CodeBase has been awarded a £3m UK Government contract to support the legal sector’s tech transformation alongside events firm LegalGeek.
The Edinburgh-headquartered tech incubator secured the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Lawtech grant to support the UK as a ‘world-leading destination for legal services’ and the growth of lawtech and innovation in the delivery of legal services.
The MoJ sees the growth of lawtech and innovation in the delivery of legal services as vital to a flourishing legal sector, and to ensuring that UK legal services remain a leading choice for international business. The MoJ announced a second phase of investment in the digital transformation of the UK’s legal sector in August. This new funding seeks to build on and continue the progress made to date by the LawtechUK programme.
From April, LawtechUK will be operated by CodeBase and LegalGeek, who will be responsible for driving forward and building on the work of the lawtech ‘delivery panel’, an industry-led body designed to promote and champion the use of technology in the UK’s legal sector.
The grant will allow CodeBase and Legal Geek to deliver a programme of activities which showcase the UK as a leading place for lawtech innovation. The consortium will grow the lawtech community across the UK, raise the quality of startups, increase private investment, facilitate the exchange of information between service providers and lawtech businesses, and generate industry-level views that shape the UK’s lawtech agenda.
Justice Minister Mike Freer said: “The UK is a world leader in delivering legal services and expertise, and our ongoing investment in new technologies will make sure we are continuing to lead the way in advances and new ways of working.
“CodeBase and Legal Geek bring a wealth of experience and knowledge of LawtechUK that will nurture new, cutting-edge innovation in the UK.”
Stephen Coleman, OBE, CEO of CodeBase, said: “Together with our delivery partners Legal Geek, who are renowned for delivering top-tier legal events, we are eager to push the boundaries of innovation and transformation in the legal industry.
“We truly believe that LawtechUK will have a significant impact on the future of the legal sector, and we feel privileged to be leading the charge in this endeavour.”
The announcement follows a series of wins for CodeBase, which will support Barclays Eagle Labs as delivery partner for the £12m Digital Growth Grant from April 2023, boosting small and scaling tech businesses in all corners of the UK. It was also appointed custodian of the Scottish Government’s £42m Techscaler programme in July 2022, which supports the growth of tech startups across Scotland.
CodeBase previously launched the Lawtech Bridge programme in partnership with Barclays Ventures in 2019. The programme was designed to break down the barriers between law firms and startups and provide a forum to discuss the technological advances and innovation that are needed to futureproof law in Scotland’s economy.