PRN22-447 Provision of Toxicology Services to Court Services Victoria

Court Services Victoria (CSV) is a body corporate established by the Court Services Victoria Act 2014 (Vic) to provide the administrative services and facilities necessary for Victoria’s courts and tribunals to operate independently of the direction of the executive branch of government. CSV is seeking responses for the provision of Toxicology Services to support court mandated drug testing across the Magistrates’ Court, Children’s Court, and County Court of Victoria for a duration of up to seven years, consisting of a fixed term of 3 years with 2 options (2 years each) at the discretion of CSV. The proposed Part C Contract is a Standing Offer Agreement, under which CSV can issue contract Purchase Orders for each of the Magistrates Court of Victoria, the Children’s Court of Victoria and the County Court of Victoria. This will create separate Purchase Order Contracts for those jurisdictions. CSV is adopting this approach for ease of contract management, as invoicing and reporting will be required separately for each jurisdiction. Toxicology Services are a critical component of Drug and Alcohol Treatment Orders (DATOs) at MCV and CCV, Family Drug Treatment Court (FDTC) at ChCV, and other therapeutic interventions. Drug and alcohol testing is the primary mechanism used to monitor participant progress and compliance with a DATO in accordance with the Adult Treatment Court Best Practice Standards and Section 18X(1) of The Sentencing Act 1991 (Vic). Accordingly, access to timely and accurate results is critical to facilitating the judicial monitoring requirements of a DATO and achieving therapeutic outcomes for program participants. Participants are subject to regular urinalysis testing, often multiple times per week, with results informing judicial decisions and case reviews. The services must comply with updated standards such as AS/NZS 4308:2023 and include testing for a broader range of substances, including Ethyl Glucuronide (EtG), Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB), Ketamine, and synthetic cannabinoids. The scope of this RFT includes both onsite sample collection and offsite laboratory testing services. The services include: Onsite Collection : At Melbourne Therapeutic Recovery Centre (350 Queen Street, Melbourne), Dandenong, Ballarat, Shepparton and any other locations as deemed necessary by Courts Group, with staffing levels ranging from 1–3 collectors per site. Offsite Collection : At the supplier’s community-based in-clinic collection facilities managed and resourced by the supplier throughout metropolitan Melbourne including Shepparton. Laboratory Testing: Compliance with AS/NZS 4308:2023 for urine drug screening, including testing for EtG, GHB, Ketamine, synthetic cannabis and fentanyl based, and other substances as directed by the courts. Turnaround Times: Results within 24 hours for screening tests and 48 hours for confirmations or additional substances. Results Communication : The Service Provider will be required to provide the results by a web-based method such as a portal. Service Availability : 360 days per year, excluding public holidays. The end result of this procurement process will be a Services Agreement with a sole service provider where each court will request Services under the Contract. For further details, please refer to the attachments.