The new Procurement Act which comes into force on 24 February 2025 will introduce wide reaching changes to how Public Procurement is conducted and impacts Suppliers and Service Providers.
Procurement Reform 2025
Main impact
The introduction of a new Central Digital Platform where Suppliers must be registered in order to bid for Public Procurement Contracts.
Training and Information
The Cabinet Office have produced ‘The Official Transforming Procurement Knowledge Drops’ to provide organizations with a high-level overview of upcoming changes to the procurement regulations. These are a series of short video which offer advice and guidance on how to prepare for and effectively use the Procurement Act to its full potential. They are available for Organisations who deliver contracts to the UK public, utilities and defence sectors, or who wish to in the future. There are also sections specifically for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs).
Knowledge Drops
Drop 1
Overview of the Procurement Act 2023.
Aimed at suppliers who deliver contracts to the UK public, utilities and defence sectors, or new entrants who would like to do so in the future.
Designed to explain the key changes to the previous regulations, and how this may influence how you do business with the UK public, utilities or defence sectors.
Drop 2
Conflicts of Interest.
The new mandatory central digital platform and early market engagement.
The full range of value for money considerations that contracting authorities may use.
Changes to procurement procedures.
The introduction of new open frameworks and dynamic markets.
Drop 3
Changes to the supplier exclusion regime and the debarment list.
How contracts are awarded and managed.
New measures to ensure prompt payment.
Transparency ambition and notice publication requirements.
The Procurement Review Unit.
How you can prepare your organisation for these changes.
Links
For SMEs / VCSEs
In addition, the Cabinet Office has just added a new suite for SMEs to its short guides, videos and animations series which focus on the key benefits of the Procurement Act, covering timelines and suggested considerations and next steps for contracting authorities and suppliers.
Further information
The Cabinet Office have issued the following information for Suppliers wishing to register on the Central Digital Platform:
Notice to all suppliers: The Central Digital Platform: video guides and user manuals now available
On-boarding for contracting authorities to Find a Tender Service will begin from 27 January 2025. This is being coordinated across the public sector through implementation leads and sectoral leads. From 24 February 2025, suppliers will be able to register on the central digital platform – the new enhanced Find a Tender service.
To help prospective suppliers and other stakeholders prepare we have published video guides with accompanying PDF user manuals. These guides will give you an overview of the platform, the registration process, and the information you will be asked to provide so that when the time comes your registration will be straightforward.
You can access the videos through the dedicated TPP GOV.UK supplier page
You can keep up to date with the latest information on the Government’s Transforming Public Procurement website
Transforming Public Procurement
25 February 2025