tenders must be submitted using the e-Tendering system. This can be accessed either through a link on the tender pages of the LAA website or directly at: www.legalaid.bravosolution.co.uk

Contract documentation is available on the 2018 Standard Civil Contract page

Tender responses must be made online through the e-Tendering system

A helpline has been set up to support you if you have technical problems with the e-Tendering system: 0800 069 8630. You can also email: help@bravosolution.co.uk

If organisations have any questions about the content of the IFA these must be raised through the e-Tendering system by 23:59 on Wednesday 18 July 2018.

Questions of wider interest will be collated and answered through a frequently asked questions document which will be published on this web page during the week commencing 23 July 2018.

15 June 2018 - 2018 Standard Civil Contract Update - New tender opportunity for 2018 face to face contract work will open shortly

We have today published details of a new tender opportunity for the 2018 Standard Civil Contract.

The update can be found in the ‘documents’ section above.

5 June 2018 - Update on the 2018 Standard Civil Contract verification process

We have today published an update on the verification process for the 2018 Standard Civil Contract.

The verification update can be found in the ‘documents’ section above.

23 May 2018 – Publication of discrimination law procurement process FAQ

We have today published the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document relating to the supplemental CLA Discrimination procurement process. The FAQ can be found in the documents section at the top of this page.

The deadline for submitting a tender as part of the supplemental CLA Discrimination procurement process is 5pm on Friday 1 June 2018.

11 May 2018 - Update on the 2018 Standard Civil Contract verification process

We have today published an update on the verification process for the 2018 Standard Civil Contract.

The verification update can be found in the ‘documents’ section above.

9 May 2018 – Publication of an amendment notice relating to the CLA Discrimination procurement process

We have today issued a notice to amend the Resourcing Plan pro-forma which is required as part of a Tender for a CLA Contract in the Discrimination Category under the Supplemental CLA Procurement Process.

The amendment notice can be found in the ‘documents’ section above. A new version of the Resourcing Plan pro-forma entitled ‘Resourcing Plan Pro Forma_V2’ is available via the ‘Buyer Attachments’ link within the e-tendering system, This can be accessed either through a link on the tender pages of the LAA website or directly at: https://legalaid.bravosolution.co.uk

8 May 2018 - Publication of Supplemental Face to Face Procurement Process FAQ

We have published the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document relating to the Supplemental Face to Face Procurement Process for a 2018 Standard Civil Contract. The FAQ can be found in the documents section at the top of this page.

The deadline for submitting a tender as part of the Supplemental Face to Face Procurement Process is 5pm on Monday 21 May 2018

3 May: Notification letters for HPCDS tender bids

We have started to notify organisations of the outcome of their tenders to deliver work under the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme (HPCDS)..

This follows:

the passing of the deadline for tenders for HPCDS contracts on 11 December 2017 notifications sent to bidders in January 2018 telling them whether they had been shortlisted for HPCDS contracts

This is earlier than we stated in the Information For Applicants. However, we did say that if we could conclude the assessment earlier then we would notify applicants as soon as possible. This was set out in our tender update of 28 February 2018.

We will use the e-Tendering system from 3 May 2018 to start notifying organisations shortlisted for the next stage of the tender process back in January.

There are 4 scheme areas where the assessment process is ongoing and we will not be notifying the outcomes at this time. Applicants in the affected areas have been contacted to confirm this and will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible.

With the exception of these scheme areas, we expect notification to have been completed by Tuesday 8 May 2018. Applicants who have bid for HPCDS contracts and have not been notified by Wednesday 9 May should contact us through the e-Tendering message board.

Services under new HPCDS contracts will begin on 1 October 2018. Each contract will initially run until 30 September 2021, with an option for LAA to extend for up to a further 2 years.

Following notifications, LAA will work with successful organisations to complete the verification process described in the letter of notification through the Bravo system. However, organisations are reminded that contract awards are conditional on satisfactory bid verifications. Each applicant is responsible for providing all the necessary evidence they meet the verification requirements as out in the notification letter.

