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Academisation Legal Support

Liverpool City Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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24 Mar 2026 at 11:28

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Liverpool City Council recently completed the procurement process for academisation legal support under the Academies Act 2010. The council is mandated to facilitate school academisation by managing land leases and transferring school assets and contracts. This contract, with a value of £60,000, was awarded to Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP on 24th March 2026. As a regional authority, Liverpool City Council issued this contract through a limited procurement method due to the highly specialised nature of the services required and the technical reasons necessitating a single supplier. The procurement procedure did not involve a prior call for competition, reflecting the necessity for a focused and expedient approach within the UK's legal services industry. This process is now at the award stage in the UKD72 region.

The legal services tender presents growth opportunities for businesses specialising in academisation and educational law, particularly those with the capability to handle complex transfers of land and school assets. Businesses looking to expand their legal consultancy in educational sectors could benefit significantly from understanding this process. The specialised nature of the service and technical constraints indicate opportunities primarily for those firms with established expertise in legal matters related to education. Large-scale legal providers, like Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP, are particularly well-suited, given their capacity to manage multiple conversions simultaneously, adhering to strict governmental deadlines. This tender exemplifies the need for proficient management and understanding of local and regional educational legislation.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Academisation Legal Support

Notice Description

Under section 5B of the Academies Act 2010 (as amended), Liverpool City Council has a statutory duty to take all reasonable steps to facilitate school academisation. This requires the Council to assist with the granting of land interests, typically via a lease, and the transfer of school assets, contracts, and staff.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Under section 5B of the Academies Act 2010 (as amended), Liverpool City Council has a statutory duty to take all reasonable steps to facilitate school academisation. This requires the Council to assist with the granting of land interests, typically via a lease, and the transfer of school assets, contracts, and staff.

Procurement Information

Due to the highly specialised nature of academy conversions and the strict deadlines imposed by the Secretary of State for Education, the Council appointed Womble Bond Dickinson Ltd for an initial 12-month period. Womble Bond Dickinson is currently managing two active conversions, making it technically and operationally infeasible to switch suppliers mid-process.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-067279
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/026704-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

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
Not specified
Contracts Value
£60,000 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
24 Mar 20266 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Liverpool City 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
LIVERPOOL
Postcode
L3 1DS
Postcode Area
Liverpool
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD7 Merseyside
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD72 Liverpool
Delivery Location
TLD72 Liverpool
Local Authority
Liverpool
Electoral Ward
Waterfront South
Westminster Constituency
Liverpool Riverside

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP

Further Information

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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