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ID 1032027/L8 Legal Services for Strategic Partner Services & School Management System Solution Project

Education Authority NI

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

AwardUpdate

17 Sep 2026 at 16:24

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Education Authority procured legal services for its Strategic Partner Services and School Management System Solution project. The requirement covers legal advice and support for a complex strategic procurement exercise, including guidance on the procurement environment, associated risks and the development of critical work. It is a services contract in the legal services category (CPV 79100000), structured as one lot under Lot 8 of the CPD Legal Services Framework. The Education Authority is based at Academy Street in Belfast. The selected provider, Carson McDowell LLP, is also based in Belfast and is recorded as an SME. The work supports the Authority’s strategic partner services and school management system solution activity in Northern Ireland.

The procurement has been awarded and the contract is active. Carson McDowell LLP was selected under a call-off from Lot 8 of the CPD Legal Services Framework. The award was made on 24 August 2026 and the contract is valued at £1,850,000. The contract period runs from 10 January 2027 to 31 March 2028. The arrangement is a modification and extension of an existing legal services contract, with an additional £462,500 added to support the ongoing procurement. The modification was made under Regulation 72(1)(b) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The Authority states that changing supplier was not technically possible because of the provider’s established knowledge and that doing so would have caused loss of expertise, disruption and duplicated costs.

This opportunity demonstrates demand for experienced public procurement lawyers able to support complex, high-value strategic procurements involving public-sector services and technology solutions. A credible competitor would need a strong understanding of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, framework call-offs, contract modifications and the legal risks affecting major procurement exercises. The requirement also favours teams able to provide continuity, timely advice and practical support through multiple procurement stages, including pre-qualification and subsequent tender activity. Relevant experience would include advising public authorities on procurement strategy, supplier transition risks, contract extensions, regulatory compliance and the interaction between legal advice and project delivery. The incumbent’s value came from accumulated knowledge of the requirement, so future competitors would need to demonstrate comparable sector experience, senior legal capability and the capacity to support a sustained strategic programme.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

ID 1032027/L8 Legal Services for Strategic Partner Services & School Management System Solution Project

Notice Description

Lot Information

Lot 1

Provision of legal services for the Strategic Partner Services and School Management System Solution project.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0774c7
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088373-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
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
Not specified
Contracts Value
£1,850,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Sep 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
10 Jan 2027 - 31 Mar 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Education Authority NI
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BELFAST
Postcode
BT1 2NQ
Postcode Area
Northern Ireland
Country
Northern Ireland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLN Northern Ireland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLN0 Northern Ireland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLN06 Belfast
Delivery Location
TLN Northern Ireland
Local Authority
Belfast
Electoral Ward
Duncairn
Westminster Constituency
Belfast North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Carson McDowell LLP

Further Information

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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