2 May 2018 - Further discrimination law procurement process opens

A further opportunity to tender for a contract to deliver telephone-based civil legal advice in the discrimination category has opened. It is open to both current legal aid contract holders and new entrants. Services under new contracts will begin on 1 September 2018.

The deadline for submitting responses to this procurement process is 5pm on Friday 1June 2018. Contracts will be procured through a competitive process based on quality and price.

To submit a tender applicants need to submit a response for the CLA Discrimination invitation to tender (ITT). In addition organisations classified as a “new bidder” must also submit a response to the Selection Questionnaire (SQ) that forms part of the tender response. Organisations must respond as a new bidder if they:

did not submit a tender for a face to face contract, Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme contract, or CLA specialist advice contract as part of last year’s main Civil 2018 Contracts tender process; submitted a tender but were excluded at the SQ stage; or submitted a tender but their SQ response is no longer valid.

Organisations that tendered successfully as part of the main Civil 2018 Contracts tender process and whose circumstances have not changed will be required to confirm this in their tender response.

Further information on this procurement process including the requirements Applicants will need to meet can be found in the relevant Information for Applicants (IFA) document in the ‘documents’ section at the top of this page. All tenders must be submitted using the e-Tendering system. This can be accessed either through a link on the tender pages of the LAA website or directly at: https://legalaid.bravosolution.co.uk

Contract documentation is available on the 2018 Standard Civil Contract page.

Tender responses must be made online through the e-Tendering system.

A helpline has been set up to support you if you have technical problems with the e-Tendering system: help@bravosolutions.co.uk; 0800 069 8630.

If organisations have any questions about the content of the IFA these must be raised through the eTendering system by 23:59 on Thursday 10 May 2018.

Questions of wider interest will be collated and answered through a frequently asked questions document which will be published on this webpage during the week commencing 21 May 2018.

23 April 2018 – Further Face to Face Civil Legal Aid tender process opens

A further tender opportunity for 2018 face to face contract work has opened. It is open to both existing contract holders and new entrants. The deadline for submitting tenders is 5pm on Monday 21 May 2018.

It is a single stage process that will assess an organisation’s suitability to contract with us and their ability to meet our service requirements.

Contracts will be procured through a non-competitive process, limited to the small number of geographic areas where LAA wishes to increase services in the Family, Housing and Debt and Immigration and Asylum categories of law. All organisations assessed as being suitable and as meeting the minimum service requirements will be awarded a contract.

To submit a complete tender all applicants must submit a response to the relevant Invitation(s) to Tender (ITTs) for category (ies) they wish to deliver.

In addition, organisations classified as a ‘new bidder’ must submit a response to the Selection Questionnaire (SQ) that forms part of this tender opportunity. Organisations must respond as a new bidder are those that:

did not submit a tender for a 2018 Standard Civil Contract as part of last year’s main Civil 2018 Contracts tender process or did submit a tender but were excluded at Selection Questionnaire stage or did submit a tender but their SQ response is no longer valid

Organisations that tendered successfully as part of the main Civil 2018 Contracts tender process and whose circumstances have not changed will be required to confirm this in their tender response.

All tenders must be submitted using the e-Tendering system. This can be accessed either through a link on the tender pages of the LAA website or directly at: www.legalaid.bravosolution.co.uk

Contract documentation is available on the 2018 Standard Civil Contract page.

Tender responses must be made online through the e-Tendering system.

A helpline has been set up to support you if you have technical problems with the e-Tendering system: help@bravosolutions.co.uk; 0800 069 8630.

If organisations have any questions about the content of the IFA these must be raised through the eTendering system by by 23:59 on Monday 30 April 2018.

Questions of wider interest will be collated and answered through a frequently asked questions document which will be published on this webpage during the week commencing 7 May 2018.

