MOBILIST: Legal Services & Specialist Advise

Location

United Kingdom

Description

MOBILIST: Legal & Specialist Advise provides specialist legal and commercial advisory services to support the FCDO’s MOBILIST programme, which undertakes complex cross‑border capital‑markets transactions and due‑diligence activities across multiple jurisdictions. The supplier delivers legal opinions, due‑diligence reviews, regulatory compliance advice, SPV governance support, and negotiation assistance for brokerage, custody and investment agreements. These services ensure that MOBILIST transactions are structured lawfully, protect FCDO’s financial and legal interests, and comply with UK procurement and regulatory requirements. The contract enables continuity of expert support for active and emerging investment workstreams and underpins the safe delivery of the programme’s investment and market‑building objectives.

Total Quantity or Scope

The procurement concerns the provision of specialist legal and commercial advisory services to support the FCDO’s MOBILIST programme. The original contract was awarded as a Direct Award under the CCS Legal Services Panel Framework RM6179, Lot 2 (Finance and Complex Legal Services), following receipt of a single bid in accordance with the framework rules. The contract is delivered on a time‑and‑materials basis using approved maximum chargeable rates. The nature of the services includes specialist legal advice, comprising legal due‑diligence reviews, legal opinions on transaction structures and enforceability, regulatory and compliance advice, governance support for special‑purpose vehicles, and negotiation of investment, brokerage, custody, and other commercial agreements in multiple jurisdictions.

Award Detail

Renewal Options

The contract included options for flexibility, with agreement from both FCDO and Supplier. These options allowed for an increase in the contract duration by up to 12 months based up an annual spend of £250,783.40 (previously exercised). This modification is a value increase only and will raise the current contract value by £60,000 (ex VAT), from £752,350.20 (ex VAT) to £812,350.20 (ex VAT).

CPV Codes

• 75211200 - Foreign economic-aid-related services

Indicators

• Options are available.

Legal Justification

The Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) intends to award £60,000 (ex VAT) financial uplift to MOBILIST: Legal Services & Specialist Advise contract with Dentons UK and Middle East LLP. This amendment is for the finalisation of ongoing commissioned work only. The award of this contract modification without prior publication is deemed lawful under Regulation 72(1)(b) PCR 2015. This provision permits contracting authorities to modify an existing contract without triggering a new procurement procedure where additional services have become necessary, the change could not have been foreseen by a diligent contracting authority, and changing supplier cannot be carried out for economic or technical reasons without causing significant inconvenience or substantial duplication of costs. In this case, the additional legal services required for the MOBILIST programme meet all the conditions set out in Article 72(1)(b).The additional services were not foreseeable at the time of contract award. The original framework call‑off was based on a projected legal demand aligned to a modest and predictable investment pipeline. Following award, the MOBILIST pipeline expanded significantly beyond original expectations. This material increase in volume and complexity could not reasonably have been foreseen during the original procurement. Changing supplier would cause substantial duplication of costs and significant operational risk. The incumbent supplier has developed detailed programme‑specific knowledge, is actively engaged in multiple ongoing transactions, and is currently completing due‑diligence and advisory work already commissioned. Changing supplier mid‑process would require extensive onboarding, re‑performance of work, and reconstruction of legal and transactional history, resulting in significant duplication of cost and time. It would also expose the authority to operational, financial, and legal risks and a lapse in essential foreign‑jurisdiction legal coverage. The modification does not alter the overall nature of the contract. The uplift relates solely to financial continuity for work already commissioned. It does not alter the scope, duration, deliverables, technical characteristics, KPIs, or personnel. No new activities beyond the original purpose, specialist legal advisory support for MOBILIST investment activities are being introduced. The value of the modification remains within the permitted threshold. The uplift of £60,000 (ex VAT) represents less than 50% of the original contract value, in line with the quantitative limits permitted under Article 72(1)(b) and PCR Regulation 6 (valuation methodology). The modification is therefore compliant with proportionality and threshold requirements. A new procurement procedure is already planned for future requirements. The modification is strictly time‑limited and serves only as a temporary bridge until a compliant procurement is completed. It therefore does not circumvent competition but preserves continuity until a new competitive or compliant route is executed.

Other Information

This amendment is for ongoing finalisation of commissioned work only The Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) intends to award £60,000 (ex VAT) financial uplift to MOBILIST: Legal Services & Specialist Advise contract with Dentons UK and Middle East LLP. This amendment is for the finalisation of ongoing commissioned work only. The award of this contract modification without prior publication is deemed lawful under Regulation 72(1)(b) PCR 2015. This provision permits contracting authorities to modify an existing contract without triggering a new procurement procedure where additional services have become necessary, the change could not have been foreseen by a diligent contracting authority, and changing supplier cannot be carried out for economic or technical reasons without causing significant inconvenience or substantial duplication of costs. In this case, the additional legal services required for the MOBILIST programme meet all the conditions set out in Article 72(1)(b).The additional services were not foreseeable at the time of contract award. The original framework call‑off was based on a projected legal demand aligned to a modest and predictable investment pipeline. Following award, the MOBILIST pipeline expanded significantly beyond original expectations. This material increase in volume and complexity could not reasonably have been foreseen during the original procurement. Changing supplier would cause substantial duplication of costs and significant operational risk. The incumbent supplier has developed detailed programme‑specific knowledge, is actively engaged in multiple ongoing transactions, and is currently completing due‑diligence and advisory work already commissioned. Changing supplier mid‑process would require extensive onboarding, re‑performance of work, and reconstruction of legal and transactional history, resulting in significant duplication of cost and time. It would also expose the authority to operational, financial, and legal risks and a lapse in essential foreign‑jurisdiction legal coverage. The modification does not alter the overall nature of the contract. The uplift relates solely to financial continuity for work already commissioned. It does not alter the scope, duration, deliverables, technical characteristics, KPIs, or personnel. No new activities beyond the original purpose, specialist legal advisory support for MOBILIST investment activities are being introduced. The value of the modification remains within the permitted threshold. The uplift of £60,000 (ex VAT) represents less than 50% of the original contract value, in line with the quantitative limits permitted under Article 72(1)(b) and PCR Regulation 6 (valuation methodology). The modification is therefore compliant with proportionality and threshold requirements. A new procurement procedure is already planned for future requirements. The modification is strictly time‑limited and serves only as a temporary bridge until a compliant procurement is completed. It therefore does not circumvent competition but preserves continuity until a new competitive or compliant route is executed.