---
title: "DA from NEPO for Appointment of DWF Lawyers"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078d6d"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078d6d"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078d6d.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078d6d.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Stockton on Tees Borough Council"
published: "2026-10-22"
---

# DA from NEPO for Appointment of DWF Lawyers

Buyer: Stockton on Tees Borough Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078d6d

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## Summary

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council appointed external legal advisers for its proposed acquisition of Billingham town centre. The work combines two linked commissions: advice on public law, subsidy control, governance and compliance, and property acquisition and transaction support. The property work covers legal due diligence, title investigations, occupational lease reviews, property enquiries and searches, lease reporting, negotiation and completion of transaction documents, and project management. The advice supports the Council’s consideration and, if approved, completion of the acquisition. This is a specialist legal services requirement, delivered in relation to Billingham, within the Council’s borough.

The procurement is complete and DWF Law LLP was selected for the single appointment. The contract was awarded under the NEPO Legal Services Framework through a limited direct-award procedure without a prior competition. The published rationale says a new provider would duplicate previous legal analysis and add cost and delay; the two commissions were considered interdependent, and internal legal services were judged unsuitable for the transaction’s scale and complexity. Price was the stated award criterion. The contract is active, valued at £70,000, and was signed on 14 September 2026. The release does not provide an award date or contract duration.

For firms seeking comparable future work from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, this appointment shows demand for joined-up specialist advice on a complex town-centre acquisition: subsidy control, public law and governance expertise alongside property due diligence and transactional delivery. A credible competitor would need to handle both advisory and conveyancing-style work as one coordinated commission, maintain continuity across the transaction’s legal history, and manage the interfaces between the workstreams to avoid fragmented advice. Experience investigating title and leases, conducting property searches and enquiries, reporting on leases, negotiating transaction documents and managing completion would be relevant. The Council’s rationale also indicates that capacity to progress preparatory work efficiently, and the ability to support a significant acquisition while meeting existing legal and governance demands, would matter.

## Notice

To approve the direct award of a contract to DWF Law LLP under the NEPO Legal Services Framework for specialist external legal services in connection with the Council's proposed acquisition of Billingham Town Centre.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The appointment will comprise one overall appointment with two separately scoped but interdependent commissions. Commission 1 - Public Law, Subsidy Control and Compliance Advice The continuation and extension of specialist legal advice previously provided by DWF to the Council in relation to subsidy control, public law, governance and other compliance issues concerning the proposed acquisition of interests within Billingham Town Centre. Commission 2 - Property Acquisition and Transactional Legal Services Subject to the Council's decision-making processes and, in particular, any subsequent decision by Cabinet to approve the acquisition, DWF will provide the property and transactional legal services required to progress and complete the acquisition. The work includes legal due diligence, title investigation, review of occupational leases, property enquiries and searches, lease reporting, negotiation and completion of the transaction documents, and transaction/project management.

### Procurement Information

Option 1 - Undertake a Further Competition Under the NEPO Legal Services Framework This option was considered but rejected because a new provider would need to familiarise itself with the same transaction history, previous advice and legal analysis already undertaken by DWF, resulting in duplication of work, additional cost and delay. Option 2 - Retain DWF for Advisory Work but Procure a Separate Property Adviser This option was considered but rejected because the two commissions are closely interdependent and would create duplication, additional interfaces and a risk of fragmented advice. Option 3 - Defer Appointment of Transactional Lawyers Until After a Cabinet Decision This option was considered but rejected because it would delay legal due diligence and transaction readiness work and reduce the Council's ability to proceed promptly should approval be granted. Option 4 - Undertake the Work Through Internal Legal Services This option was considered but rejected having regard to the scale, complexity and specialist nature of the proposed transaction and existing service demands. Option 5 - Take No Further External Legal Advice This option was rejected because the proposed acquisition is a significant and complex transaction requiring specialist legal advice.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099764-2026 |
| 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 | 22 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £70,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Stockton on Tees Borough Council |
| Locality | STOCKTON ON TEES |
| Postcode area | Cleveland |
| Postcode | TS17 6BJ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC3 Tees Valley |
| ITL 3 | TLC31 Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees |
| Local authority | Stockton-on-Tees |
| Electoral ward | Mandale & Victoria |
| Westminster constituency | Middlesbrough and Thornaby East |
| Delivery location | TLC11 Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees |

## 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

## Release History

- 22 Oct 2026 at 09:07 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099764-2026

## Notice URLs

- https://www.stockton.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-078d6d. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078d6d.json.