20 April 2018 – CLA Specialist Advice Services in the discrimination category of law post-market engagement event information published

We have today published information from the CLA market engagement events held on 16 April.

In the ‘documents’ panel above we have published:

content of the slides used at the market engagement events further information document from the events

Invitations to tender for a CLA contract in the category of discrimination will open shortly.

The information provided here and at the events is intended to assist interested organisations to consider how they might bid for these contracts. However, any organisation wishing to tender for a CLA contract must consult the tender documentation for final detail of the procurement process when the CLA Invitation To Tender opens as this will set out the definitive position.

5 April 2018: Market engagement event for organisations interested in delivering CLA Specialist Advice Services in the discrimination category of law

LAA is holding a market engagement event on 16th April to set out our plans for procuring Civil Legal Advice (CLA) Specialist Advice Services in discrimination. All organisations interested in delivering the services are invited to attend.

The market engagement event will be delivered via a web hosted event on 16 April 2018.

If you would like to attend please register online.

If you have any questions about the event please email civil.contracts@legalaid.gsi.gov.uk.

For those who cannot attend this event, information will be published on this webpage shortly afterwards.

28 March 2018 – Update on face to face notifications

On 28 March, LAA completed notifying those organisations that have taken part in the procurement process for 2018 face to face contracts and who have been successful in bidding for contracts in all face to face categories. Applicants who have failed to receive a notification should contact LAA through the e-Tendering system message board. LAA will now work with organisations to complete the verification process.

28 March 2018 – Update on further tender opportunities for 2018 contract work

We have today published an update on the further tender opportunities for 2018 contracts for:

specialist legal advice delivered via the Civil Legal Advice (CLA) helpline in the discrimination category, the tender for which will open in late April Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme (HPCDS) services for the Cornwall scheme area, an expression of interest for which has opened today face to face family housing and debt and immigration and asylum services in some geographic areas, the tender for which will open in late April

In the ‘Documents’ section at the top of this page are:

update on further tender opportunities for 2018 contract work expression of interest document for organisations interested in delivering HPCDS services from 1 October 2018 from one or both courts in the Cornwall scheme area. The deadline for responding to this expression of interest is 5pm on Friday 13 April 2018 notice providing further information on CLA education and discrimination contracts 20 March 2018 - Civil tender update

From Tuesday 20 March LAA will be notifying those organisations that have taken part in the procurement process for 2018 face to face contracts and who have been successful in bidding for contracts in all face to face categories. We anticipate that most notifications will have been sent out by Friday 30 March. Applicants who have bid for face to face contracts and have not received notification by the 3 April should contact LAA through the e-Tendering system message board. Following notifications, LAA will work with organisations to complete the verification process.

28 February 2018 - Civil tender update

We are publishing a message to update all organisations taking part in the procurement process for 2018 face to face, Civil Legal Advice (CLA) and Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme (HPCDS) contracts. The message:

confirms the number of tenders received by LAA reiterates when LAA intends to notify the outcome of these tenders outlines the next steps

The update can be found in the ‘Documents’ section of this page.

5 February 2018 - Update on the procurement process for CLA education and discrimination services

The procurement process for CLA education and discrimination services from 1 September 2018 has been cancelled. This decision was taken following receipt of insufficient compliant tenders. The procurement process would not have resulted in the award of the intended number of CLA contracts to provide education and discrimination services. We will formally write to each affected organisation using the e-Tendering system from 5 February 2018, advising them of this cancellation and to open discussions on next steps.

30 January 2018 - Next steps in 2018 HPCDS contracts tender process.

We are contacting organisations from 30 January 2018 with updates and guidance on next steps about their bids for 2018 HPCDS contracts work.

Following the closure of tenders for HPCDS contracts on 11 December 2017, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) will now advise those organisations that:

bid for a HPCDS contract but failed to reach the minimum threshold to be given further consideration; have not been shortlisted for a HPCDS contract; have been shortlisted for a HPCDS contract.

