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External Board Effectiveness Review

LEGAL SERVICES BOARD

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

25 Sep 2026 at 15:03

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Legal Services Board (LSB) seeks an external review of its Board’s effectiveness. The professional services provider will examine board papers, governance policies and minutes; compare practice with other regulators and arm’s-length bodies; and interview all Board members, executives and key internal and external stakeholders. The work also includes observing at least one Board meeting and the Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee, preparing interim findings and a final evidence-based report with recommendations, presenting findings to the Board, and facilitating a Board workshop. The review’s outcomes will feed into the LSB’s Annual Report and Accounts and be shared with its sponsor department. The LSB oversees legal services regulators in England and Wales and also regulates the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and oversees the Office for Legal Complaints. The work is for the LSB; no delivery location is stated.

The LSB invited tenders through an open competition below the applicable threshold. The enquiry deadline was 13:00 on 9 October 2026, and the submission deadline is 13:00 on 16 October 2026; submissions are by email to tenders@legalservicesboard.org.uk. The contract period runs from 1 November 2026 to 26 February 2027. The estimated value is £35,000 excluding VAT (£42,000 including VAT); bids are expected to be between £30,000 and £35,000, and bids above the £35,000 ceiling may be disregarded. One lot covers the work. Evaluation weights are 45% for the qualitative method statement, 45% for price and 10% for social value, assessed using a completed EDI form. The tender also calls for a supplier questionnaire and a fully costed proposal showing fixed and variable costs.

This opportunity suits professional services firms with demonstrable experience conducting Board effectiveness reviews for regulators. Suppliers need the capability to review governance evidence, assess external best practice, and conduct interviews with Board members, executives and internal and external stakeholders. The work calls for experienced personnel able to observe boardroom behaviours, interactions and decision-making, analyse evidence, develop practical recommendations, present findings and facilitate a Board workshop. Bids should explain the proposed approach, identify the key people assigned to the work and set out their relevant backgrounds, skills and experience. Suppliers must also provide a completed supplier questionnaire and EDI form, alongside a costed proposal that separates fixed and variable costs and breaks down staff costs where appropriate. The review requires capacity to deliver the observation, interim findings, final report and Board presentation within a single, time-limited engagement.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

External Board Effectiveness Review

Notice Description

The Legal Services Board (LSB) is looking to appoint a suitably qualified third party to undertake an external evaluation of the LSB Board. The last external evaluation was undertaken in 2022. In the intervening years internal evaluations have been undertaken. The Legal Services Board is the independent oversight regulator for legal services in England and Wales, established under the Legal Services Act 2007. Our role is to oversee the organisations that regulate lawyers and hold them to account for ensuring regulation works in the public interest and protects consumers. We also regulate the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and have oversight of the Office for Legal Complaints, which is responsible for administering the Legal Ombudsman scheme. The LSB is an Executive Non-Department Public Body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The Legal Services Board is accountable to Parliament through the Lord Chancellor and is sponsored by the MoJ. The prospective professional services provider will be expected to deliver the following outputs as part of the Board Effectiveness Review: a. Project Plan which outlines key milestones, methods and timelines. b. Survey and Analysis: It is expected that, as a minimum, this will include a desk-based review of evidence (board papers, governance policies, minutes etc), a review of external best practice with specific reference to other regulators and ALBs, and interviews (can be undertaken virtually) of all Board Members, members of the executive, key internal and external stakeholders. c. Board Observation: The provider will observe at least one Board meeting and the Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee in November to assess boardroom behaviours, interactions and decision-making in practice. Observation is likely to take place at LSB's autumn Board meeting 24 November (in person). d. Interim Findings: A draft report in January 2027 summarising initial observations, emerging themes and a presentation to the LSB Board should be scheduled to allow sufficient time for feedback prior to finalisation. e. Final Board Effectiveness Report and Presentation in February 2027 setting out findings, analysis and evidence-based recommendations aligned to the review objectives should be presented to the Board. f. A facilitated session in the form of a Board workshop to reflect on findings and support collective ownership and understanding of the recommendations. g. A summary of the outcomes of the review is expected to be reported in the LSB's Annual Report and Accounts, and the Review will be made available to the sponsor department. A tender is required which should include method statements, but not be limited to: * A description of how you would work with us, the key people that will work the LSB and their background, experiences and skills. * A description of how you will meet the service specification requirements listed in paragraph 18 onwards above, with demonstrable experience of conducting Board Effectiveness Reviews with regulators. * A fully costed proposal with fixed and variable costs. * A completed supplier questionnaire form (annex A). * A completed EDI form (annex B). Bids are expected to be between PS30,000 - PS35,000 with a budget ceiling for this work of PS35,000 excluding VAT. Bids above this may be disregarded with no further evaluation. Bids should clearly indicate if they include VAT or not. A breakdown of costs should be provided including where appropriate the different costs of different staff members. Failure to provide any of the above details may lead to bids being disregarded with no further evaluation. Electronic completion and signing of the forms is acceptable. Full details of the background, scope, scoring criteria and how to apply may be found in the invitation to tender attached to this notice. All tender submissions should be submitted by 13:00 on 16 October 2026 to tenders@legalservicesboard.org.uk . Submissions submitted to other addresses or beyond this time will not be accepted. Please contact Heather McLoughlin, Head, Corporate Governance, tenders@legalservicesboard.org.uk, if you have any questions or require any clarification. Enquiries received after the deadline of 9 October 2026 for questions may not be answered. A summary of the questions received and LSB's response will be published on Contracts Finder.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-077ac4
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091082-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

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

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£35,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
£35,000 Under £100K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
25 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
16 Oct 20262 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Nov 2026 - 26 Feb 2027 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
LEGAL SERVICES BOARD
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
E20 1JQ
Postcode Area
East London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI41 Hackney and Newham
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Newham
Electoral Ward
Stratford Olympic Park
Westminster Constituency
Stratford and Bow

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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