Public procurement and state aid

Public Sector bodies are bound by certain rules and regulations when purchasing goods, works and services or when giving financial assistance to businesses.

Suzanne Hardie

Partner

Suzanne is a Partner, based in Edinburgh.

0131 247 1325

Contact me

suzanne.hardie@morton-fraser.com

The rules on public procurement and state aid are complex and, for businesses contracting with the public sector, it can often be difficult to know whether the purchasing body has broken those rules. Our team can steer you through these complex issues. There are strict time limits for challenging a procurement procedure and it is vital that you seek legal advice at the earliest possible opportunity.

Clear advice

We have experts who can help. The problem can often be interpreting the legal terminology being used. We will:

Cut through the jargon
Give you clear advice and
Recommend a way forward.

Given the tight timescales that can often be involved in procurement procedures, you can expect us to be accessible and direct in our approach.

Benefits we bring

We have considerable knowledge and experience in both procurement and state aid matters. We can guide you through the process and check your documentation to ensure that it is compliant.

We are also able to advise whether the purchasing body is likely to have breached the rules and speak to them to see whether a negotiated resolution can be reached (such as a re-run of the process) or assist in litigation matters should you ultimately decide to raise a challenge.

Our approach to fees

We recognise that the tendering process can be costly to your business and that you don’t want to throw good money after bad in challenging a process. To help you decide whether to pursue a challenge, wherever possible we will provide you with a fixed fee before starting the work. If we can't offer a fixed fee, we will give you a clear indication of fees based on an agreed scope of work.

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What our clients and peers say:

"They were very commercial and gave good early-stage advice on a speculative basis – they were looking long-term at the bigger perspective They provided strong guidance and support."

- Chambers & Partners