This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

12 Mar 2026 at 00:00

Tender

17 Sep 2025 at 01:00

Planning

29 Jan 2025 at 00:00

Summary of the contracting process

APUC Limited, based in Stirling, is the buying organisation involved in the procurement process for specialist legal services aimed at supporting the further and higher education sector in Scotland. This process falls under the "Education" industry category and involves services at various locations within the UKM region. The procurement method employed is open procedure, which allows for fair competition. The process started with planning in January 2025, continued with tender submissions closing on 21st October 2025, and culminated in contract awards announced on 12th March 2026. The framework agreement is set to last 1080 days with potential extensions based on performance and institutional needs, covering specialisms such as Property & Estates, People/HR Matters, and more.

This tender opens numerous opportunities for legal firms, with both large and small enterprises having been involved and awarded contracts. Businesses with expertise in areas like charity law, international ventures, HR matters, and property management could significantly benefit from competing, as the scope covers diverse legal specialisms tailored to academic institutions. The competitive procurement environment encourages firms not only to provide high quality services but also to align their services with institutional efficiency needs. Companies that can offer comprehensive legal packages or specialist advice stand to gain long-term business growth, especially with the community benefits linked to training opportunities and mentorships in the local sector. APUC Limited's commitment to community benefits ensures broader impacts such as job creation and skill development, making this procurement a promising avenue for innovative legal service providers.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Legal Services

Notice Description

APUC were seeking Contractor(s) for the provision of specialist Legal Services for the further and higher education sector in Scotland. APUC are looking to obtain, through this tendering process, price normalisation for all institutions regardless of size and demand.

Lot Information

Commercial-Business

Provision of legal services in Commercial-Business specialism including, but not limited to, the following: - Procurement & other contract law - Commercial corporate governance - Joint ventures - Banking, finance, insurance and taxation - Company formation - Corporate finance - Bond Issuance, mergers and acquisitions - Competition law - Freedom of Information - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - Intellectual Property - Technology Law including Software Licensing Agreements - Software Licensing Agreements - Debt collection - Commercial and consumer debt collection. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015

Renewal: The Authority reserves the right to extend the Framework Agreement for a period of up to 12 months subject to satisfactory performance and continued Institutions requirements

One-Stop-Shop

Institutions shall be entitled to appoint a single firm to advise and/or represent on all matters of law, which may include some or all of the specialist areas in technical expertise described above. This may involve the provision of a full legal advice service to an Institution or may involve working in partnership with an in-house legal resource, providing supplementary legal resource or expertise from time to time as caseload requires across more than one of the specialisms.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015

Renewal: The Authority reserves the right to extend the Framework Agreement for a period of up to 12 months subject to satisfactory performance and continued Institutions requirements

Property & Estates

Provision of legal services in Property & Estates specialism including but not limited to the following: - Conveyancing - Landlord and tenant law - General estate management issues - Planning law - Major building projects - Student accommodation - Construction and Engineering - Environmental law - CONTEST - Martyn's Law. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Renewal: The Authority reserves the right to extend the Framework Agreement for a period of up to 12 months subject to satisfactory performance and continued Institutions requirements.

People / HR Matters

Provision of legal services in People / HR Matters specialism including, but not limited to, the following: - Employment relations - Employment contracts and policies - UK Visas & Immigration matters - Equality and diversity - Organisational change - Health and safety - TUPE - Pension law and advice - Student support and regulatory matters - Data protection - Freedom of Information - Fair Working Practices - Employment dispute resolution including tribunals. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Renewal: The Authority reserves the right to extend the Framework Agreement for a period of up to 12 months subject to satisfactory performance and continued Institutions requirements

Charity

Provision of legal services in Charity specialism including, but not limited to, the following: - Charity law - Fundraising and sponsorship - Constitutional and parliamentary issues (including bulls, charters and statutes) - Charity corporate governance.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Renewal: The Authority reserves the right to extend the Framework Agreement for a period of up to 12 months subject to satisfactory performance and continued Institutions requirements

International

Provision of legal services in International specialism including, but not limited to, the following: - Public International Law - Law of the Sea - International Criminal Law - International ventures - International Humanitarian Law - International Human Rights Law - Refugee Law - Private International Law - Supranational Law. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Renewal: The Authority reserves the right to extend the Framework Agreement for a period of up to 12 months subject to satisfactory performance and continued Institutions requirements

Dispute Resolution (Including Student Matters)

Provision of dispute resolution legal services including student matters including, but not limited to, the following: - Resolution of disputes including litigation, adjudication, mediation and arbitration - Commercial and property related litigation and dispute resolution - Health and Safety and Regulatory matters, including the defence of regulatory investigations and prosecutions - Personal injury litigation, including stress and disease claims - Reputation management, including defamation - Judicial review - Briefing and recommendation of Counsel - Student academic appeals, student complaints, student disciplinary matters, failure to educate, fitness to practise issues and other student procedures and processes - Data protection in a staff and student matters context - Representation on behalf of the University at appeal / complaint / disciplinary hearings as required - Student contract issues including the procedures for the making of offers and for enrolment - Compliance with the requirements of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and other regulatory bodies in relation to the student contract for tuition (including fee issues) - Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) - Ensuring compliance with relevant regulatory requirements in Scotland and provide full assistance with any investigations undertaken by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO).. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Renewal: The Authority reserves the right to extend the Framework Agreement for a period of up to 12 months subject to satisfactory performance and continued Institutions requirements

Education Law and Research

Provision of legal services in Education and Research specialism including, but not limited to, the following: - Academic research (including grants) & research originated knowledge transfer. - Compliance with broader regulatory frameworks, including Material Asset Transfers, the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), and international protocols such as the Nagoya Protocol.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015

Renewal: The Authority reserves the right to extend the Framework Agreement for a period of up to 12 months subject to satisfactory performance and continued Institutions requirements

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-r6ebe6-0000789019
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAR551603
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large, SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

66 - Financial and insurance services

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


CPV Codes

66513000 - Legal insurance and all-risk insurance services

66513100 - Legal expenses insurance services

79100000 - Legal services

79110000 - Legal advisory and representation services

79111000 - Legal advisory services

79112000 - Legal representation services

79130000 - Legal documentation and certification services

79140000 - Legal advisory and information services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£12,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£5,400,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 Mar 20265 months ago
Submission Deadline
21 Oct 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
20 Jun 2025Expired
Award Date
16 Dec 20258 months ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
August 2029

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
APUC Limited
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
STIRLING
Postcode
FK8 2DZ
Postcode Area
Falkirk and Stirling
Country
Scotland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM0 Eastern Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM02 Perth and Kinross, and Stirling
Delivery Location
TLM Scotland

Local Authority
Stirling
Electoral Ward
Stirling East
Westminster Constituency
Stirling and Strathallan

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
7
Supplier Names

Anderson Strathern LLP

Brodies LLP

DWF LLP

Morton Fraser MacRoberts LLP

Pinsent Masons LLp

TLT LLP

Thorntons Law LLP

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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