We will formally write to each affected organisation using the e-Tendering system, advising them of the status of their tenders, from 30 January 2018.

We anticipate that all notifications will have been sent out by Thursday 1 February 2018.

Applicants bidding for HPCDS contracts who have not been notified by 1 February should contact us through the e-Tendering message board.

1 December 2017 - Publication of a notice to extend the deadline for the HPCDS Tender to 11 December 2017

Applicants are notified that the LAA has elected to clarify that the number of Sessions as defined in the Information for Applicants and contained in the Scheme Area Guides has been calculated using the data reported by the current provider(s) of HPCDS work in each court. The LAA has used this provider data to identify the unique number of sessions (morning, afternoon or all-day as set out in the 2013 Standard Civil Contract) undertaken to provide a total annual figure for each court. For these purposes a Session does not equate to a court room or list. Scheme Area Guides also provide the individual volume of cases undertaken at each court. The LAA gives no guarantees or warranties regarding the accuracy of any information or regarding the actual volume or value of any HPCDS work during the contract period.

In light of the proximity of this clarification to the tender deadline, the deadline has been extended to 5pm Monday 11 December.

This notice and amended version of the IFA can be found in the documents section above.

29 November 2017 – HPCDS Scheme Area Guides updated

We have updated the HPCDS Scheme Area Guides for Bromley and Croydon, Birmingham, Hereford and Worcestershire and Gloucester and Wiltshire to include Alternative Hearing Locations idenitified by HMCTS and which can be found on GOV.UK.

28 November 2017 - Publication of a notice to cancel the Invitations To Tender (“ITTs”) for the Southwark and Islington Scheme Areas for HPCDS Contracts.

We have today issued a notice to cancel the Invitations To Tender (“ITTs”) in two Scheme Areas under the HPCDS Contract procurement process with immediate effect. These are:

the Southwark Scheme Area; and the Islington Scheme Area.

This is because on 21 November 2017 HM Courts & Tribunals Service notified stakeholders that Lambeth County Court will close in December. Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme (HPCDS) cases currently listed at Lambeth County Court will transfer to Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court as of 8 January 2018.

The LAA will publish further information regarding the procurement of this HPCDS Contract Work as soon as possible.

The notice and Version 2 of the IFA can be found in the documents section above.

The deadline for all remaining Scheme Areas remains 5pm on 4 December 2017.

27 November 2017 - Amendment to the final Frequently Asked Questions document relating to the HPCDS Contracts

We have today reissued the HPCDS FAQ with 2 amendments.

An additional question has been added at 2.11 and the answer to 1.3 has been expanded.

The amended version of the FAQ can be found in the documents section above.

23 November 2017 – Final Frequently Asked Questions document relating to the HPCDS Contracts tender published

We have published final Frequently Asked Questions document relating to the HPCDS Contract tender and which can be found in the documents section at the top of this page.

The deadline for submitting a tender for a HPCDS Contract is 5pm on 4 December 2017.

22 November 2017 - Closure of Lambeth County Court

On 21 November 2017 HM Courts & Tribunals Service notified stakeholders that Lambeth County Court will close in December. The last day cases will be heard is 22 December 2017.

Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme (HPCDS) cases currently listed at Lambeth County Court will transfer to Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court as of 8 January 2018.

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) currently contracts with organisations to provide a Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme at both Lambeth County Court and Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court.

Further to this notification, LAA is considering the implications for the 2018 HPCDS Contract tender and will advise on these shortly.

Organisations that currently hold schedules to deliver HPCDS work at Lambeth County Court and Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court will also be contacted shortly.

1 November 2017 – Final Frequently Asked Questions documents relating to the Selection Questionnaire and Face to Face Contracts tender published

We have published final Frequently Asked Questions documents relating to the Selection Questionnaire and Face to Face Contract tender and which can be found in the documents section at the top of this page.

