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Legal Advice for Employment Tribunal

Velindre University NHS Trust

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

08 Oct 2026 at 14:01

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

08 Oct 2026 at 12:35

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Velindre University NHS Trust is procuring specialist employment law advice and support for an ongoing Employment Tribunal claim. The work covers continuing legal advice, strategic management of the case, help with witness evidence and documentation, advice on legal risks and procedural matters, and preparation for Tribunal proceedings. The Trust is the buyer; NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership manages the procurement on its behalf. The legal services relate to the Trust’s claim and are delivered in Wales.

The procurement is complete and awarded by direct award to Bate Wells, which had already advised on the matter. The Trust cited the firm’s detailed familiarity with the case and the risk that changing provider would cause duplicated work, extra cost and delay; the stated rationale also refers to a legal services exemption. The award is pending. Its value is £500,000 excluding VAT (£600,000 including VAT). The initial contract period runs from 25 October 2026 to 24 October 2027, with an option to extend by a further 12 months in two six-month periods, subject to performance, continuing need and Trust approval. The award date is 29 September 2026. One lot is recorded as complete.

For employment law firms, this award demonstrates demand from Velindre University NHS Trust for specialist representation and strategic support in complex, ongoing Tribunal litigation. A credible competitor for comparable work would need the expertise and capacity to advise on employment law, manage proceedings, assess procedural and legal risks, prepare witness evidence and documentation, and support hearings. The buyer’s stated reasons for retaining its incumbent underline the commercial importance of a detailed understanding of case history, chronology, people involved and advice already provided, as well as the ability to maintain continuity without delaying proceedings or duplicating work. Firms should be able to manage changing evidence, witnesses, hearings and Tribunal directions, with responsive engagement and contract management throughout a developing case.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Legal Advice for Employment Tribunal

Notice Description

Provision of specialist legal advice and support in relation to an ongoing Employment Tribunal claim for Velindre University NHS Trust. The contract will provide ongoing employment law advice, strategic case management support, assistance with witness evidence and documentation, advice on legal risks and procedural matters, and support in preparation for Tribunal proceedings. A direct award to Bates Wells is proposed to ensure continuity of service, avoid delays and duplication of costs, and maintain access to specialist knowledge already established through previous support on this matter.Please note NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust) will manage this procurement on behalf of the contracting authority. Due to having the same identifiers, we're unable to reflect this in the notice options.

Procurement Information

Bates Wells has already provided legal advice on the matter and possesses detailed knowledge of the background, chronology, individuals involved and advice previously given. Changing provider at this stage would result in duplication of effort, additional costs and delays to ongoing Tribunal proceedings. Legal Services Exemption

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0783aa
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095232-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
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

79110000 - Legal advisory and representation services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£500,000 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Oct 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
29 Sep 20263 weeks ago
Contract Period
25 Oct 2026 - 24 Oct 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Velindre University NHS Trust
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CARDIFF
Postcode
CF14 3UZ
Postcode Area
Cardiff
Country
Wales
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLL Wales
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLL5 South East Wales
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLL52 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Cardiff
Electoral Ward
Gabalfa
Westminster Constituency
Cardiff North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Bate Wells

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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