Kate Davies, winner of the inaugural Rosie Choueka Memorial Essay Prize, was presented with her prize at the Chancellor’s Hall, Senate House, London on 17 November 2016. Kate, a trainee at Bevan Brittan LLP at the time of submitting her essay and now at Osborne Clarke, presented a summary of her essay to a large audience at the PLA’s autumn event, including Rosie’s husband and parents.

Prizes were also awarded to Lydia Stone-Fewings (Shakespeare Martineau) (runner-up) and Emma Healiss (Keating Chambers) (third).

Congratulations to the prize winners and thank you to all who submitted an essay. Thanks also to PLA committee member Anthony Woolich (Holman Fenwick Willan LLP) for so successfully managing the inaugural competition and to David McGowan (Maclay Murray & Spens LLP) and Peter Ware (Browne Jacobson LLP) for their support in marking the essays. Copies of the submitted essays can be obtained via the links below:

Winner: Kate Davies, Trainee Solicitor, Bevan Brittan: “To what extent are contracting authorities obliged to moderate scores as part of evaluation of bids, and how should contracting authorities approach moderation?”

Runner-up: Lydia Stone-Fewings, Trainee Solicitor, Shakespeare Martineau: “Will the change in evaluation award criteria under the new Procurement Directive make any difference in practice?”

3rd place: Emma Healiss, Pupil Barrister, Keating Chambers: ““Into the Woods”-A consideration of two judgments in Woods Building Services v Milton Keynes Council“.

Martin Brown, Paralegal, Anthony Collins Solicitors: “To what extent have changes to tender evaluation in public procurement facilitated increased access for SME’s?”

Shane Hubbard, Trainee Solicitor, Sharpe Pritchard: “To identify and assess the present-day challenges facing Contracting Authorities when evaluating tenders in light of austerity pressures, organisational difficulties, advances in bidder empowerment and procedural efficiency reforms.”

Miriam Mbah, Student, Bangor University: “Has the distinction between the selection and award criteria been laid to rest?”

John Morgan, Trainee Solicitor, Brodies LLP: ‘“Internal protectionism in Europe would be deadly, really a disaster for European economies”- Jose Manuel Barroso.’