The team has expertise at both a regional and national level in relation to public procurement. Our procurement team provides advice on the public procurement regime.

We have assisted public sector contracting authorities (for example RDAs) throughout the procurement process, from selecting the appropriate procedure and drafting the first OJEU advertisement to the design and implementation of assessment and evaluation criteria.

Public sector clients to whom the group have acted include the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Health, the Department for Education and Skills, and Regional Development Agencies, as well as a number of local authorities, NHS acute and primary care trusts, universities and colleges.

Examples of our experience include:

• Advising the Department of Health on public procurement issues in the context of the Treatment Centre programme and other activities
• Advising NWDA on public procurement and state aid issues in relation to the creation of the National Bio-Manufacturing Centre
• Acting for the MOD in a number of projects including the relocation of the Met Office and the reprovision of the Hydrographic Office
• Defending public sector bodies in relation to claims based on the procurement rules
• Acting for unsuccessful bidders in bringing challenges for breach of the rules
• Providing procurement training to project managers at Department of Health, BT Global Services and others
• Providing speakers at conferences on public procurement both in UK and in Brussels