Scope
Reference
prj_14648
Description
Please Note - This notice is to alert suppliers of a market engagement for the award of a grant agreement and not a contract therefore the Procurement Act 2023 does not apply.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is committed to ensuring early access to free legal support through its Legal Support Grants. Since 2015, over £30 million has been invested to help individuals facing legal or rights-based issues. A new grant programme is expected to launch from April 2026, with funding of around £6 million annually through to March 2029, subject to the Spending Review.
As part of this programme, the MoJ is seeking to appoint a grant intermediary to manage the administration and delivery of the grant. The intermediary will be responsible for:
• Running a competitive grant process (anticipated to be Nov 2025 - Feb 2026)
• Overseeing approximately 50 frontline organisations
• Managing grant performance and day-to-day delivery
• Collecting and reporting data
• Coordinating with the MoJ and an external evaluator
• Facilitating collaboration and data-sharing across funded organisations
The successful intermediary will enter into a Primary Grant Agreement with MoJ by early November 2025. The MoJ may direct funding into specific categories aligned with user needs and delivery models.
Eligibility for grant intermediary/administrator role:
Applicants must be:
• A charity or institution (other than a charity) which is established for
charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes.
It is strongly desirable that prospective intermediaries also:
• Are a specialist grant administrator.
• Have experience of administering grants in the legal support sector.
• Have sufficient resource to run a secondary competition across England and
Wales with up to 200 applications within 3-4 months.
• Have experience of working closely with data analysts and an independent
evaluator, or the capability to do so, to provide data and reports as required
Total value (estimated)
- £18,000,000 excluding VAT
- £18,000,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 November 2025 to 31 March 2029
- 3 years, 5 months
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 79100000 - Legal services
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Engagement
Engagement deadline
18 June 2025
Engagement process description
For more information and to feedback at this stage please join our early virtual market engagement session at 3-4PM on Wednesday 25 June. During the session the likely requirements for the grant intermediary will be outlined, and potential intermediaries will have an opportunity to share feedback to help shape this offer, followed by a designated period to raise further questions, and which will help determine how we take this forward. For further details and to be added to a mailing list, please contact MoJProcurementProfessionalServices@Justice.gov.uk with subject prj_14648 - Legal Support Grant Funding by Wednesday 18 June.
Participation
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Contracting authority
Ministry of Justice
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PDNN-2773-HVYN
102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9AJ
United Kingdom
Contact name: MoJ Procurement Professional Services Category
Email: MoJProcurementProfessionalServices@Justice.gov.uk
Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/procurement
Region: UKI32 - Westminster
Organisation type: Public authority - central government