Award

Provision of legal advice for Reviving Exmoor's Heartlands Landscape Recovery Project

EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

24 Oct 2025 at 13:48

Tender

24 Jul 2025 at 14:31

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process for the "Provision of Legal Advice for Reviving Exmoor's Heartlands Landscape Recovery Project" was conducted by the Exmoor National Park Authority. This project forms part of Defra's Landscape Recovery scheme, aimed at restoring England's moorlands. The procurement, initiated on 24 October 2025, reached the award stage with DAVITT JONES BOULD LIMITED being awarded the contract. The contract covers legal advisory services to guide the governance and legal agreements essential for the project. The project, in full swing from April 2024, spans approximately 12,000 hectares across UKK23 and involves several upland farms and moorlands, with the procurement process classified under legal advisory and representation services (CPV 79110000). The method employed was an open competition below threshold, emphasizing wide competition among potential suppliers.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialised in legal consultancy, particularly those with expertise in structuring legal agreements and governance for large-scale environmental projects. Firms experienced in working with commoners associations, governance planning, and blended finance structures have a competitive edge. The project's relevance to the Landscape Recovery scheme implies opportunities for long-term collaboration and value creation, providing a pathway for participating businesses to expand their portfolio in public sector and ecological restoration initiatives. With a contract valued at £54,000 over a six-month period, renewable at the authority's discretion, this tender can stimulate growth for SMEs due to its requirements for specialised legal advisory services.

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Notice Title

Provision of legal advice for Reviving Exmoor's Heartlands Landscape Recovery Project

Notice Description

Reviving Exmoor's Heartlands is part of Defra's Landscape Recovery scheme, aiming to support long-term, large-scale restoration of England's most precious habitats. The Reviving Exmoor's Heartlands (REH) project is a round 2 Landscape Recovery project that has been approved for a two year development phase, which started in April 2024. The project aims to restore Exmoor's central moorlands to a thriving ecological state with good habitat connectivity to the wider landscape, supported by viable farming. The project area spans approximately 12,000 hectares made up of a cluster of over 20 upland farms and moorland landholdings including large areas of common land, supporting mainly extensive beef and sheep enterprises. The provision of this contract is for: Advise on Legal Structure and Governance - Evaluate and compare options for suitable legal entity structures aligned with the project goals (e.g. CIC, CIO, LLP, BenCom). - Present clear and actionable advice to the project steering group and participants via an evening workshop to make a final decision on the legal form and governance arrangements. - Draft a fit-for-purpose governance structure and plan for the selected SLE model compliant with HM Treasury's Managing Public Money principles. Draft and Review Legal Agreements - Draft and advise on: - Agreements between the SLE and land managers/commoners associations. - Implementation agreement with Natural England. - Contracts with private investors and partners. - Identify and evaluate legal tools to safeguard environmental outcomes (e.g. conservation covenants, land trusts). - Ensure agreements: - Provide long-term environmental and legal security. - Address enforcement, flexibility, and succession planning for land ownership. Conduct Land & Title Due Diligence - Review land ownership titles for risks, rights, or restrictions. - Complete due diligence letters to be submitted to Natural England before contract signing. - Identify and propose resolutions for any legal impediments to delivery. Statutory Consents and Risk Management - Identify required statutory consents, permits, or licenses. - Highlight legal risks and develop mitigation strategies.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: ENPA have applied for an extension from Defra on this project but no confirmation has been received so this extension cannot be guaranteed at this stage.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0565a5
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068252-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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


CPV Codes

79100000 - Legal services

79110000 - Legal advisory and representation services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£80,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
£80,000 Under £100K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£45,000 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
24 Oct 20254 months ago
Submission Deadline
18 Aug 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
5 Oct 20254 months ago
Contract Period
6 Oct 2025 - 31 Mar 2026 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY
Contact Name
Mrs Charlotte Thomas
Contact Email
finance@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
DULVERTON
Postcode
TA22 9HL
Post Town
Taunton
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK6 North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK62 Somerset
Delivery Location
TLK23 Somerset CC, TLK4 Devon

Local Authority
Somerset
Electoral Ward
Dulverton & Exmoor
Westminster Constituency
Tiverton and Minehead

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

DAVITT JONES BOULD

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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