Procurement of Criminal Defence Direct Services from 4 May 2026

{
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-PPON-PNZC-2236-JJJZ",
    "name": "Legal Aid Agency"
  },
  "date": "2025-07-16T11:24:30+01:00",
  "id": "040454-2025",
  "initiationType": "tender",
  "language": "en",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-052132",
  "parties": [
    {
      "address": {
        "country": "GB",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "locality": "London",
        "postalCode": "SW1H 9AJ",
        "region": "UKI32",
        "streetAddress": "102 Petty France"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "crime.contracts@justice.gov.uk",
        "name": "crime.contracts@justice.gov.uk"
      },
      "details": {
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          {
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        "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/legal-aid-agency"
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      "id": "GB-PPON-PNZC-2236-JJJZ",
      "identifier": {
        "id": "PNZC-2236-JJJZ",
        "scheme": "GB-PPON"
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      "name": "Legal Aid Agency",
      "roles": [
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  "tender": {
    "aboveThreshold": true,
    "awardPeriod": {
      "endDate": "2026-01-30T23:59:59+00:00"
    },
    "contractTerms": {
      "financialTerms": "N/A"
    },
    "coveredBy": [
      "GPA"
    ],
    "description": "The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has launched the procurement process for the 2026 Criminal Defence Direct (CDD) Contracts. These contracts will provide 24/7 telephone-based legal advice to individuals detained at police stations across England and Wales for non-indictable offences.\nTwo contracts will be awarded, with services commencing on 4 May 2026, following an implementation period and a 28-day dual operation phase.",
    "documents": [
      {
        "description": "Not published",
        "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
        "id": "conflictOfInterest"
      },
      {
        "datePublished": "2025-07-16T11:24:30+01:00",
        "description": "Tender notice on Find a Tender",
        "documentType": "tenderNotice",
        "format": "text/html",
        "id": "040454-2025",
        "noticeType": "UK4",
        "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040454-2025"
      }
    ],
    "enquiryPeriod": {
      "endDate": "2025-07-30T17:00:00+01:00"
    },
    "id": "CDD 2026",
    "items": [
      {
        "additionalClassifications": [
          {
            "description": "Legal services",
            "id": "79100000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
          }
        ],
        "deliveryAddresses": [
          {
            "country": "GB",
            "countryName": "United Kingdom",
            "region": "UK"
          }
        ],
        "id": "Criminal Defence Direct (CDD) Service Procurement Exercise - Contract 1",
        "relatedLot": "Criminal Defence Direct (CDD) Service Procurement Exercise - Contract 1"
      },
      {
        "additionalClassifications": [
          {
            "description": "Legal services",
            "id": "79100000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
          }
        ],
        "deliveryAddresses": [
          {
            "country": "GB",
            "countryName": "United Kingdom",
            "region": "UK"
          }
        ],
        "id": "Criminal Defence Direct (CDD) Service Procurement  - Contract 2",
        "relatedLot": "Criminal Defence Direct (CDD) Service Procurement  - Contract 2"
      }
    ],
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "scheme": "UKPGA",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
    },
    "lots": [
      {
        "awardCriteria": {
          "criteria": [
            {
              "description": "The Quality sub criteria are:\n1.1 - Skills and experience of staff delivering specialist legal advice\n1.2 - Staff Recruitment and Succession Planning\n1.3 - Supervision of staff delivering specialist legal advice\n2.1 - Management of the CDD Service \n2.2 - Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plan (BCDR)\n2.3 - Contract resourcing and forecasting\n3.1 - Implementation Plan\n4.1 - Social Value Question",
              "name": "Quality",
              "numbers": [
                {
                  "number": 40,
                  "weight": "percentageExact"
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              ],
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "Case Fee",
              "name": "Price",
              "numbers": [
                {
                  "number": 60,
                  "weight": "percentageExact"
                }
              ],
              "type": "price"
            }
          ]
        },
        "contractPeriod": {
          "endDate": "2031-05-31T23:59:59+01:00",
          "startDate": "2026-02-01T00:00:00+00:00"
        },
