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2025 Standard Crime Contract Outcome

The Legal Aid Agency

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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20 Oct 2026 at 14:45

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) procured publicly funded criminal legal aid services under its 2025 Standard Crime Contract. The work is the delivery of criminal legal assistance to people eligible for public funding, rather than general legal services. Services are to be delivered across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The LAA is the buyer and manages the contracting arrangement. This is a nationwide service requirement covering multiple suppliers, with applicants entering the LAA’s standard crime contract arrangements to provide publicly funded criminal defence services. The procurement is categorised as legal services (CPV 79100000).

The procurement has been awarded: multiple suppliers were selected for the 2025 Standard Crime Contract, with the award recorded as active. The award date was 1 October 2025. The reported awarded value is £180 million; the tender’s stated estimated value is £1.8 billion. The contract period runs from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2034. The LAA used an open procedure below threshold. Applicants were required to submit responses to the Stage 3 selection questionnaire and invitation to tender; the stated tender deadline was 30 September 2025. The procurement is recorded as complete, and the award covers services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The published award identifies the suppliers collectively as multiple suppliers rather than naming individual providers.

For providers of publicly funded criminal defence work, this award demonstrates substantial, nationwide demand managed through the Legal Aid Agency’s Standard Crime Contract. Credible competitors for a future requirement of this kind would need the capacity to deliver criminal legal aid services across the relevant locations and to meet the Agency’s application and contract requirements. The process used an open route and required both a selection questionnaire and a detailed tender response, so firms should be prepared to evidence their suitability and explain how they will deliver the required services. The award records multiple suppliers, indicating that delivery is undertaken by a provider group rather than one single contractor. The Agency marked the opportunity as suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises, which may be relevant to smaller legal practices and mission-led providers.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

2025 Standard Crime Contract Outcome

Notice Description

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) invited Applicants to submit a Tender for a 2025 Standard Crime Contract ("Crime Contract") to deliver publicly funded criminal legal aid services from 1 October 2025. Applicants wishing to deliver criminal legal aid services under a Crime Contract must submit a response to the SQ for 2025 Standard Crime Contracts - Stage 3 and the 2025 Standard Crime Contract ITT - Stage 3. This application period opened on 01May 2025. The LAA intends that the application period will remain open until on, or around, 30 September 2034, subject to the right of early termination. It is the Applicant's sole responsibility to ensure that it submits a Complete Tender before the Tender Deadline. The procurement processes for the 2025 Standard Crime Contract Stages 1 and 2 have closed. Stage 3 remains open. This notice publishes the contracts awarded under Stage 3 from July to September 2026. Additional information: Please find details of the contracts awarded under the 2025 Standard Crime Contract here:

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-175cd64e-a512-4e44-a00e-9f9ea0109d72
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/b9c6e89e-5d12-4ff4-8c19-15795df8f235
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure (below threshold)
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79100000 - Legal services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,800,000,000 £1B-£10B
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£180,000,000 £100M-£1B
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Oct 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
1 Oct 20251 years ago
Contract Period
1 Oct 2025 - 30 Sep 2034 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
The Legal Aid Agency
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1H 9AJ
Postcode Area
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England), TLL Wales, TLN Northern Ireland
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Supplier N/A

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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