---
title: "Inquiry Response Support 2026"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06e2b3"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e2b3"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e2b3.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e2b3.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Department for Education"
published: "2026-08-12"
---

# Inquiry Response Support 2026

Buyer: Department for Education  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06e2b3

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## Summary

The Department for Education procured legal advice and related legal services to support its response to inquiries. The work covers timely legal support for Department witnesses responding to Rule 9 requests, helping the Department meet inquiry deadlines, and providing additional legal resource as part of its response arrangements. The service is delivered for the Department’s inquiry response activities across the United Kingdom. This is a public-sector legal services requirement, relevant to law firms and legal service providers with experience advising government bodies during formal inquiries, supporting witnesses, and handling deadline-driven advisory work. The requirement is focused on practical inquiry response support rather than general legal services, with the appointed provider acting as part of the Department’s resourcing solution.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to DWF LAW LLP. It was conducted by direct award below the applicable threshold, without competition. The contract was signed on 10 August 2026 and runs from 10 August 2026 to 31 December 2026. Its value is £79,650 excluding VAT and £95,580 including VAT. One supplier was selected for the single lot. The contract is active, while the tender itself is recorded as complete. The award covers legal services and legal advisory services for the Department for Education’s inquiry response support requirement. The recorded outcome shows a focused, short-term appointment made through a non-competitive below-threshold route rather than an openly competed tender.

This procurement indicates demand from the Department for Education for specialist legal capacity during formal inquiries, particularly where witnesses must respond to Rule 9 requests and work is governed by inquiry deadlines. A credible future competitor would need solicitors able to provide clear, timely advice to public-sector clients, support witnesses effectively, and mobilise quickly for a defined response programme. Experience of inquiry procedures, evidence preparation, witness briefing and managing multiple urgent deadlines would be commercially relevant. The successful supplier’s role also shows the value of a flexible resourcing model: the buyer sought external legal support to supplement its own capability. Firms targeting similar work should be able to demonstrate dependable delivery, appropriate senior oversight and capacity for concentrated assignments.

## Notice

To provide Legal Advice and Services to support DfE's response to inquiries. To provide timely legal support to DfE witnesses responding to Rule 9 requests. To support the Department in meeting Inquiry deadlines. This contract is for Legal Advice and Services to act as part of the resourcing solution to deliver these objectives.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/076822-2026 |
| 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 | 12 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 10 Aug 2026 |
| Contract period | 10 Aug 2026 - 31 Dec 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £79,650 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Department for Education |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Postcode area | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1P 3BT |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | DWF LAW LLP |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79100000 - Legal services
- 79111000 - Legal advisory services

## Release History

- 12 Aug 2026 at 14:19 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/076822-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/076822-2026
  12th August 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-20783

## 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-06e2b3. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e2b3.json.