Invitation to Tender – Appointment of External Legal Services Provider
British Rowing invites suitably qualified law firms to submit a tender for the appointment of up to three external legal services providers
Background
British Rowing invites suitably qualified law firms to submit a tender for the appointment of up to three external legal services providers.
As the national governing and regulatory body for Rowing in England, British Rowing is responsible for promoting high standards of governance, integrity, safeguarding and fair competition across the sport. In carrying out these responsibilities, British Rowing occasionally requires access to specialist legal advice and support across a range of areas.
Provider Requirements
British Rowing is seeking to appoint up to three preferred external legal services providers who can provide timely, high-quality and cost-effective legal advice when required. The purpose of this appointment is to ensure that British Rowing has access to appropriate legal expertise without the need to undertake a new procurement exercise each time a legal issue arises, particularly where urgent or specialist advice is required.
The successful firms will act as a trusted legal adviser to British Rowing and will provide advice on an as-needed basis. Appointment does not guarantee any minimum volume or value of work, and British Rowing reserves the right to seek advice from other providers where specialist expertise, conflicts of interest or other circumstances make this appropriate.
British Rowing anticipates that legal support may be required across a range of areas including regulatory investigations, disciplinary proceedings, safeguarding matters, governance, integrity issues, commercial and contractual matters, litigation and dispute resolution, property, employment matters, data protection and general advisory work.
British Rowing welcomes submissions from firms with relevant experience of advising sports organisations, regulators, governing bodies, public authorities or comparable organisations.
Application Process
Tender submissions should be concise and should not exceed three A4 pages. British Rowing ask that submissions include:
- An overview of the firm, explaining why it is well placed to support British Rowing, together with details of the proposed team
- The identity of the lawyers responsible for the relationship, the lawyers who would undertake the majority of the work and any specialist advisers who may be involved. Brief biographies should be provided, together with details of relevant experience
- Examples of recent matters demonstrating relevant expertise, including (where applicable) experience of regulatory, disciplinary, safeguarding, governance, investigations, litigation or commercial matters. Confidential information should not be disclosed
Tenderers should also explain their approach to working with British Rowing, including anticipated response times, availability for urgent matters, allocation of work and arrangements for maintaining continuity of service.
Details of fees and charging arrangements should be provided, including hourly rates, any discounted rates available, fixed-fee options and any proposals designed to provide value for money.
Criteria
Tender responses will be evaluated against criteria including relevant experience, quality of the proposed team, understanding of British Rowing’s requirements, approach to service delivery and value for money. Following evaluation of written submissions, shortlisted firms may be invited to interview before a final appointment is made.
British Rowing anticipates appointing up to three preferred legal services provider for an initial period to be determined, subject to satisfactory performance and ongoing need.
The successful provider will be expected to develop a good understanding of British Rowing’s regulatory framework and provide efficient, practical and proportionate advice.
Timetable
The anticipated timetable is:
- Invitation to Tender issued – 27 July 2026
- Tender submission deadline – 14 August 2026
- Interviews – w/c 24 August 2026
- Appointment – w/c 31 August 2026
Submissions should be sent to [email protected]
British Rowing reserves the right to seek clarification, request further information, amend the timetable or discontinue the procurement process at any stage.
Application Dates: From Tuesday 28th July 2026 to Tuesday 28th July 2026