Global Legal Services Framework

National Grid UK Limited ("NGUK") and National Grid USA Service Company Inc. ("NGUS") wish to tender framework agreements for an 8 year term (4,+2,+2) to provide a comprehensive range of legal services. These frameworks are anticipated to take effect on 1st February 2025.

The framework agreements are expected to cover legal services relating to:-

• Expert advice in relation to all aspects of the UK energy regulatory framework including the licensing regime
• Competition law
• Planning law, particularly Development Consent Orders and Compulsory Purchase Orders
• Volume property transactional support
• General property advice
• Commercial contracts (including IT contracts)
• Procurement law
• Disputes (including Property & Commercial Disputes)
• Intellectual Property, Trademark & Patent Services
• Construction
• Corporate, including M&A and banking
• Health, Safety & Environment, including support for statutory investigations
• Employment
• Pensions
• Insurance & Insurance Claims
• Data protection
• Cyber security, Artificial Intelligence & Digital
• Environmental, Sustainability & Governance advice

These services are intended to be split across several lots which are expected to be:-

• UK General advisory - All UK full-service legal advice not otherwise covered by the Corporate, Regulatory or Infrastructure lots.
• Global General advisory - For advice which is required in both the UK and the US on the same issue.
• Global Corporate - Sub-lots (a) UK-only M&A, Treasury and Banking and (b) M&A (transactions valued at £100m+), Treasury and Banking globally for UK and US.
• UK Infrastructure -Sub-lot (a) for expert planning and property advice only (e.g. DCOs and CPOs), and (b) firms with the capability to provide holistic advice for complex infrastructure projects and to work in conjunction with the firm appointed to (a). Sub-lot (b) includes procurement, construction, disputes, joint venture and other support in respect of UK and European partners and other ancillary support as required. Sub-Lots (a) and (b) include support onshore within the UK or offshore and Sub-Lot (b) may involve local legal support in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Holland, France and potentially other EU/ EEA countries. On a project-by-project basis, we can appoint either the same firm to (a) and (b), or different firms.
• UK Energy and Regulatory - Expert advice in relation to all aspects of the UK energy regulatory framework including the licensing regime (and potential appeals against price control and other modifications made under it), the electricity code framework, the electricity transmission connections regime, electricity interconnectors and the Grain LNG importation business in GB.

This is a Global framework, with separate lots for UK-only and Global work. The expectation is that the majority of work will be based in the UK, National Grid USA has existing outside counsel arrangements and this Agreement is to augment and not intended to replace these. Suppliers will be required to have a presence in both UK & US to bid on global lots.

National Grid has chosen to utilise the ARIBA sourcing platform for this requirement, this decision has been made to make the process easier for all bidders and focus questioning on our key requirements. The tender is currently being prepared and a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) is expected to be published on ARIBA on 11th March 2024.

Suppliers will be able to express an interest for as many lots as desired.

Suppliers intending to participate in the PQQ must register their interest with the National Grid procurement team using the below contacts who will support their onboarding and add them to the event in ARIBA. We require you to register your interest by 4th March 2024 so that we have time to onboard you and give you the maximum time to respond to our requirements.

Procurement contacts:

[email protected]

[email protected]