Legal Services Framework
Framework Description
Sanctuary Housing Association's Legal Services Framework is a £30m panel of 15 law firms providing legal support in England and Scotland. It is split into eight lots, from strategic legal partners to commercial and regulatory, pensions and employment, property and development, housing management and litigation, social care, and two Scotland-specific lots. It runs from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028 with no extension.
Context & Use Case
Sanctuary calls on the appointed firms when it needs external legal capacity or specialist expertise: corporate and governance advice, property transactions and conveyancing, regulatory questions, contract and procurement support, and litigation. Having firms appointed in advance lets Sanctuary instruct quickly on individual matters without running a fresh procurement for each one.
Scope of Services
Strategic legal partners Commercial and regulatory Pensions and employment Property, development and construction Housing management and housing litigation Social care and regulation Corporate (Scotland) Housing and development (Scotland)
Lots
Strategic Legal Partners; Commercial/Regulatory; Pensions/Employment; Property/Development & Construction; Housing Management/Housing Litigation; Social Care and Regulation; Corporate (Scotland); Housing & Development (Scotland)
Who Can Apply
The framework suits law firms with social housing, care or development experience in England or Scotland, appropriate professional indemnity cover and the capacity to support a large housing association. Applications are closed: 15 firms were appointed in 2024, and others cannot join before it is re-tendered, which is likely to be around its 31 March 2028 end date.
Buyer Benefits
Sanctuary gets housing-sector lawyers who already understand its governance and regulatory position, with rates and terms agreed before any matter arises. That means faster instruction on urgent property or litigation matters, predictable legal costs and less risk of advice that misses the regulatory context a registered provider works within.
Next Steps
Appointed firms should record their workload, outcomes and service performance, as this will be useful evidence at re-tender. Firms without a place should prepare for the next procurement ahead of 31 March 2028: build housing-sector case studies, review insurance levels and watch Sanctuary's procurement notices. Legal panels at other housing associations can build the references you need.
How Athena Can Help
Law firm tenders are won on the quality of written evidence as much as on rates. When Sanctuary re-tenders this panel, Athena's bid management support can plan the submission, write method and case study answers that show housing-sector expertise and model a rate card that is competitive without eroding your margin.
Before then, our framework registrations work identifies other housing association legal panels opening in the next 6 to 12 months, and our bid/no-bid decision tools help you choose which to pursue.
