National Audit Office to appoint legal advisers to £750k contract

The National Audit Office is to appoint up to five legal services providers to a contract worth an estimated £750,000 over four years.

There will be five lots, with the spending watchdog saying it planned to set up single supplier framework agreements (ie one supplier per lot). The lots are:

  1. British constitutional law.
  2. Public law.
  3. General commercial law.
  4. Human resources law.
  5. Local public audit law.

The NAO, which does not have an in-house legal team, said it was “seeking to appoint experienced advisors who possess a sound track record of providing legal services of the type set out in the Lots specified in this procurement”.

It added that bidders would be “expected to possess, and be able to demonstrate, authoritative knowledge of the UK public sector; the legal issues it faces and, where appropriate, how these affect the NAO in its capacity as the United Kingdom's principal public sector audit body”.

The successful bidder for each Lot will be expected to provide legal services to support the NAO's business. This will include the provision of advice to audit teams and central support functions as required.

“We are seeking to appoint advisors who will work closely and collaboratively with the NAO as if they were an extension of our own organisational structure,” the watchdog said.

The contracts will be for 36 months, with the option for a 12-month extension.