---
title: "Legal Services Contract for the Heart of Barrow"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-fae535a7-98d4-4dff-9c4e-42a24f057945"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-fae535a7-98d4-4dff-9c4e-42a24f057945"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-fae535a7-98d4-4dff-9c4e-42a24f057945.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-fae535a7-98d4-4dff-9c4e-42a24f057945.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Westmorland and Furness Council"
published: "2026-10-20"
---

# Legal Services Contract for the Heart of Barrow

Buyer: Westmorland and Furness Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-fae535a7-98d4-4dff-9c4e-42a24f057945

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## Summary

Westmorland and Furness Council has commissioned legal services to support delivery of the Heart of Barrow business case and its objectives. The work is legal advice and support for a council-led regeneration and economic development programme in Barrow. The procurement is classified as legal services (CPV 79100000), within the services category. Delivery is in North West England. The requirement is specifically tied to the Heart of Barrow programme; it is not a general legal services appointment across all council activities. The Council is the buyer and the contract supports its work on the programme’s business case and objectives.

The procurement has been awarded and is recorded as complete. The Council used a selective procedure to call off from a framework agreement. The tender deadline was 14 May 2026 at 5pm, and the award was made on 23 September 2026. Freeths LLP, Browne Jacobson LLP and DWF Law LLP were selected jointly for an award valued at £450,000. The contract period runs from 28 September 2026 to 30 December 2031. The estimated procurement value was also £450,000. The requirement was identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises, and not suitable for voluntary, community or social enterprises. No separate evaluation criteria are stated in the published process information.

This award demonstrates demand from Westmorland and Furness Council for specialist legal support linked to the Heart of Barrow business case and programme objectives. A credible competitor when this specific requirement returns to market would need to show relevant experience advising local authorities on business cases and delivering legal work for a place-based regeneration or economic development programme. The appointment was made through a framework call-off, so access to an appropriate framework and the ability to compete under its rules would be commercially important. The three selected firms are established large law firms, indicating that the buyer appointed providers able to deliver legal services at a substantial programme scale, potentially across more than one supplier. Small and medium-sized enterprises were considered suitable, so smaller firms with demonstrable relevant expertise may also be positioned to compete.

## Notice

Westmorland and Furness Council has procured a contract for legal services to support the Council in delivery of the Heart of Barrow business case and objectives

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/10fbc5f0-a937-4e6b-8df9-d276f3fd14e9 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 23 Sep 2026 |
| Contract period | 28 Sep 2026 - 30 Dec 2031 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £450,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £450,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Westmorland and Furness Council |
| Locality | KENDAL |
| Postcode area | Lancaster |
| Postcode | LA9 4DQ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLD1 Cumbria |
| ITL 3 | TLD14 Westmorland and Furness |
| Local authority | Westmorland and Furness |
| Electoral ward | Kendal Strickland and Fell |
| Westminster constituency | Westmorland and Lonsdale |
| Delivery location | TLD North West (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 3 |
| Supplier names | Freeths LLP; Browne Jacobson LLP; DWF Law LLP |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79100000 - Legal services

## Release History

- 20 Oct 2026 at 14:39 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/10fbc5f0-a937-4e6b-8df9-d276f3fd14e9

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/10fbc5f0-a937-4e6b-8df9-d276f3fd14e9
  20th October 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-fae535a7-98d4-4dff-9c4e-42a24f057945. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-fae535a7-98d4-4dff-9c4e-42a24f057945.json.