Civil news: housing and debt and HPCDS tenders now open

Housing and debt tender

We are inviting tenders to deliver housing and debt contract work from 1 December 2022 until 31 August 2024 in the following procurement areas:

  1. City of Kingston upon Hull
  2. Cheshire
  3. Shropshire
  4. Staffordshire
  5. South Tyneside
  6. Wigan

The opportunity to deliver housing and debt services is open to any organisation that can meet the minimum tender requirements. An organisation does not need to be a current legal aid provider to tender for this opportunity.

We would like organisations to deliver work from 1 December 2022 where possible. But organisations unable to start on 1 December will be able to tender to start delivering work from a later date.

There is no limit to the number of contracts that can be awarded to deliver housing and debt services in a procurement area.

Applicants can bid to deliver housing and debt services in a procurement area through an office that is either a:

  • permanent presence in the procurement area, or a
  • part-time presence in the procurement area

HPCDS tender

We are also inviting tenders to deliver services in the following Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme (HPCDS) areas from 1 December 2022 until 29 April 2023:

  1. Basildon
  2. Crewe
  3. Hull
  4. Medway and Maidstone
  5. Stafford
  6. Walsall

Services will start on 1 December 2022. However, organisations unable to deliver work from 1 December can tender to start delivering work from a later date.

Organisations may bid for housing and debt contract work and/or HPCDS contract work through this procurement process. They are not required to bid for both housing and debt and HPCDS.

However, organisations bidding for an HPCDS contract must hold, or successfully bid for as part of this procurement process, a 2018 Standard Civil Contract. This needs to include authorisation in the housing and debt categories of law.

When awarding HPCDS contracts preference will be given to organisations:

  • with recent and relevant experience of delivering HPCDS services
  • with an office in the corresponding housing and debt procurement area
  • able to start delivering work on the contract start date

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is seeking to award one contract for each of the HPCDS areas listed above.

How to apply

Tenders must be submitted using the LAA’s eTendering system.

Tender deadline

The tender opens on 17 October 2022 and closes at noon on 7 November 2022.

Further information

Civil tender activity 2022 – to find out more and download documents

eTendering system – to submit your tender