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Legal Case Management System

Education Authority NI

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

21 Sep 2026 at 15:52

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Education Authority intends to procure a legal case management system for its legal staff. The requirement is for a specialised software platform supporting the day-to-day management of cases, clients and legal operations. Core functionality includes matter management for documents, deadlines, contacts and communications; client relationship management and billing history; automated legal forms and templates with compliance checks; time recording, invoicing and accounting integration; task, workflow, calendar and scheduling tools; and alerts for court dates and other deadlines. The system must support data protection and regulatory compliance, including GDPR and anti-money laundering requirements. This is a software and related IT services requirement, with associated legal and computer-related management services. The buying organisation is the Education Authority, based in Belfast.

This procurement is at the planning stage: the Education Authority has declared its intention to procure, but this record is not an invitation to tender. It expects to use a single-lot procedure for services, with the contract planned to run from 1 August 2027 to 31 July 2030 and renewal permitted to a maximum end date of 31 July 2032. The estimated value is £125,000 excluding VAT, or £150,000 including VAT. The buyer has planned preliminary market engagement and expects the next sequential notice on 23 November 2026. Suppliers wishing to take part in the market-engagement exercise must return the completed questionnaire through the buyer’s messaging channel by 15:00 on 13 October 2026. The single lot is identified as suitable for SMEs.

The requirement will suit software providers and specialist IT service businesses with experience delivering legal practice or case management systems. Strong candidates will be able to provide an integrated platform covering matter and document management, client records, legal document automation, time recording, billing, workflow, calendaring and deadline alerts. Relevant capability includes integrating with accounting systems and supporting operational use by legal teams. Suppliers should be prepared to demonstrate robust information security, data protection controls and compliance features covering GDPR and anti-money laundering obligations. Experience with legal-sector processes, regulatory checks and secure handling of sensitive client and case information will be commercially relevant. The buyer has expressly indicated that the requirement is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises, so established specialist suppliers as well as larger technology providers should monitor its progression and prepare for the future tender.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Legal Case Management System

Notice Description

To provide legal staff with access to a specialised software platform designed to help law firms and legal departments manage their cases, clients, and operations more efficiently. It is the digital backbone of a modern legal practice. Its core functions include: * Matter Management: Organises all case-related information--documents, deadlines, contacts, and communications in one place. * Client Relationship Management (CRM): Tracks client details, interactions, and billing history. * Document Automation: Generates legal forms and templates quickly, often with built-in compliance checks. * Time & Billing: Records billable hours, creates invoices, and integrates with accounting systems. * Task & Workflow Automation: Assigns tasks, sets reminders, and automates routine processes to reduce admin time. * Calendaring & Scheduling: Manages court dates, appointments, and deadlines with alerts and shared calendars. * Compliance & Security: Ensures data protection and regulatory compliance, including GDPR and AML requirements.

Planning Information

Suppliers who wish to participate in the PME exercise must return the completed questionnaire via the messaging function of the CfT on eTendersNI no later than 15:00 on Tuesday 13th October 2026

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0776bf
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089296-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

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

CPV Codes

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

72200000 - Software programming and consultancy services

72500000 - Computer-related services

72510000 - Computer-related management services

79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

79100000 - Legal services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£125,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Sep 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
23 Nov 20263 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Aug 2027 - 31 Jul 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

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
Not specified
Local Authority
Belfast
Electoral Ward
Duncairn
Westminster Constituency
Belfast North

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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