North East councils to hold market testing on procurement of £50m legal services framework
The Association of North East Councils (NEPO) has issued a prior information notice on plans to set up a £50m legal services framework.
The multi-supplier, multi-lot framework agreement will be made available for use by contracting authorities throughout the United Kingdom.
NEPO said it intends to publish a soft market testing questionnaire via the Open eTendering system. The questionnaire will be used to assess interest in the tendering opportunity and to gain information and insight from the market to help shape the future NEPO513 Framework Agreement design.
In addition, NEPO intends to hold a group market consultation meeting, which will take place the week commencing Monday 5 December 2022.
The framework is set to be divided into the following lots:
- General Lot - All Requirements
- Conveyancing
- Housing
- Family
- Education
- Prosecutions
- Licensing
- Litigation
- Insolvency
- Debt Recovery
- Highways
- Employment Law
- Procurement Advice
- PFI Advice
- Development advice
The estimated date for publication of the contract notice is 30 May 2023.
In September 2019 a group of North East local authorities appointed 35 law firms and one barristers chambers to a legal services framework worth at the time an estimated £60m over four years.