Legal Services Framework

National Energy System Operator (NESO) is awarding a framework agreement under competitive flexible procedure across a full range of legal services to support NESO's requirements and activities.

Suppliers will partner with the internal NESO Legal team to provide high quality advice and support NESO to meet its objectives.

The framework agreement is split into 2 Lots and amounts to £30.5m (including VAT):

LOT 1 - Energy Regulation & Frameworks

Advising on all aspects of the United Kingdom (UK) and, where relevant, European Union (EU) regulatory regimes and frameworks for gas and electricity, including sector-specific European legislation and rules (where relevant) and Great Britain (GB) primary and secondary legislation that impacts on or are relevant to the business activities of NESO (licensed and unlicensed). This includes:

1. Advising on the specific rules applicable to NESO, as well as on the regimes applicable to other sector participants including transmission networks, distribution networks, interconnectors, generators, storage and suppliers as are or may be relevant to NESO's activities.
2. Advising on matters relating to the interaction of the UK and EU regulatory regimes with the gas and electricity arrangements, including relationships with European institutions such as ENTSO-E and ENTSOG.
3. Advising on any innovation matters that arise as the gas and electricity markets and regulatory regimes develop.
4. Advising on all matters relating to the compliance with the UK and EU regulatory regimes for electricity and gas and how they impact on all the activities of NESO in Great Britain, including the impact on contractual arrangements NESO has with third parties.
5. Advising on the specific legal framework applicable to NESO as the designated independent system operator and planner under the Energy Act 2023 including:
5. Advising on the application of NESO's general statutory duties to its activities, including its duty to have regard to the Strategy and Policy Statement.
5. Advising NESO on the use of its power to request information.
5. Advising on NESO's independence requirements and requirements relating to conflict of interest.
6. Advising on the sector specific commercial arrangements relevant to NESO's energy activities, as set out in further detail below.

More specific areas within Lot 1 are detailed below - no subcontracting is allowed cross Lot 1 disciplines:

1. Electricity/ gas codes
2. Electricity connections
3. Balancing services (electricity)
4. Electricity interconnectors
5. Electricity Market Reform
6. Network competition
7. Gas markets
8. Developing/adapting to new energy legal frameworks
9. Licence change, investigations and other regulatory issues
10. Public Investigation and inquiry processes
11. Planning and major infrastructure projects
12. Information management (energy)
13. Public Law (energy)
14. Competition law and dawn raids (energy)
15. Litigation (energy)

The requirements for advice and support set out in this Lot 1 relate to both non-contentious and contentious matters unless expressly stated otherwise.

LOT 2 - GENERAL SERVICES

This lot includes advising NESO on all corporate and commercial aspects of its operations to support its organisational functions, taking into account NESO's status as a public corporation.

More specific areas within Lot 1 are detailed below -subcontracting permitted only for specific Lot 2 disciplines (Trademark & Patent Services, Pensions, and Insurance):

1. General commercial and transactions
2. Public procurement
3. Technology expertise (including Cyber Security, AI, ICT & IoT)
4. Innovation
5. Commercial property/ construction
6. Corporate
7. Finance
8. Intellectual Property (including trademark and patent services)
9. Health, safety and environmental
10. Employment
11. Pensions
12. Insurance (including insurance claims)
13. Information Management (non-energy)
14. Public Law (non-energy)
15. Competition law & dawn raids (non-energy)
16. Litigation (non-energy)

The requirements for advice and support set out in this Lot 2 relate to both non-contentious and contentious matters unless expressly stated otherwise.

Individual workpackages will be awarded to suppliers based on the call-off mechanism detailed in the framework agreement.