---
title: "Academisation Legal Support"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-067279"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-067279"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067279.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067279.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL"
published: "2026-03-24"
---

# Academisation Legal Support

Buyer: LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-067279

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-067279)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067279.json)

## Summary

Liverpool City Council recently completed the procurement process for academisation legal support under the Academies Act 2010. The council is mandated to facilitate school academisation by managing land leases and transferring school assets and contracts. This contract, with a value of £60,000, was awarded to Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP on 24th March 2026. As a regional authority, Liverpool City Council issued this contract through a limited procurement method due to the highly specialised nature of the services required and the technical reasons necessitating a single supplier. The procurement procedure did not involve a prior call for competition, reflecting the necessity for a focused and expedient approach within the UK's legal services industry. This process is now at the award stage in the UKD72 region.

The legal services tender presents growth opportunities for businesses specialising in academisation and educational law, particularly those with the capability to handle complex transfers of land and school assets. Businesses looking to expand their legal consultancy in educational sectors could benefit significantly from understanding this process. The specialised nature of the service and technical constraints indicate opportunities primarily for those firms with established expertise in legal matters related to education. Large-scale legal providers, like Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP, are particularly well-suited, given their capacity to manage multiple conversions simultaneously, adhering to strict governmental deadlines. This tender exemplifies the need for proficient management and understanding of local and regional educational legislation.

## Notice

Under section 5B of the Academies Act 2010 (as amended), Liverpool City Council has a statutory duty to take all reasonable steps to facilitate school academisation. This requires the Council to assist with the granting of land interests, typically via a lease, and the transfer of school assets, contracts, and staff.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Under section 5B of the Academies Act 2010 (as amended), Liverpool City Council has a statutory duty to take all reasonable steps to facilitate school academisation. This requires the Council to assist with the granting of land interests, typically via a lease, and the transfer of school assets, contracts, and staff.

### Procurement Information

Due to the highly specialised nature of academy conversions and the strict deadlines imposed by the Secretary of State for Education, the Council appointed Womble Bond Dickinson Ltd for an initial 12-month period. Womble Bond Dickinson is currently managing two active conversions, making it technically and operationally infeasible to switch suppliers mid-process.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/026704-2026 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 24 Mar 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 24 Mar 2026 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £60,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL |
| Locality | LIVERPOOL |
| Post town | Liverpool |
| Postcode | L3 1DS |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLD7 Merseyside |
| ITL 3 | TLD72 Liverpool |
| Local authority | Liverpool |
| Electoral ward | Waterfront South |
| Westminster constituency | Liverpool Riverside |
| Delivery location | TLD72 Liverpool |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | WOMBLE BOND DICKINSON (UK |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79100000 - Legal services

## Release History

- 24 Mar 2026 at 11:28 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/026704-2026

## Notice URLs

- http://www.liverpool.gov.uk

## 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-067279. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067279.json.