Court Reporting and Transcription

Description

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) as the contracting authority intends to run a procurement exercise for the delivery of Court Reporting & Transcription Services (CRT) on behalf of HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS). The MOJ are required to record hearings which take place in a variety of Courts. Audio recordings provide a true and accurate record of proceedings and are used, when required, to produce transcripts as an official court record. It is the intention that all transcription services will be required under a framework agreement, split into the following services: 1) Off-Site Transcription Services (OTS), covering all off-site transcriptions 2) Attendance Based Transcription Services (ATS), covering court reporting and stenography, on-site transcription 3) Real-Time Transcription Services (RTS), covering all instantaneous on-site transcription Estimated Framework Value - £19,350,000 Framework Length - 2 years with an option to extend for up to 12 months. The Authority plan to award the Framework, then subsequent call off contracts in separate competitions. The Framework competition will be have 2 lots. Lot 1 - OTS Lot 2 - ATS/RTS Bidders must state which Lot competition they wish to participate. Bidders can participate and be awarded a position in both Lots if they submit successful responses to the tenders. Mini competitions are being planned following award of the Framework. There are currently 8 contracts that are planned to be awarded. 6 Contracts under Lot 1 and 2 contracts under Lot 2. Further information about the mini competition will be released in the framework tender. The planned start date of the Framework tender is 09/10/2024. Potential bidders should register on the portal at Ministry of Justice Sourcing Portal (bravosolution.co.uk) To express interest in this event, or if you have any queries, please send an email to [HMCTSReformCommercialTeam@justice.gov.uk] stating: • Company Name • Your Name • Contact Email • Sourcing Reference Number: prj_12945 The buyer will then contact you when the procurement is live on the e-sourcing portal. Lot 1: Offsite Transcription Services (OTS) OTS services comprise of the production of a transcript away from the court hearing centre or venue, using a recording provided by the court. The recording is accessed via tape/CD or in the case of Crown Courts, via a download from the dedicated DARTS portal. The supplier is responsible for producing transcripts of court hearings in line with HMCTS' rules, including the application of reporting restrictions (anonymisation) and the collection of relevant approvals and permissions. Lot 2: Attendance-Based Transcription/Real-time Transcription Services (ATS/RTS) Attendance-Based Transcription ATS services comprise the supply of stenographers or loggers, who attend court for the purposes of making a note of proceedings to supplement the court recording and assist in the production of a timely and accurate transcript. The requirement also includes the provision of limited on site transcription, in the form of a "sensitive case service", where supplier's personnel with appropriate levels of security clearance attend the secure hub located at the Royal Courts of Justice (RCJ), and produce a transcript on site. Real-time Transcription The provision of real-time transcription services, usually provided by stenographers who attend courts in person and provide a near instantaneous transcription of court hearings. RTS services are the supply of near instantaneous transcription services, usually comprising of a stenographer ('real time writer') who attends court and inputs a real-time record of proceedings. Editors, either based remotely or on site, may assist in the production of the 'stream' which may appear on screens in the courtroom, laptops and on occasion, media feeds.