GLD Vacancies

EEDA names four firms to £2m legal services framework

The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) has appointed four firms to its legal services framework, which is estimated to be worth in the region of £2m in fees.

The successful firms of the eight that applied were:

  • Birketts
  • Dickinson Dees
  • Eversheds, and
  • Mills & Reeve

The future of regional development agencies such as EEDA – which covers the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridge, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk – is uncertain, however.

In his Budget yesterday, the Chancellor of the Exchequer confirmed that Local Enterprise Partnerships will be introduced to replace RDAs, which will be abolished through the Public Bodies Bill announced in the Queen's Speech. A white paper will be published later this summer.

The lead chairman for all England’s RDAs recently launched a staunch defence of their record.

Sir Harry Studholme said they were in the top 25% of government departments and agencies in terms of efficiency, adding that independent research had demonstrated their economic impact.