AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
The Highland Council has concluded three active contracts under its Justice Outreach Services (Highland) framework for Highland-wide support helping offenders reintegrate into their communities. The suppliers are APEX SCOTLAND, CENTRED (SCOTLAND) and NEW START HIGHLAND.
Published outcomeThree suppliers were awarded against the same lot. The published contract records show each contract as active and signed in late September or early October 2026.
Market significanceThis is a multi-supplier justice-outreach framework covering the Highland Council area, with support spanning independent-living skills, housing and benefits, rehabilitation, and education, training and employment pathways.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
3 supplier records analysed
APEX SCOTLAND
99% confidenceAward 098822-2026-1 · Lots 1 · 900000 GBP · Active contract; signed 7 October 2026
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Award 098822-2026-1 names Apex Scotland for lot 1. Its linked active contract states £900,000 and dateSigned 2026-10-07.
CENTRED (SCOTLAND)
99% confidenceAward 098822-2026-2 · Lots 1 · 900000 GBP · Active contract; signed 7 October 2026
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Award 098822-2026-2 names Centred(Scotland) for lot 1. Its linked active contract states £900,000 and dateSigned 2026-10-07.
NEW START HIGHLAND
99% confidenceAward 098822-2026-3 · Lots 1 · 900000 GBP · Active contract; signed 29 September 2026
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Award 098822-2026-3 names New Start Highland for lot 1. Its linked active contract states £900,000 and dateSigned 2026-09-29.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Procurement status
99% confidenceComplete / awarded
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The tender status is recorded as "complete" and the notice is tagged "award, contract".
Contract status
99% confidenceActive
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All three published contract records have status "active".
Contract conclusion
99% confidenceContracts signed
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Contract records provide dateSigned values for all three awards.
VALUES
Published values explained
Published contract value records
80% confidence£900,000 per contract record; £2,700,000 across the three records if additive
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Each of the three contract records states £900,000 GBP. The notice does not explain whether these are separately committed values, ceilings, or duplicated framework-level values.
Opportunity maximum value
95% confidence£900,000 GBP
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The opportunity-level value_max is £900,000 GBP.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Tender notice published
99% confidence3 July 2026
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Release 062861-2026 is a tender release dated 2026-07-03.
Tender deadline
99% confidence11 August 2026, 12:00 BST
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The published submission deadline is 2026-08-11T12:00:00+01:00.
NEW START HIGHLAND contract signed
99% confidence29 September 2026
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Contract 098822-2026-3 has dateSigned 2026-09-29.
APEX SCOTLAND and CENTRED (SCOTLAND) contracts signed
99% confidence7 October 2026
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Contracts 098822-2026-1 and 098822-2026-2 have dateSigned 2026-10-07.
Award and contract notice published
99% confidence20 October 2026
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Release 098822-2026 is tagged award and contract and dated 2026-10-20.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Service requirement
98% confidenceHighland-wide justice outreach support for offenders transitioning beyond community justice services.
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The notice describes support for reintegration and rehabilitation in local communities across Highland.
Support activities
99% confidenceIndependent-living skills, housing and benefits support, rehabilitation, reintegration, education, training and employment opportunities.
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These activities are specified in the tender and lot descriptions.
Delivery area
99% confidenceThe whole Highland Council geographical area.
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The delivery-location description states this explicitly.
Classification
99% confidenceHealth and social work services (CPV 85000000), with justice, probation and offender rehabilitation service classifications.
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Published CPV classifications include 85000000, 75230000, 75231240 and 75231200.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceOpen procedure
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The procurement method and procurement-method details are recorded as open / Open procedure.
Award basis
99% confidenceMost Economically Advantageous Tender; quality:price weighting 90:10.
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The award criteria detail states "MEAT" and "Quality:Price 90:10".
Framework arrangement
99% confidenceFramework agreement with three awarded suppliers on lot 1.
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The tender states that it has a framework agreement; three awards each relate to lot 1.
Bidder and evaluation information
99% confidenceNot published in the supplied notice data.
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No tender count, bidder list, scores or evaluation narrative is supplied.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Extension option
98% confidenceOption to extend for two additional 12-month periods.
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Lot 1 additional information states that the contract has an option to extend for two additional 12-month periods.
Start and end dates
99% confidenceNot published in the supplied notice data.
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Opportunity-level contract start and end fields are null, and no contract period is provided in the contract records.
Contract structure
99% confidenceThree active contracts linked to the same framework lot.
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Three active contracts are each linked to one of the three awards, all of which relate to lot 1.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Service-delivery model
85% confidenceThe multi-supplier framework may support delivery capacity across a geographically wide council area, but allocation or call-off mechanisms are not published.
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Three suppliers were awarded on the sole Highland-wide lot; the notice does not provide allocation, ranking or call-off terms.
Evaluation emphasis
99% confidenceThe published 90:10 quality-to-price weighting indicates a strong stated emphasis on quality in tender evaluation.
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Award criteria details specify Quality:Price 90:10.
Value interpretation
97% confidenceThe commercial value should be treated cautiously because the same £900,000 amount appears on each contract while the opportunity maximum is also £900,000.
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All three contract records state £900,000, and value_max is £900,000; no value basis or allocation explanation is supplied.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Value allocation ambiguity
99% confidenceThe source records £900,000 against each of three contracts while also publishing an opportunity maximum of £900,000. The notice does not state whether contract values are additive, individual ceilings, or repeated framework values.
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Three contract value fields each state £900,000 GBP; opportunity value_max is £900,000 GBP.
Contract period unavailable
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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Contract start and end fields are null and no period is stated in contract records.
Supplier identities
99% confidenceAll three supplier identities were verified; no malformed supplier-name issue is indicated.
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Supplier verification status is verified for all three suppliers, with verified company names and numbers supplied.
Lot title
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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Lot 1 has no published title, only a description.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The source does not explain whether the three £900,000 contract values are additive, supplier-specific ceilings, or duplicated framework-level values; no aggregate awarded value should be treated as definitive.
- No contract start date, end date, duration, mobilisation date or detailed call-off/allocation mechanism is published.
- No award date, number of tenders received, evaluation scores, bidder information, pricing breakdown or reasons for supplier selection is supplied.
- Lot 1 has no published title.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Justice Outreach Services HighlandThe Highland Council contractsAPEX SCOTLANDCENTRED (SCOTLAND)NEW START HIGHLANDjustice outreach frameworkoffender rehabilitation servicesHighland procurement
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Justice Outreach Services (Highland) Framework?
APEX SCOTLAND, CENTRED (SCOTLAND) and NEW START HIGHLAND each received an award for lot 1.
What services are covered?
The framework covers Highland-wide outreach support for offender rehabilitation and reintegration, including independent-living skills, housing and benefits support, and education, training and employment pathways.
What is the published value?
Each contract record shows £900,000, while the opportunity maximum is also £900,000. The source does not explain how value is allocated across the three suppliers.
Are the contracts signed?
Yes. The published contract records state signing dates of 29 September 2026 for NEW START HIGHLAND and 7 October 2026 for APEX SCOTLAND and CENTRED (SCOTLAND).
ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.