--- title: "Legal Advice in relation to Ofwat's Finance and Governance Programme" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-fda2316b-644d-4dd3-811d-f8d4d2b32acf" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-fda2316b-644d-4dd3-811d-f8d4d2b32acf" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-fda2316b-644d-4dd3-811d-f8d4d2b32acf.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-fda2316b-644d-4dd3-811d-f8d4d2b32acf.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "WATER SERVICES REGULATION AUTHORITY" published: "2018-06-26" --- # Legal Advice in relation to Ofwat's Finance and Governance Programme Buyer: WATER SERVICES REGULATION AUTHORITY Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-b5fd17-fda2316b-644d-4dd3-811d-f8d4d2b32acf [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-fda2316b-644d-4dd3-811d-f8d4d2b32acf) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-fda2316b-644d-4dd3-811d-f8d4d2b32acf.json) ## Summary The Water Services Regulation Authority is seeking legal advice related to its Finance and Governance Programme, specifically titled "Legal Advice in relation to Ofwat's Finance and Governance Programme." This contracting process is classified under the legal services industry and covers locations in the West Midlands and London. The procurement is currently in the Award stage, with the contract formally expected to commence no later than 1 March 2018 and run until 30 September 2018, although significant work is anticipated in March. The procurement method utilised is selective, involving a call-off from a framework agreement, with the tender period closing on 22 February 2018. This tender presents valuable opportunities for businesses, especially those specialised in providing legal services related to public law, corporate law, and finance. Firms that can offer strategic legal advice or have expertise in the operational aspects of regulatory compliance, governance, and corporate resilience will be well-suited to compete for this contract. Given that the project will evolve alongside policy development, agile legal firms that can adapt to changing requirements and collaborate effectively with stakeholders will find the best prospects for growth and partnership in this procurement process. ## Notice The Finance and Governance programme is undertaking a range of work to explore the scope of companies' responsibilities in relation to resilience in the round, therefore across operational, corporate and financial resilience. External legal support is likely to be required on discrete legal questions or discrete areas of support in the following areas as well as on strands of project work to support the development of policy positions, consultations with stakeholders and decision-making. Our aim is to appoint a single firm or company to provide external legal support on this range of issues. We intend to commence the contract no later than 1 March 2018 and therefore the successful firm will need to hit the ground running. We expect the call off contract to run through to end September 2018 (7 months with the option of a 2 month extension). However, the bulk of the work is likely to be required in March 2018 and no commitment is made to specific elements of work after end March 2018. Details of specific tasks will be developed on appointment and as policy thinking develops. Panel Services required include but are not limited to: * Public law * Corporate law (including corporate and financial structures) * Non-complex Finance Within that we may need support in relation to the operation of and drafting of licence conditions; and internal and external publications and communications. Ad hoc advice may be needed in other areas under the set of mandatory services under the General Legal Services Framework (RM3786), including without limitation: tax, employment law, EU law, and pension's law. The areas of work relate to the following broad workstreams or projects being undertaken within the Finance and Governance programme. The specific tasks and deliverables will be determined in parallel with the evolving policy development. Financial and corporate resilience We are exploring a range of issues here in considering risks to resilience in both the short and the long term. We expect to require legal support in the following range of areas, but this is not ex Board leadership, transparency and governance Ofwat put in place principles on Board Leadership, Transparency and Governance in 2014, and compliance with such principles is included as a condition in a small number of undertakers' licences. We intend to revise and update these principles in 2018 to reflect best practice and ensure they remain fit for purpose. Change of control Ofwat is considering a number of issues prompted by changes of control within the sector. Ofwat is looking for support to explore lessons to be learned as well as potentially to support on any new transactions. General Within the above, in terms of the specific legal work required, some of the advice we seek will be strategic advice by reference to Ofwat's functions and duties, but we also intend to ask for some short and discrete pieces of comparative analysis, for example, by reference to other regulatory regimes. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/3f20d03a-41e7-4c3e-ac1e-f9a5ed34162e | | 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 | 26 Jun 2018 | | Submission deadline | 22 Feb 2018 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | 1 Mar 2018 | | Contract period | 2 Mar 2018 - 30 Sep 2018 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | £55,000 | | 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 | WATER SERVICES REGULATION AUTHORITY | | Locality | BIRMINGHAM | | Post town | Birmingham | | Postcode | B5 4UA | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLG West Midlands (England) | | ITL 2 | TLG3 West Midlands | | ITL 3 | TLG31 Birmingham | | Local authority | Birmingham | | Electoral ward | Ladywood | | Westminster constituency | Birmingham Ladywood | | Delivery location | TLG West Midlands (England), TLI London | ## Supplier | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Number of suppliers | 1 | | Supplier names | DENTONS UK AND MIDDLE EAST | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security ### Codes - 79100000 - Legal services ## Release History - 26 Jun 2018 at 14:19 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/3f20d03a-41e7-4c3e-ac1e-f9a5ed34162e ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/3f20d03a-41e7-4c3e-ac1e-f9a5ed34162e 26th June 2018 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/01f0c8b9-258e-4942-be02-0605f96435dd Contract ## 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-fda2316b-644d-4dd3-811d-f8d4d2b32acf. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-fda2316b-644d-4dd3-811d-f8d4d2b32acf.json.