Applicants regulated by the Office of The Immigration Commissioner (OISC) and who are intending to bid for an Immigration and Asylum Face to Face Contract should read the questions and answers in both the Selection Questionnaire and Face to Face FAQ documents.

The deadline for submitting a tender for a Face to Face or CLA Contract (and which must include a response to the Selection Questionnaire) is 5pm on 10 November 2017.

Applicants intending to bid to deliver work under a HPCDS Contract are reminded that the deadline for questions relating to the HPCDS Contract tender is 23.59 on 7 November 2017.

31 October 2017 – Publication of CLA Contract FAQ

We have published the Frequently Asked Questions document relating to the Civil Legal Advice Contract tender and which can be found in the documents section at the top of this page.

The deadline for submitting a tender for a Face to Face or CLA Contract (and which must include a response to the Selection Questionnaire) is 5pm on 10 November 2017.

24 October 2017 – Publication of a notice to amend the IFA for the CLA Contracts.

We have today issued an amendment notice to the Information For Applicants (‘IFA’) for CLA Contracts.

This notice and amended version of the IFA can be found in the documents section above.

20 October 2017 – Interim Frequently Asked Questions documents relating to the Selection Questionnaire and Face to Face Contracts tender published.

We have published interim Frequently Asked Questions documents relating to the Selection Questionnaire and Face to Face Contract tender and which can be found in the documents section at the top of this page.

A final FAQ document, which will incorporate all questions that we consider to be of interest which are received by 23.59 on 19 October 2017 (including those published in these interim documents), will be published in the week commencing 30 October.

The deadline for submitting a tender for a Face to Face or CLA Contract (and which must include a response to the Selection Questionnaire) is 5pm on 10 November 2017.

Applicants are reminded that the tender for HPCDS Contracts is now open. Applicants wishing to submit a tender for HPCDS must submit a response to the Selection Questionnaire and Face to Face Contract Housing and Debt ITT by 5pm on 10 November and in addition a response to the HPCDS Applicant ITT and each of the Scheme Area ITTs they wish to bid to deliver by 5pm on 4 December 2017.

19 October 2017 – Publication of a notice to amend the IFAs for the Selection Questionnaire, Face to Face Contracts and CLA Contracts.

We have today issued an amendment notices to the Information For Applicants (‘IFA’) for the Selection Questionnaire, Face to Face Contracts and CLA Contracts.

These notices and amended versions of the IFAs can be found in the documents section above.

12 October 2017 – Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme procurement process opens

The procurement process for Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme (HPCDS) Contracts commencing on 1 October 2018 has opened. It is open to both existing contract holders and new entrants.

To carry out publicly funded HPCDS services from 1 October 2018, organisations will need to successfully tender for a new HPCDS Contract.

In order to submit a complete tender organisations must submit a response to both:

HPCDS Applicant ITT 1 or more of the HPCDS Scheme Area ITTs

By 5pm 4 December 2017.

And organisations must have submitted a tender for a Face to Face Contract to deliver services under that contract in the Housing and Debt Categories by 5pm 10 November 2017.

This consists of:

A response to the Selection Questionnaire (SQ) A response to a Face to Face Housing and Debt ITT

The Information for Applicants (IFA) documents for both SQ and the HPCDS Contract ITTs that govern this procurement process as well as the Face to Face Contract ITTs are available in the ‘documents’ section at the top of this page. IFAs provide full details about this procurement process, including the criteria that Applicants must meet.

Contract documentation is available on the 2018 Civil Legal Advice Contract page.

HPCDS scheme area guides are available on GOV.UK.

Tender responses must be made online through the e-Tendering system.

A helpline has been set up to support you if you have technical problems with the e-Tendering system: help@bravosolution.co.uk; 0800 069 8630.

If you have any questions about the procurement process or the IFA document, these must be raised through the eTendering system by 23.59 on 7 November 2017.

