Your challenges
The public procurement regulations create new opportunities for the public sector to source best value suppliers, but new risks where suppliers feel that the rules have not been validly applied. The focus on transparency is leading to a sharp increase in the number of challenges by suppliers to award decisions, and those involved in public procurement processes need to be able to call on the right legal support to rapidly resolve any issues raised.
Achieving your ambitions
We offer support from drafting the procurement documents (such as the OJEU, PQQ, ITT and notification of award letters) and advice on handling a debrief, through to procurement challenges, and associated Freedom of Information Act requests.
Our experience is that early and prompt action is key, whether making or responding to a challenge, and we have been able in the majority of instances to achieve a rapid resolution to the issue raised, avoiding the need for expensive court proceedings.
If injunction or damages proceedings are involved, we have a leading team of specialists who are experienced in both court procedures, and the procurement regulations.
The strength you need
We are a leading adviser to the public sector, including central and local government, the NHS and universities. As a result of this breadth of experience, we have one of the strongest teams of public procurement lawyers in the UK.
We have advised clients across the public sector on procurement issues – including “best practice” organisations – and on high value and politically sensitive national projects. We also advise private sector suppliers on best practice in responding to tenders.
Our team has an in-depth understanding, not only of what the procurement regulations require, but also how this applies in practice, and pragmatic ways of moving forward when issues arise.
Lawyers you can trust
We are pleased to be recognised in the legal directories as a leading firm in this area. Our team is described as “down to earth and approachable”, and we believe that our key skill is applying the procurement regulations in a practical and commercial way. We understand that abandoning a procurement is rarely the right answer!