---
title: "Interim Legal Position"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05ccf2"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05ccf2"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ccf2.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ccf2.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "HARTLEPOOL BOROUGH COUNCIL"
published: "2025-10-15"
---

# Interim Legal Position

Buyer: HARTLEPOOL BOROUGH COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05ccf2

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## Summary

Hartlepool Borough Council has awarded a contract titled "Interim Legal Position" to Vivid Government, a part of Vivid Resourcing. This procurement, under the industry category of legal services, is focused on addressing staffing shortages in the council's legal division. Situated in Hartlepool, UKC11 region, the contract runs from 1st November 2025 to 31st May 2026. This was a direct procurement method, specifically below threshold and without competition, signified by the use of an exemption process. The contract was signed on 14th October 2025 and holds a gross value of £43,200, emphasising the need for legal personnel with the right qualifications to manage critical cases in local courts.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses within the legal services sector, particularly those providing trained legal staff. It highlights the necessity for individuals or firms capable of managing legal caseloads efficiently and with appropriate rights of audience in Hartlepool. Companies specialising in legal staffing solutions would find this contract especially promising for business growth, as it underscores the market demand for flexible, skilled personnel able to operate under reduced team capacities. Service providers with established networks or candidates capable of securing immediate and long-term legal cover will be well-suited to similar procurement opportunities in the future.

## Notice

Background : This contract has been established using an Exemption Process and is therefore not subject to HBC Contract Procedure Rules. The legal division is staffed to discharge the authority's legal childcare function. The demands on this service are ever increasing and it is a critical service charged with ensuring that our statutory and legal duties are discharged in respect of children suffering and at risk of suffering significant harm. The structure of the team consists of 4 officers who each handle a case load and undertake advocacy in the local courts. Currently two officers are unavoidably unavailable currently for extended periods. The team's capacity is therefore significantly reduced (by 50%) currently and unable to meet the demands of the service. Enquiries have been made of specialist recruitment agencies, and a national search has been undertaken via the NEPO Framework. Despite several excellent candidates being available via this framework none have been able to commit to the necessary attendance in Hartlepool and at local courts. Several other agencies have been approached outside of this framework and only one has an available candidate who has been able to demonstrate the necessary skills, experience, legally required "rights of audience" and proximity to Hartlepool required for this role. The costs associated with the provision of such "interim cover" are determined by market forces and each of the candidates offered via the framework have quoted an hourly rate greater than that secured under this arrangement outside of the framework. In addition the candidate's skills and experience ensure they would be able to hold the required caseload and attend to court commitments with a minimum commitment of 25 hours per week.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065442-2025 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 15 Oct 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 13 Oct 2025 |
| Contract period | 1 Nov 2025 - 31 May 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £36,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | HARTLEPOOL BOROUGH COUNCIL |
| Locality | HARTLEPOOL |
| Post town | Cleveland |
| Postcode | TS24 8AY |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC3 Tees Valley |
| ITL 3 | TLC31 Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees |
| Local authority | Hartlepool |
| Electoral ward | Victoria |
| Westminster constituency | Hartlepool |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | VIVID GOVERNMENT (PART OF VIVID RESOURCING |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79100000 - Legal services

## Release History

- 15 Oct 2025 at 08:50 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065442-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065442-2025
  15th October 2025 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-h6vhtk-05ccf2. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ccf2.json.