Questions of wider interest will be collated and answered through a frequently asked questions document which will be published on this webpage during the week commencing 20 November 2017.

11 October - Closure of The Verne Immigration Removal Centre

Yesterday (10 October) the Home Office notified stakeholders that it will be closing The Verne Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) as of 31 December 2017.

The LAA currently contracts with organisations to provide Immigration and Asylum services at this IRC and has included The Verne IRC in the current tender process for 2018 civil contracts.

Further to this notification, the LAA is considering the implications for the civil 2018 contracts tender and will advise on these shortly.

Organisations that currently hold an Exclusive Schedule to deliver Immigration and Asylum services in The Verne IRC will also be contacted shortly.

29 September 2017 – Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme (‘HPCDS’) post-market engagement event information published

We have today published information from the HPCDS market engagement events held in August and September. In the ‘documents’ panel above we have published:

content of the slides used at the market engagement events further information document from the events

We have also published HPCDS contract documentation today. This is available to download from the Standard civil contract 2018 page.

Invitations To Tender for a HPCDS contract will open in October.

The information provided here and at the events is intended to assist interested organisations to consider how they might bid for these contracts. However, any organisation wishing to tender for a HPCDS Contract must consult the IFA document for final detail of the procurement process when the HPCDS Invitations To Tender open in October as that is the document which sets out the definitive position.

26 September 2017 – Civil Legal Advice procurement process opens

The procurement process for telephone-based Civil Legal Advice (CLA) to commence on 1 September 2018 has opened. It is open to both existing contract holders and new entrants.

The deadline for submitting responses to this procurement process is 5pm on 10 November 2017.

To carry out publicly funded CLA advice from 1 September 2018, organisations will need to successfully tender for a new CLA contract.

In order to submit a complete tender organisations must submit a response to both:

the Selection Questionnaire (SQ) (previously known as the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire) he relevant Invitations to Tender (ITTs) for categories of law they wish to deliver

The Information for Applicants (IFA) documents for both SQ and the CLA Contract ITTs that govern this procurement process are available in the ‘documents’ section at the top of this page. IFAs provide full details about this procurement process, including the criteria that Applicants must meet.

Contract documentation is available on the 2018 Civil Legal Advice Contract page.

Tender responses must be made online through the e-Tendering system.

A helpline has been set up to support you if you have technical problems with the e-Tendering system: help@bravosolutions.co.uk; 0800 069 8630.

If you have any questions about the procurement process or the IFA document, these must be raised through the eTendering system by 23.59 on 19 October 2017.

Questions of wider interest will be collated and answered through a frequently asked questions document which will be published on this webpage during the week commencing 30 October 2017.

LAA anticipates that the ITTs for HPCDS Contracts will open in October 2017. HPCDS IFA will be published on this webpage when the tenders open.

19 September 2017 – Face to Face Civil Legal Aid procurement process opens

The procurement process for Civil Legal Aid services to commence on 1 September 2018 has opened. It is open to both existing contract holders and new entrants.

The deadline for submitting responses to this procurement process is 5pm on 10 November 2017.

To carry out publicly funded Face to Face civil legal advice and representation from 1 September 2018, organisations will need to successfully tender for a new Civil Contract.

In order to submit a complete tender organisations must submit a response to both:

the Selection Questionnaire (SQ) (previously known as the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire); and the relevant Invitations to Tender (ITTs) for categories of law they wish to deliver.

The Information for Applicants (IFA) documents for both the Selection Questionnaire and the Face to Face Contract ITTs that govern this procurement process are available in the ‘documents’ section at the top of this page. The IFAs provide full details about this procurement process, including the criteria that Applicants must meet.

Contract documentation is available on the 2018 Standard Civil Contract page.

Tender responses must be made online through the e-Tendering system.

A helpline has been set up to support you if you have technical problems with the e-Tendering system: help@bravosolutions.co.uk; 0800 069 8630.

