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External Legal Services Framework

Scottish Social Services Council

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

10 Aug 2026 at 01:00

OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

12 May 2026 at 01:00

OJEU - F2 - Contract Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Scottish Social Services Council is procuring external legal services through a multi-supplier ranked framework for work supporting its regulatory functions. The main requirement is legal advice and representation for fitness-to-practise panel investigations and hearings, including quality control and assurance. The framework also covers appeals and judicial review, equality implications, rehabilitation of offenders legislation, administrative and regulatory law, information governance, governance and compliance, and duties under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001. It may provide additional legal capacity when the council’s internal team faces time pressures or needs specialist advice. The work is for the council in Scotland, with the buying organisation based in Dundee. At least two suppliers are included to help manage conflicts of interest between cases.

This completed open procedure produced a ranked framework with three permitted participants. Anderson Strathern LLP and Brodies LLP were awarded the single lot, and the contract was signed on 4 August 2026. The framework’s maximum value is £500,000 excluding VAT over its full life, including any extension, with spending dependent on the council’s requirements. Its initial contract period is 1,080 days, with an option for one 12-month extension. The tender submission deadline was 12 June 2026 at 17:00; bids were opened on 16 June 2026. Evaluation weighted quality at 80% and price at 20%. Bidders had to submit staff names and qualifications, and execution was reserved to a particular profession. Bids had to remain valid for 180 days and be submitted in English.

This award shows sustained demand from a Scottish public regulator for specialist external legal support rather than general commercial law alone. A credible future competitor would need solicitors able to handle fitness-to-practise investigations and hearings, regulatory and administrative proceedings, appeals and judicial review, equality issues, offender rehabilitation legislation, and the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001. Experience in information governance, governance and compliance would broaden its usefulness to the council’s Legal and Corporate Governance department. Suppliers should be able to provide named, suitably qualified staff, maintain quality assurance and control over legal advice, and manage conflicts of interest across individual cases. The multi-supplier structure favours firms with sufficient specialist breadth and capacity to provide additional support alongside an internal legal team.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

External Legal Services Framework

Notice Description

A multi supplier ranked framework to provide legal advice and representation to the SSSC, primarily in relation to fitness to practise panel investigations and hearings but also in relation to other matters and proceedings associated with our regulatory function. These include a range of subjects such as prospects of success at appeals/judicial review, equality implications, rehabilitation of offenders legislation, and general administrative and regulatory legal topics. The external advisors also provide quality control and assurance checks for fitness to practise. The Legal and Corporate Governance department may also have a requirement for additional support where required due to time pressures or where expert advice is needed that cannot be provided by the internal legal team. This will include advice on information governance and governance/compliance matters as well as our statutory functions under the Regulation of Care (Sc) Act 2001. A minimum of 2 ranked suppliers will reduce the risk of any conflict of interest around individual cases.

Lot Information

Lot 1

A multi supplier ranked framework to provide legal advice and representation to the SSSC, primarily in relation to fitness to practise panel investigations and hearings but also in relation to other matters and proceedings associated with our regulatory function. These include a range of subjects such as prospects of success at appeals/judicial review, equality implications, rehabilitation of offenders legislation, and general administrative and regulatory legal topics. The external advisors also provide quality control and assurance checks for fitness to practise. The Legal and Corporate Governance department may also have a requirement for additional support where required due to time pressures or where expert advice is needed that cannot be provided by the internal legal team. This will include advice on information governance and governance/compliance matters as well as our statutory functions under the Regulation of Care (Sc) Act 2001. A minimum of 2 ranked suppliers will reduce the risk of any conflict of interest around individual cases.. The maximum value of the Framework is not anticipated to exceed 500,000 GBP exclusive of VAT for the full life of the framework inclusive of the optional extension period. Actual value of spend over the life of the framework will be dependent upon requirement and therefore is not guaranteed

Renewal: The SSSC may extend the framework agreement by one (1) x twelve (12) month period.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-r6ebe6-0000831645
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG561978
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
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

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
10 Aug 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
12 Jun 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
May 2030

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Scottish Social Services Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
DUNDEE
Postcode
DD1 4NY
Postcode Area
Dundee
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM0 Eastern Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM03 Angus and Dundee City
Delivery Location
TLM Scotland
Local Authority
Dundee City
Electoral Ward
West End
Westminster Constituency
Dundee Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
2
Supplier Names

Anderson Strathern LLP

Brodies

Further Information

Notice Documents

  • https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=MAY555628&idx=1
    12th May 2026 - Invitation to Tender-External legal services
  • https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAY555628
    External Legal Services Framework - A multi supplier ranked framework to provide legal advice and representation to the SSSC, primarily in relation to fitness to practise panel investigations and hearings but also in relation to other matters and proceedings associated with our regulatory function. These include a range of subjects such as prospects of success at appeals/judicial review, equality implications, rehabilitation of offenders legislation, and general administrative and regulatory legal topics. The external advisors also provide quality control and assurance checks for fitness to practise. The Legal and Corporate Governance department may also have a requirement for additional support where required due to time pressures or where expert advice is needed that cannot be provided by the internal legal team. This will include advice on information governance and governance/compliance matters as well as our statutory functions under the Regulation of Care (Sc) Act 2001. A minimum of 2 ranked suppliers will reduce the risk of any conflict of interest around individual cases.
  • https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG561978
    External Legal Services Framework - A multi supplier ranked framework to provide legal advice and representation to the SSSC, primarily in relation to fitness to practise panel investigations and hearings but also in relation to other matters and proceedings associated with our regulatory function. These include a range of subjects such as prospects of success at appeals/judicial review, equality implications, rehabilitation of offenders legislation, and general administrative and regulatory legal topics. The external advisors also provide quality control and assurance checks for fitness to practise. The Legal and Corporate Governance department may also have a requirement for additional support where required due to time pressures or where expert advice is needed that cannot be provided by the internal legal team. This will include advice on information governance and governance/compliance matters as well as our statutory functions under the Regulation of Care (Sc) Act 2001. A minimum of 2 ranked suppliers will reduce the risk of any conflict of interest around individual cases.

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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