Official UK procurement notice
Provision of Barristers' Services Framework 2026
Authority: Bedford Borough Council (Local council)
What is being bought2 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionBedford Borough Council ('the Council') invites Chambers to tender for the provision of a Barristers' Framework Agreement. This Framework will provide a route to market for the purchase of barristers' services, where there is demand for capacity or specialist expertise that cannot be met within the Council's in-house Legal Services Unit
CPV: Legal advisory and information services · Legal advisory and representation services · Legal advisory services · Legal documentation and certification services · Legal representation services · Legal services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Closed framework
- Call-offs
- call-offs may be awarded directly or by further competition
- Bids received
- 10 bids on the busiest of 2 lots · 10 suppliers appointed
- Framework period
- 2 yrs · up to 4 yrs from 7 Apr 2026
Published description of the framework
The Framework contract award decision will be made on the basis of bidders achieving a minimum overall score of 50%
For the quality aspect a minimum score of 40% much be achieved to be accepted onto the Framework.
The evaluation criteria and weightings are as follows;
Criteria Weighting for Bid Evaluation
A Quality 50%
B Price 40%
C Social Value 10%
Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure
2 lots · all with a published valueLot #1ACEAwardedRenewalPublished value£0
The source published no individual description for this lot.
Lot #2GPP&LAwardedRenewalPublished value£0
The source published no individual description for this lot.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
- “Provision of Barristers' Services Framework 2026” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract: call-offs may be direct or by further competition.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Light touch regime
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 8 Sept 2025, 16:06 BST
- Last source update
- 29 May 2026, 12:20 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 27 Mar 2026
- Authority reference
BBC CH 04135- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-014469- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05961cFind a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 16 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 2 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
8 Sept 2025 → 9 Jun 2026 · 10 dates- Planning notice published8 Sept 2025, 16:06 BST
- Market engagement379 days ago13 Oct 2025, 23:59 BST
Pre-Market Engagement – Barristers Framework 2026
Bedford Borough Council is seeking market feedback in preparation for the upcoming Barristers Framework 2026. The PME will run from 8th September 2025 to 29th September 2025 and focuses on the draft bid sheet and rate card to ensure accurate billing, fair value, and transparent budgeting. Suppliers are invited to access the documents and provide feedback via the InTend Portal.
Use our electronic tendering portal in-tendhost.co.uk/bedford ↗ to:
- view a list of tenders/contracts/quotations
- view information on contracts already awarded
- express interest in a particular tender or quotation
- receive tender and/or quotation documentation
- secure return your tender or quotation documents
- send and receive correspondence
Registration is free, and takes a few minutes. You will be able to express interest in any open opportunities when they become available. We can also access your details whenever we have an opportunity, and invite you to tender or quote for work.
All business will be tendered through in-tendhost.co.uk/bedford ↗. If you do not register, it will limit your company’s ability to tender for work.
Contact our support team on 0844 272 8810 or email [email protected] if you have problems using the portal.
If you are already a contractor with us, you can use the portal to help with contract management. this includes an updated contract register, expiry dates and regular contract reviews.
- Tender notice published252 days ago17 Feb 2026, 15:57 GMT
- Clarification questions by239 days ago2 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Admission / appointment period ends225 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown16 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected by214 days ago27 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts204 days ago7 Apr 2026, 00:00 BST
- Assessment summaries sent180 days ago1 May 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published151 days ago29 May 2026, 12:20 BST
- Standstill ends140 days ago9 Jun 2026, 23:59 BST
Notice history
12 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 8 Sept 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published8 Sept 2025, 16:06 BSTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published16 Sept 2025, 10:30 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published17 Feb 2026, 15:57 GMTUK4
- Published value updated17 Feb 2026, 15:57 GMT
- Status changed to active17 Feb 2026, 15:57 GMT
- Procurement method changed17 Feb 2026, 15:57 GMT
- Deadline published: 16 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT17 Feb 2026, 15:57 GMT
- Tender notice published18 Feb 2026, 10:57 GMTUK4
- Published value published: £2,400,00018 Feb 2026, 10:57 GMT
- Contract award notice published29 May 2026, 12:20 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete29 May 2026, 12:20 BST
- Contract signature expected10 Jun 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Routine re-releases (5)
- 2025-09: 2 releases · 8 Sept 2025, 16 Sept 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast£240,000 is the framework's published maximum, restated by the publisher on 2 award rows. It is one ceiling, not 2 separate sums, and no share per lot is published; those rows read “ceiling above”.
| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot 1 · ACE1 award | |||
| 3 DJB LIMITED, 33 BEDFORD ROW LIMITED, 4 Brick Court Chambers Management Limited, Cornerstone Chambers Ltd, Harcourt Chambers, Landmark Chambers +4 more12 Jun 2026 – 12 Apr 2028 · up to 12 Apr 2030Extensions: two periods of twelve months | ceiling above | 20 Apr 2026standstill to 9 Jun 2026 | Standstill |
| Lot 2 · GPP&L1 award | |||
| Cornerstone Chambers Ltd, Landmark Chambers, THE 36 GROUP LIMITED12 Jun 2026 – 12 Apr 2028 · up to 12 Apr 2030Extensions: two periods of twelve months | ceiling above | 20 Apr 2026standstill to 9 Jun 2026 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Lot | Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · ACE | 10final-stage tenders | 8 | 0 | — |
| 2 · GPP&L | 3final-stage tenders | 2 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Framework contractors & participating bidders
10 commercial parties on the notice- 1GC MANAGEMENT LIMITEDFramework contractor
- 3 DJB LIMITEDFramework contractor
- 33 BEDFORD ROW LIMITEDFramework contractor
- 4 BRICK COURT CHAMBERS MANAGEMENT LIMITEDFramework contractor
- CORNERSTONE CHAMBERS LIMITEDFramework contractor
- Harcourt ChambersFramework contractor
- Landmark ChambersFramework contractor
- New Court ChambersFramework contractor
- ST. ALBANS CHAMBERS LTDFramework contractor
- THE 36 GROUP LIMITEDFramework contractor
Official documents & specifications (6)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender