Contracts & Procurement in Education - Law, Compliance & Risk

Introduction

Education institutions across the UK, including schools, further education colleges and universities, operate within complex regulatory and funding frameworks while managing significant expenditure on goods, services and software critical to teaching delivery, operational efficiency and estate management.

This new virtual classroom seminar is designed for lawyers advising or working within the education sector. It examines how contractual frameworks underpin procurement activity in education and the extent to which compliance with Department for Education funding conditions, public procurement law and (where applicable) international obligations constrains and shapes commercial decision-making.

Participants will develop a structured understanding of how contractual arrangements should be designed, negotiated and managed to ensure legal compliance, value for money and effective risk allocation. The session will also consider the interaction between internal governance frameworks (including contract procedure rules) and external procurement obligations and how these collectively influence institutional decision-making.

Register today to enhance your expertise in education-sector procurement and contract law and to ensure your clients or institution are equipped to enter into robust, compliant and risk-managed supplier agreements.

What You Will Learn

This live and interactive session will cover the following:

• How schools and colleges use commercial contracts and what the Department for Education (‘DfE’) expects under funding rules
• Understanding the distinction between grants and contracts and why getting this right matters
• The role of internal contract procedure rules and public procurement regulations in shaping compliant purchasing decisions
• Key considerations in commercial agreements, including identifying risks and prioritising negotiation points
• How to secure contractual benefits effectively, including the appropriate use of termination and ‘exit’ clauses
• Managing intellectual property rights within educational and supplier contracts
• Responding when issues arise - handling contractual disputes and exercising termination rights appropriately

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.