Legal Services Framework Agreement
Framework Description
NHS Commercial Solutions' Legal Services Framework Agreement is in its fourth iteration, providing legal advice and representation to the NHS and other public bodies. It began on 1 February 2023 and ends on 31 January 2027. Services are split into core areas, which every appointed firm covers, and non-core specialist areas that many of the firms also offer.
Context & Use Case
NHS trusts and other public bodies call on it for day-to-day legal support such as commercial contracts, employment disputes and estates transactions, and for specialist matters including mental health law, primary care, healthcare projects and public law challenges. With the framework ending in January 2027, buyers will soon move to a replacement, so law firms should watch for that procurement closely.
Scope of Services
Core: corporate and commercial law Core: employment law Core: property law Non-core: health law and primary care law Non-core: mental health law Non-core: healthcare projects, NHS governance and public law
Lots
See framework link
Who Can Apply
Law firms able to cover corporate and commercial, employment and property law for NHS clients, ideally with health, mental health or public law specialists as well. It is closed to new applications. With the 31 January 2027 end date close, a replacement procurement is likely soon, and that is the realistic entry point.
Buyer Benefits
NHS bodies get vetted firms with health sector knowledge and agreed rates, so they can instruct quickly when a dispute, transaction or regulatory issue lands. The core and non-core split means a trust can use one framework for routine HR advice and for specialist mental health or governance work, rather than procuring each separately.
Next Steps
Check NHS Commercial Solutions' framework pages and pipeline now for the successor to this agreement. Prepare matter examples from NHS or public sector clients across the three core areas, rate cards, and evidence of specialist depth in the non-core areas. Incumbent firms should gather performance and client feedback from this term to show at re-tender.
How Athena Can Help
With this framework ending on 31 January 2027, law firms have a short window to prepare. Athena can plan the response timeline, draft quality answers on NHS experience and value, and build rate cards that compete, through our bid writing services. Our tender readiness support covers bid/no-bid decisions, resourcing and social value answers.
We also identify other public sector legal frameworks your firm could target, using our framework identification service.
