Cornwall launches multi-million pound tender for legal services
Cornwall Council has this week launched a tender for a legal services framework agreement that could be worth more than £10m over four years.
The services will be provided to all directorates of Cornwall Council “and potentially to other local government bodies across the area covered by the South West Regional Improvement Agency (including the Isles of Scilly)".
It will also be made available to parish, town and city councils as well as other public sector organisations such as schools, housing associations, the police, the NHS and primary care trusts.
The framework agreement will be let for two years, with possible extensions of up to an additional 24 months in blocks of 12 months.
The estimated total value for the duration of the agreement is between £2.8m and £10m. The estimated value of legal services for Cornwall alone is between £700,000 and £1m per annum. The potential value is likely to exceed the indicative range if other organisations decide to participate.
There are six lots available:
- Property, planning and highways
- Commercial (excluding PFI)
- Criminal and civil litigation
- Social welfare
- Employment, equalities and pensions
- Governance, parliamentary agency and electoral law.
There will be a maximum of one firm of solicitors and three chambers appointed to each lot, with the exception of the commercial lot where there will be a maximum of three firms of solicitors and three chambers. The maximum number of participants envisaged is 26.
Cornwall has also reserved the right to award to a single supplier within each framework agreement, including in relation to the commercial lot.