        "description": "Criminal Defence Direct (CDD) Service Procurement Exercise - Contract 1\nThe Legal Aid Agency (LAA), on behalf of the Lord Chancellor, will run a procurement exercise to award contracts for two providers to deliver the CDD Service from on or around 1 March 2026. \nKey Details:\n\u2022\tService: 24/7 non means tested telephone-based legal advice for individuals detained at police stations for non-indictable offences.\n\u2022\tContract Award: Two providers will each manage 50% of the caseload (with possible variations).\n\u2022\tDuration: 1 March 2026 \u2013 31 May 2031.\nProcurement Process Updates:\n From 24 February 2025, all suppliers must use the Cabinet Office Central Digital Platform to share their organisation\u2019s information with Contracting Authorities by providing a share code during the procurement process.\nIf suppliers are still unable to create a share code after getting assistance from the Cabinet Office, please email contact:  Crime.Contracts@justice.gov.uk.\nKey Service Changes:\nThe LAA, as part of this procurement, will introduce the following key changes to the CDD Service that align with the move to enhanced flexibility and reducing barriers to support providers in successfully delivering the CDD contract and ensure consistency across similar services. \nFor the new CDD Contract the LAA are:\n\u2022\tallowing Applicants to choose the arrangements most suitable for their delivery models and are not specifying the office requirements; \n\u2022\tremoving supervisor-to-advisor ratios;\n\u2022\tremoving the requirement for supervisors to be on-site 35 hours/week; and\n\u2022\tintroducing a new KPI to track client engagement and timeliness of advice",
        "id": "Criminal Defence Direct (CDD) Service Procurement Exercise - Contract 1",
        "status": "active",
        "title": "Criminal Defence Direct (CDD) Service Procurement Exercise - Contract 1",
        "value": {
          "amount": 1180000,
          "amountGross": 1450000,
          "currency": "GBP"
        }
      },
      {
        "awardCriteria": {
          "criteria": [
            {
              "description": "The Quality sub criteria are:\n1.1 - Skills and experience of staff delivering specialist legal advice\n1.2 - Staff Recruitment and Succession Planning\n1.3 - Supervision of staff delivering specialist legal advice\n2.1 - Management of the CDD Service \n2.2 - Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plan (BCDR)\n2.3 - Contract resourcing and forecasting\n3.1 - Implementation Plan\n4.1 - Social Value Question",
              "name": "Quality",
              "numbers": [
                {
                  "number": 40,
                  "weight": "percentageExact"
                }
              ],
              "type": "quality"
            },
            {
              "description": "Case Fee",
              "name": "Price",
              "numbers": [
                {
                  "number": 60,
                  "weight": "percentageExact"
                }
              ],
              "type": "price"
            }
          ]
        },
        "contractPeriod": {
          "endDate": "2031-05-31T23:59:59+01:00",
          "startDate": "2026-02-01T00:00:00+00:00"
        },
        "description": "Criminal Defence Direct (CDD) Service Procurement Exercise - Contract 2\nThe Legal Aid Agency (LAA), on behalf of the Lord Chancellor, will run a procurement exercise to award contracts for two providers to deliver the CDD Service from on or around 1 March 2026. \nKey Details:\n\u2022\tService: 24/7 non means tested telephone-based legal advice for individuals detained at police stations for non-indictable offences.\n\u2022\tContract Award: Two providers will each manage 50% of the caseload (with possible variations).\n\u2022\tDuration: 1 March 2026 \u2013 31 May 2031.\nProcurement Process Updates:\n From 24 February 2025, all suppliers must use the Cabinet Office Central Digital Platform to share their organisation\u2019s information with Contracting Authorities by providing a share code during the procurement process.\nIf suppliers are still unable to create a share code after getting assistance from the Cabinet Office, please email contact:  Crime.Contracts@justice.gov.uk.\nKey Service Changes:\nThe LAA, as part of this procurement, will introduce the following key changes to the CDD Service that align with the move to enhanced flexibility and reducing barriers to support providers in successfully delivering the CDD contract and ensure consistency across similar services. \nFor the new CDD Contract the LAA are:\n\u2022\tallowing Applicants to choose the arrangements most suitable for their delivery models and are not specifying the office requirements; \n\u2022\tremoving supervisor-to-advisor ratios;\n\u2022\tremoving the requirement for supervisors to be on-site 35 hours/week; and\n\u2022\tintroducing a new KPI to track client engagement and timeliness of advice",
        "id": "Criminal Defence Direct (CDD) Service Procurement  - Contract 2",
        "status": "active",
        "title": "Criminal Defence Direct (CDD) Service Procurement Exercise - Contract 2",
        "value": {
          "amount": 1180000,
          "amountGross": 1450000,
          "currency": "GBP"
        }
      }
    ],
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
    "procurementMethod": "open",
    "procurementMethodDetails": "Open procedure",
    "riskDetails": "A/A",
    "specialRegime": [
      "lightTouch"
    ],
    "status": "active",
    "submissionMethodDetails": "https://legalaid.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.shtml",
    "submissionTerms": {
      "electronicSubmissionPolicy": "allowed",
      "languages": [
        "en",
        "cy"
      ]
    },
    "tenderPeriod": {
      "endDate": "2025-08-28T17:00:00+01:00"
    },
    "title": "Procurement of Criminal Defence Direct Services from 4 May 2026",
    "value": {
      "amount": 2360000,
      "amountGross": 2900000,
      "currency": "GBP"
    }
  }
}