Award

Specialist Legal Advice for Land and Property Transactions

UNIVERSITY OF KEELE

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

13 Apr 2026 at 17:21

Award

13 Jan 2026 at 13:45

Award

23 Dec 2025 at 16:14

Summary of the contracting process

The University of Keele has completed its procurement process by awarding a contract to Osborne Clarke LLP for providing specialist legal advice related to complex land and property transactions. This procurement, officially completed on 4 February 2026, solidifies a direct award approach, justified by the Procurement Act 2023 to avoid excessive time and costs associated with engaging a new supplier. The contract will last until 3 February 2030 and is valued at £400,000. The procurement falls within the legal services industry category and pertains to the region of Staffordshire, United Kingdom.

This tender presents growth opportunities for businesses within the legal services sector, particularly those with expertise in complex land and property transactions. However, due to its specific nature, it favours firms with established knowledge of the University’s transactional history and intricate agreements like Osborne Clarke LLP. Businesses aiming to compete in such tenders should focus on building a comprehensive understanding of the client’s historical context and demonstrate a strategic approach in their methodologies. The procurement method used here highlights the importance of possessing unique, supplier-specific expertise in winning direct awards.

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Notice Title

Specialist Legal Advice for Land and Property Transactions

Notice Description

Following the publication of a Transparency Notice on 23 December 2025 and a Contract Award Notice on 13 January 2026, University of Keele is publishing this Contract Details Notice to announce, in accordance with its statutory obligations under Section 53 of the Procurement Act 2023, that it has awarded a contract to Osborne Clarke LLP for the provision of specialist legal advice relating to complex land and property transactions. This direct award is justified under Paragraphs 7, 13 and 14 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023. The services require a strategic review of, and advice on, highly complex and long standing legal and financial structures. The successful delivery of these services is contingent upon a deep and specific understanding of a unique transactional history, comprising multi-layered agreements and involving multiple specific parties and intricate relationships. Osborne Clarke LLP was previously engaged by the University to conduct an initial high level scoping review of this specific matter. As a result, they now possess pre-existing, supplier-specific expertise and a demonstrated understanding of the transaction's particularities. This includes a detailed, phased methodology for the work, developed during the initial engagement. Appointing any alternative supplier would require them to acquire this specific expertise and experience. This would necessitate a substantial duplication of effort and cost, and an unacceptable period of mobilisation, resulting in: 1. Potential material duplication of cost for the University; and 2. Detrimental delays in the delivery of time-critical advice, which would prevent the University from achieving its immediate and lasting operational and financial objectives. The award of this contract to Osborne Clarke LLP represents the only viable route to secure the required services in a timely and cost-effective manner, as a competitive procurement process would be objectively unsuitable in these specific circumstances.

Procurement Information

Following the publication of a Transparency Notice on 23 December 2025 and a Contract Award Notice on 13 January 2026, University of Keele is publishing this Contract Details Notice to announce, in accordance with its statutory obligations under Section 53 of the Procurement Act 2023, that it has awarded a contract to Osborne Clarke LLP for the provision of specialist legal advice relating to complex land and property transactions. This direct award is justified under Paragraphs 7, 13 and 14 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023. The services require a strategic review of, and advice on, highly complex and long standing legal and financial structures. The successful delivery of these services is contingent upon a deep and specific understanding of a unique transactional history, comprising multi-layered agreements and involving multiple specific parties and intricate relationships. Osborne Clarke LLP was previously engaged by the University to conduct an initial high level scoping review of this specific matter. As a result, they now possess pre-existing, supplier-specific expertise and a demonstrated understanding of the transaction's particularities. This includes a detailed, phased methodology for the work, developed during the initial engagement. Appointing any alternative supplier would require them to acquire this specific expertise and experience. This would necessitate a substantial duplication of effort and cost, and an unacceptable period of mobilisation, resulting in: 1. Potential material duplication of cost for the University; and 2. Detrimental delays in the delivery of time-critical advice, which would prevent the University from achieving its immediate and lasting operational and financial objectives. The award of this contract to Osborne Clarke LLP represents the only viable route to secure the required services in a timely and cost-effective manner, as a competitive procurement process would be objectively unsuitable in these specific circumstances.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05fce4
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/033491-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
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

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£400,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£400,000 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Apr 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
1 Dec 20254 months ago
Contract Period
4 Feb 2026 - 3 Feb 2030 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UNIVERSITY OF KEELE
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
KEELE, STAFFORDSHIRE,
Postcode
ST5 5NB
Post Town
Stoke-on-Trent
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG2 Shropshire and Staffordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG24 Staffordshire CC
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Electoral Ward
Keele
Westminster Constituency
Newcastle-under-Lyme

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

OSBORNE CLARKE

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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