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Supply of Legal Services 2

Kent County Council

This public procurement record has 6 releases in its history.

AwardUpdate

04 Sep 2026 at 13:20

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

04 Sep 2026 at 10:10

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
AwardUpdate

05 Aug 2026 at 13:26

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

27 Jul 2026 at 16:35

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

17 Apr 2026 at 14:08

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

28 Jan 2026 at 19:05

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Kent County Council trading as Procurement Services established a framework panel for legal services to public sector organisations. The requirement covers legal advice and representation, legal advisory and information services, legal documentation and certification, and related legal support. The framework is intended to give eligible public sector customers a compliant route to obtain legal expertise across multiple specialisms. It can be used by contracting authorities and other eligible customers in the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, including central and local government, emergency services, NHS and healthcare organisations, schools and universities, housing associations, charities and voluntary and community sector organisations. The framework is therefore relevant to law firms able to provide public-sector legal services across one or more of these areas.

The procurement is complete and six suppliers were awarded places: DWF Law LLP, Forbes Solicitors LLP, Freeths LLP, Geldards LLP, Sharpe Pritchard LLP and Weightmans LLP. The award was made on 27 July 2026, the contract was signed on 7 August 2026, and the framework contract runs from 8 August 2026 to 7 August 2030. Its estimated value is £500 million excluding VAT, or £600 million including VAT. It was run as an above-threshold open procedure, with one lot. Evaluation weighted quality at 60%, social value at 10% and price at 30%. The framework is open and allows call-offs through direct award, rapid request for quote or further competition, with or without reopening competition. A 1% fee of the award value applies to successful suppliers.

This framework demonstrates substantial, recurring demand for a broad range of legal services from Kent County Council’s public-sector customer base. A credible competing supplier would need qualified legal professionals able to advise and represent public bodies, deliver legal documentation and certification, and support requirements across multiple specialist areas. It would also need to operate effectively within public procurement rules and the framework’s call-off routes, including direct award, rapid quotation and further competition. The evaluation shows that service quality is the main differentiator, followed by price, with social value also material. Suppliers should therefore be able to evidence strong technical delivery, reliable service for varied public-sector customers, competitive commercial responses and meaningful social-value commitments. The opportunity is suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises as well as larger firms.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Supply of Legal Services 2

Notice Description

The purpose of this framework is to establish a panel of qualified legal service providers to deliver a comprehensive range of legal services to public sector bodies. The framework will provide a compliant, efficient, and cost-effective route to procure legal expertise across multiple specialisms.

Planning Information

The purpose of this engagement is to: Understand whether the market can meet our requirements and identify any constraints or opportunities. Gather supplier feedback to ensure specifications are realistic, achievable, and aligned with industry standards. Use insights to determine the most appropriate route to market, framework structure, and commercial model. Provide early visibility of the opportunity to a broad supplier base, supporting fair and open competition. Identify potential risks and innovative solutions early, reducing the likelihood of delays or poor delivery post-award. By engaging with the market at an early stage, we will improve the quality of our tender documents, attract a wider pool of capable suppliers, and ultimately deliver better value for money and service outcomes.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06116b
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083897-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large, 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

79111000 - Legal advisory services

79112000 - Legal representation services

79130000 - Legal documentation and certification services

79140000 - Legal advisory and information services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£500,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
£500,000,000 £100M-£1B
Awards Value
£500,000,000 £100M-£1B
Contracts Value
£500,000,000 £100M-£1B

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Sep 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
22 May 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
27 Feb 2026Expired
Award Date
27 Jul 20263 months ago
Contract Period
8 Aug 2026 - 7 Aug 2030 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Kent County Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
WEST MALLING
Postcode
ME19 4YT
Postcode Area
Rochester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ4 Kent
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ46 West Kent
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Tonbridge and Malling
Electoral Ward
Kings Hill
Westminster Constituency
Maidstone and Malling

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
6
Supplier Names

DWF Law LLP

Forbes Solicitors

Freeths LLP

Geldards LLP

Sharpe Pritchard LLP

Weightmans LLP

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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