Published date: 12 December 2025

Open opportunity - This means that the contract is currently active, and the buying department is looking for potential suppliers to fulfil the contract.


Closing: 5 January 2026, 5:30pm

Contract summary

Industry

  • Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security - 79000000

Location of contract

North West

Value of contract

£0 to £50,000

Procurement reference

Specialist Legal Support2025

Published date

12 December 2025

Closing date

5 January 2026

Closing time

5:30pm

Contract start date

16 January 2026

Contract end date

24 April 2026

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Open procedure (below threshold)

Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to an opportunity notice.

This procedure can be used for procurements below the relevant contract value threshold.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

Yes

Description

Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington (ECW) is a company limited by guarantee wholly owned by the three unitary authorities in Cheshire and Warrington. It was formerly the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for the area and brought across its staff, funding role and assets when it transferred to LA ownership in 2024.
Cheshire and Warrington is part of the Government's devolution priority programme and will be creating a Combined Authority for the sub-region in Spring 2026. The Combined Authority will take on responsibility for the strategic economic development of Cheshire and Warrington, a role formerly undertaken by the LEP and, more recently, ECW.
With the establishment of a new Combined Authority (CA), it is anticipated that some or all functions currently delivered by ECW and CWTB may transfer either to one or more of the sub-region's local authorities, to the CA or to another body. No final decisions have yet been made, and the scope, scale, and nature of any transfer remain under active consideration.
The company is seeking to appoint a provider of specialist legal advice to help with those discussions, supporting pre-transfer planning and due diligence on the potential transfer of some or all of ECW's functions, assets, and responsibilities. This support will be commissioned through a retainer and call-off contract.
The appointed provider must be able to advise across a broad spectrum of organisational, corporate, public law, employment, and commercial matters, and respond quickly as the transfer landscape becomes clearer.

More information

Attachments

How to apply

Follow the instructions given in the description or the more information section.

About the buyer

Contact name

Debbie Simpson

Address

1 Floor, Wyvern House,The Drumber
WINSFORD
CW7 1AH
United Kingdom

Email

Debbie.Simpson@cheshireandwarrington.com

Website

https://cheshireandwarrington.com/how-we-work/about/tenders-and-opportunities/