If you have any questions about the procurement process or the IFA document, these must be raised through the eTendering system by 23.59 on 19 October 2017.

Questions of wider interest will be collated and answered through a frequently asked questions document which will be published on this webpage during the week commencing 30 October 2017.

LAA anticipates that the ITTs for CLA Contracts will open in late September and the ITTs for HPCDS Contracts will open in October 2017. The relevant IFAs will be published on this webpage when the tenders open.

17 August 2017 – Registration for HPCDS market engagement opens

Organisations interested in tendering for a Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme contract can now register to attend market engagement events.

Spaces at events are limited and organisations must register online to attend. Details of the market engagement events are detailed below, together with the link to register to attend:

Birmingham - 29 August – am and pm

Manchester - 30 August – am and pm

Leeds - 4 September – am and pm

London - 5 and 7 September – am and pm

Liverpool - 6 September – am and pm

Bristol - 8 September – am and pm

Where organisations are unable to attend one of these sessions, they can register to attend an online WebEx which will take place at 10am on 11 September.

For further information on the market engagement events and areas covered at each event read our news story.

16 August 2017 - 2018 contracts tender timetable

We are opening tenders for new 2018 civil legal aid contracts across all categories in mid-September 2017.

This follows publication of the government’s policy consultation response to contract procurement proposals for the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme (HPCDS).

Face to face and CLA timetable

The tender process to procure new face to face and Civil Legal Advice (CLA) contracts will open in mid-September 2017.

The tender will be open for 8 weeks, closing in November.

We expect to notify bidders of the outcome of successful:

face to face tenders in March 2018 CLA tenders in May 2018 HPCDS timetable

The tender process for HPCDS contracts will follow on from a number of market engagement events which will run in August and September. Dates and locations will be confirmed shortly.

During August we will also engage the consultative bodies in a consultation on the proposed 2018 HPCDS contract.

The tender for HPCDS contracts will then open in October. It will run for 6 weeks before closing in November.

LAA expects to notify bidders of the outcome of their tenders in June 2018.

2 May 2017: procurement update – civil 2018 contract

In light of the announcement that a General Election is to be held on 8 June it has been necessary to revise our planned start date for the procurement process for new Civil Legal Advice (CLA) and civil face to face legal aid contracts.

We will provide further information on timescales for the procurement process as soon as possible.

17 March 2017: procurement update – civil 2018 contract

We have reviewed and revised our planned start date for the procurement process for new Civil Legal Advice and civil face to face legal aid contracts and this will now open in May 2017. We plan to use a single stage process i.e. running the SQ and ITT stages at the same time: These will cover:

testing organisational suitability to hold a contract (SQ) organisations tendering to category-specific services (ITT)

This approach differs from the one originally outlined in the Headline Intentions documents for civil and family mediation services which we published on GOV.UK. At that time we were considering running a two stage process for the SQ and ITT elements and starting the procurement process a little earlier in April 2017.

We will publish further information in due course giving further details on the new timetable for the procurement.

7 February 2017 – Headline intentions for 2018 family mediation contracts published

A headline intentions document setting out our approach to family mediation services from 1 April 2018 is now available from the ‘Documents’ section above. Mediation was not covered in the headline intentions document published on 20 January.

All current family mediation contracts will end on 31 March 2018 and we intend to award new contracts with services starting from 1 April 2018. A tender process for these contracts will open in April 2017.

20 January 2017 – Headline intentions for civil 2018 contracts published

A headline intentions document is now available from the ‘Documents’ section above. It sets out our approach for civil legal aid contracts from 2018.

We intend to award new contracts with services starting from 1 April 2018. We will be awarding new contracts for specialist legal advice delivered both face to face and via the Civil Legal Advice telephone helpline. A tender for these contracts will open in April 2017.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-2018-contracts-tender

seen at 16:40, 13 November in Publications on GOV.UK.
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TGS