Court Appointed Intermediary Services (CAIS) Framework
Framework Description
The Court Appointed Intermediary Services (CAIS) framework is the Ministry of Justice's route for commissioning intermediaries who help vulnerable people take part in proceedings: defendants in the criminal jurisdiction, and parties and witnesses in civil, family and tribunal cases. It covers courts and tribunals in England and Wales and tribunals in Scotland, through a Managed & Approved Service Provider (MASP) framework and an Approved Service Provider (ASP) framework. The term runs to 31 March 2029, with an option to extend by up to 24 months.
Context & Use Case
Intermediary support is requested when a judge, solicitor or court staff identify that someone has communication difficulties, for example from a learning disability, a mental health condition or trauma. The intermediary assesses the person, recommends how questioning and hearings should be adapted, then attends court or tribunal to assist. Requests can come from criminal, civil, family or tribunal proceedings, so a provider may be booked for very different hearings in the same month.
Scope of Services
Managed & Approved Service Provider Framework (MASP) Approved Service Provider Framework (ASP) Communication needs assessments for vulnerable defendants, parties and witnesses Recommendations on court-based support measures Impartial communication assistance at hearings Excludes witnesses in criminal cases, who are covered by the MoJ Witness Intermediary Scheme
Lots
Managed & Approved Service Provider Framework (MASP); Approved Service Provider Framework (ASP)
Who Can Apply
Intermediary practices and providers with accredited or recognised intermediary qualifications, experience of assessing communication needs, and a record of supporting vulnerable people in court or tribunal settings. Knowledge of criminal, civil, family and tribunal procedure matters. The MoJ has re-opened CAIS to new applicants before, so check the framework page to see whether an application window is open now and which of MASP or ASP fits your model.
Buyer Benefits
A pre-approved panel lets courts and tribunals instruct a checked, impartial intermediary without running their own procurement, so support can be arranged before a hearing rather than causing delay. The separate MASP and ASP arrangements give the MoJ a choice of delivery models, and common framework terms keep assessment and reporting standards consistent across jurisdictions.
Next Steps
Read the Find a Tender notice (ocds-h6vhtk-0680b5) and confirm whether the current re-opening is still accepting applications and which arrangement you are targeting. Assemble evidence of qualifications and accreditation, plus case studies covering needs assessments and hearing support in more than one jurisdiction. If you miss this window, the term to 31 March 2029 and the 24-month extension option show when the MoJ will next need to refresh the panel.
How Athena Can Help
For CAIS, Athena would first confirm whether the MoJ window is open and whether MASP or ASP suits your practice. Our framework application support then covers the selection questions, the narrative answers and case studies showing assessments and hearing support across criminal, civil, family and tribunal work, with a compliance check before you submit.
Already appointed? Our bid writing specialists can strengthen your evidence for later rounds, and our justice sector bid advice helps you decide which related tenders are worth the effort.
