Legal Services
Framework Description
APUC's Legal Services framework (Public Contracts Scotland ref. MAR551603) provides universities and colleges with external legal advice across 8 lots, from commercial and estates work to HR, charity, international, disputes and education law. Applications for this framework are closed (it is not a DPS). It runs to 18 December 2028, with an option to extend by 12 months to 18 December 2029.
Context & Use Case
University and college secretaries, governance teams and in-house lawyers use it when they need outside counsel: property deals, research contracts, staff disputes, student complaints and appeals, charity regulation and overseas partnerships. The one-stop-shop lot suits institutions wanting a single firm for most matters, while specialist lots let them instruct niche expertise when needed.
Scope of Services
Commercial-Business Property & Estates People / HR Matters Charity International Dispute Resolution (Including Student Matters) Education Law and Research One-Stop-Shop
Lots
Commercial-Business; Property & Estates; People / HR Matters; Charity; International; Dispute Resolution (Including Student Matters); Education Law and Research; One-Stop-Shop
Who Can Apply
Suits law firms with higher education, charity or public sector practices, from full-service firms suited to the one-stop-shop lot to specialists in employment, estates or education law. Applications for this framework are closed, so firms not appointed cannot join until APUC re-tenders it, around December 2028 or 2029 if extended.
Buyer Benefits
Institutions get pre-agreed rates and terms with firms that understand university governance, charity status and student issues, so they can instruct quickly when a matter arises. Lots for education law and student disputes mean advice comes from lawyers who handle these issues regularly, not generalists learning on the job.
Next Steps
Appointed firms should build relationships with university secretaries and in-house teams and be ready for mini-competitions on larger matters. Firms not on the framework should read the Public Contracts Scotland notice (MAR551603) to understand the lots and criteria, then plan for the re-tender ahead of 18 December 2028, gathering sector case studies and rate cards.
How Athena Can Help
For appointed firms, larger instructions are often competed between panel members. Our win themes and fee modelling help you stand out on sector knowledge and value, with responses written to the scoring criteria.
Firms outside the panel can use our framework re-tender preparation to choose lots and assemble case studies and policies early. Our public sector bid strategy work covers social value and pricing that stays profitable over the term.
