EM Lawshare Framework Agreement for Legal Services

• How the procedure runs: West Northamptonshire Council (the Authority) is acting as lead authority and running this procurement on behalf of the EM Lawshare (EMLS). This procurement is being conducted in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 and is being conducted through the Competitive Flexible procedure to identify the Potential Suppliers for the requirement. This is a Light Touch procurement. EMLS is a consortium of public bodies (the Consortium) that have been procuring legal services frameworks over the last 20 years. This procurement is for a new framework agreement to replace an existing one that is expired on 31 March 2026. Contracting authorities will be required to be members of the Consortium in order to use the new framework agreement. There are were just over 240 contracting authorities signed up as members to use the existing latest framework agreement. 82% of these are local authorities and parish councils located in England and the remaining 18% is made up of wholly owned local authority subsidiary companies, blue light services, park authorities, combined authorities, NHS bodies, police and crime commissioners, universities and colleges. A full list of current members signed up to use that e existing framework can be seen by using this link to the EMLS website[SB1.1]: https://emlawshare.co.uk/directory/ The number of contracting authorities signed up to use the current latest framework has grown significantly from the number using the initial framework set up 20 years ago when seven local authorities in the East Midlands initially started undertaking procurements as a consortium. The range of users has also spread geographically so it now extends country wide and includes some of the largest local authorities in the country such as: Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Nottingham and Sheffield City councils and Cornwall, Kent, Somerset, Derbyshire, Oxfordshire and North Yorkshire councils. All contracting authorities (as defined in the Procurement Act 2023) in England & Wales will be eligible to join the Consortium, either before or during the term of the new framework agreement, to have access to use the framework. Contracting authorities that are not local authorities require approval of the Consortium's Board to join the Consortium, whereas local authorities do not. [SD2.1][SD2.2] The closed framework agreement will deliver legal services to members of the Consortium. These services will sit under ten areas of work. These include every major category of work dealt with by local authorities other than child care work. The scope of the services is further detailed in the Specification. The framework agreement will not be split into lots as the appointed firms are required to be able to respond to requirements across all of the ten areas of work. The framework agreement will have 10 private law firms appointed to it. The framework agreement will have a maximum total value of £1 billion (exclusive of VAT) for the delivery of the requirements as set out in the Specification. The framework agreement will not bind any Consortium member to use the appointed firms nor will any guarantee be given as to the minimum levels of work which will be awarded under the framework. The Consortium will during the course of the framework agreement charge appointed firms a management fee calculated as a percentage based on a sliding scale of the income they invoice to Consortium members each year (net of VAT and disbursements), as detailed in the Invitation to Tender. Firms appointed to the framework will be required, jointly & /or solely, to provide certain added value services as part of the contract. These are detailed in the Specification. Annual indexation to the pricing will apply from the third contract year of the framework agreement. Please refer to Schedule 4, paragraph 1 of the framework agreement for further details. A conflicts assessment has been prepared and revised in accordance with Section 83. If your organisation wishes to participate in this process, you need to register with In-Tend Portal. You will be unable to take part if you do not register. Please use the link below and follow the instructions on the website: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/wnc/aspx/Home Tenders must be returned via the Portal. The tender return date is midday on Monday 19th October 2026. Tenders received after this time and date will not be accepted.

CPV: Legal services

Type

Open framework

Call-offs

call-offs may be awarded directly or by further competition

Framework period

4 yrs · up to 6 yrs from 1 Apr 2027

Supplier levy on call-offs (max %)

All the information can be obtained from the Tender Documents

Procedure method

Competitive flexible procedure

Legal basis

UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023

Procurement category

Services

Notice status

Closed

Procurement threshold

Above threshold (FTS publication)

Regulatory regime

Light touch regime

Commercial structure

Framework agreement

Who may use this agreement

All the information can be obtained from the Tender Documents

Competition type

Competitive procedure

GPA / WTO covered

Unspecified in notice

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

18 Sept 2026, 12:30 BST

Last source update

19 Oct 2026, 11:56 BST

Award evaluation window

Submission end – 4 Mar 2027

Authority reference

WNC00000586

FTS notice number

2026/S 000-088655

Latest notice

Tender notice (UK4)

