Centro, an organisation responsible for the delivery of public transport in the West Midlands, has launched a review of its legal framework valued at £5m.
The panel will be split into three lots with the largest lot requiring firms to provide advice over a full range of areas.
Firms wishing to apply for a position on the full service lot will be assessed on the advice they can provide over a number of areas. These areas are: property; procurement; public law; employment; dispute resolution; construction; and major projects.
Lot two will focus on regulatory advice related to transport. This will include heavy rail related regulatory matters as well as bus franchising powers and health and safety advice.
The third lot will cover Parliamentary Agents and will involve the drafting, promotion and opposition of private bills in parliament, such as Transport and Works Act Orders. Firms will also be required to represent Centro at relevant inquiries when appropriate.
Although applicants will be assessed on the main areas listed within the lots the scope of advice may increase following the introduction of the West Midland Combined Authority.
Centro has also asked firms to provide value added services such as training, staff development, secondments and access to research resources.
Centro primarily represents the seven metropolitan councils of the West Midlands: Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
Once the panel has been established Centro plans to allow all other local authorities in the UK to access the framework. This will include transport authorities in Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire. The panel will also be accessible to Transport for London and Transport for Greater Manchester.
The new panel line-up is set to replace the organisations existing framework, which is due to end in July 2016. The deadline for applications is 6 May 2016.