Legal Advice Sustainability Scheme

(previously known as COEx)

Introducing the Legal Advice Sustainability Scheme (previously known as Centres of Excellence)

The Centres of Excellence (COEx) programme generated over a decade of learning about what specialist free legal advice organisations need to be sustainable.

Building on this evidence and following a comprehensive review of the programme that included input from a wide range of partners, including funded organisations, sector partners, independent consultants and funders, we’re pleased to be able to share details of the refreshed programme.

The Legal Advice Sustainability Scheme (LASS) – formerly known as the Centres of Excellence – is the next phase of our support for the advice sector, designed for specialist free legal advice organisations providing support in London and the South East.

LASS retains the core strengths of COEx — long‑term thinking, trust‑based relationships and unrestricted funding — while introducing a clearer, phased and adaptable framework for the future. The scheme combines unrestricted funding with tailored support to help organisations strengthen their long‑term sustainability.

Through LASS, LLST will be able to:

Welcome small cohorts of new partners through regular main grants rounds – offering grants of £75k spread over 5 years alongside tailored consultancy support
Provide access to ongoing support for all our existing COEx organisations, and any new partners, through a LASS Alumni Network which will include:
- Tailored organisational consultancy and development support
- Training, learning and peer‑support opportunities
- Access to unrestricted funding through our Alumni funding pot

The first ‘Main Grants’ round will open for applications in September 2026.

Further details around the criteria and priority areas will be published nearer the time. Please click here to register your interest.

COEx Annual Report 2025

Each year, COEx partners (now LASS Alumni) complete a survey to help us understand how the organisations are doing, the challenges they’re facing and the support they need. The COEx Annual Report 2025 brings together data and insight from all 42 of our existing partners, showing a clear picture of rising demand, increasing case complexity, unstable funding and ongoing workforce pressures.

While the survey data is primarily used to inform LLST’s own support offer, the report draws out key insights from the findings that we believe are of broader interest. It does not present the full dataset, but a selection of themes and observations relevant to the wider sector.

You can read the 2025 report here

“The funding from LLST helped us to survive a very difficult year, marked by low and reducing public sector funding and the loss of long-standing grant funding from trusts.”

“It’s great to be part of a network of other organisations, with all the shared information and opportunities to learn more. The funding enables us to keep our doors open!”