Classification (CPV)

Legal services

Delivery area

East Midlands (UKF2)

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-077560 Find a Tender

How it runs

West Northamptonshire Council (the Authority) is acting as lead authority and running this procurement on behalf of the EM Lawshare (EMLS). This procurement is being conducted in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 and is being conducted through the Competitive Flexible procedure to identify the Potential Suppliers for the requirement. This is a Light Touch procurement.

EMLS is a consortium of public bodies (the Consortium) that have been procuring legal services frameworks over the last 20 years. This procurement is for a new framework agreement to replace an existing one that is expired on 31 March 2026. Contracting authorities will be required to be members of the Consortium in order to use the new framework agreement.

There are were just over 240 contracting authorities signed up as members to use the existing latest framework agreement. 82% of these are local authorities and parish councils located in England and the remaining 18% is made up of wholly owned local authority subsidiary companies, blue light services, park authorities, combined authorities, NHS bodies, police and crime commissioners, universities and colleges. A full list of current members signed up to use that e existing framework can be seen by using this link to the EMLS website[SB1.1]:

emlawshare.co.uk/directory/ ↗

The number of contracting authorities signed up to use the current latest framework has grown significantly from the number using the initial framework set up 20 years ago when seven local authorities in the East Midlands initially started undertaking procurements as a consortium. The range of users has also spread geographically so it now extends country wide and includes some of the largest local authorities in the country such as: Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Nottingham and Sheffield City councils and Cornwall, Kent, Somerset, Derbyshire, Oxfordshire and North Yorkshire councils.

All contracting authorities (as defined in the Procurement Act 2023) in England & Wales will be eligible to join the Consortium, either before or during the term of the new framework agreement, to have access to use the framework. Contracting authorities that are not local authorities require approval of the Consortium's Board to join the Consortium, whereas local authorities do not. [SD2.1][SD2.2]

The closed framework agreement will deliver legal services to members of the Consortium. These services will sit under ten areas of work. These include every major category of work dealt with by local authorities other than child care work. The scope of the services is further detailed in the Specification. The framework agreement will not be split into lots as the appointed firms are required to be able to respond to requirements across all of the ten areas of work.

The framework agreement will have 10 private law firms appointed to it.

The framework agreement will have a maximum total value of £1 billion (exclusive of VAT) for the delivery of the requirements as set out in the Specification. The framework agreement will not bind any Consortium member to use the appointed firms nor will any guarantee be given as to the minimum levels of work which will be awarded under the framework.

The Consortium will during the course of the framework agreement charge appointed firms a management fee calculated as a percentage based on a sliding scale of the income they invoice to Consortium members each year (net of VAT and disbursements), as detailed in the Invitation to Tender.

Firms appointed to the framework will be required, jointly & /or solely, to provide certain added value services as part of the contract. These are detailed in the Specification.

Annual indexation to the pricing will apply from the third contract year of the framework agreement. Please refer to Schedule 4, paragraph 1 of the framework agreement for further details.

A conflicts assessment has been prepared and revised in accordance with Section 83.

If your organisation wishes to participate in this process, you need to register with In-Tend Portal. You will be unable to take part if you do not register. Please use the link below and follow the instructions on the website: in-tendhost.co.uk/wnc/aspx/Home ↗

Tenders must be returned via the Portal.

The tender return date is midday on Monday 19th October 2026. Tenders received after this time and date will not be accepted.

Requests to participate (first stage)

21 Oct 2026, 17:00 BST

Appointment period ends

21 Oct 2026, 17:00 BST

Clarification deadline

5 Oct 2026, 17:00 BST

Submission channel

Official e-sourcing portal

Electronic submission

Allowed

Accepted languages

en

Supplier levy on call-offs (max %)

call-off levy · All the information can be obtained from the Tender Documents