Recent Changes to Public Procurement Legislation
On 24 February 2025, the rules governing how public bodies purchase goods and services were updated.
There are four new separate legislative requirements which are as follows:
The introduction of The Procurement Act 2023 is a significant legislative reform aimed at transforming the UK's public procurement system. It aims to enhance and streamline procurement processes, benefiting suppliers of all sizes, especially small businesses, start-ups, and social enterprises.
The key points
The Act aims to:
- Deliver Value for Money
- Maximise Public Benefit
- Ensure Transparency
- Act with Integrity
Key changes
The Act introduces several important changes:
- Simplified Tender Process: The tender process is now more flexible and streamlined.
- Increased Visibility: Greater transparency in procurement activities.
- Market Engagement: Enhanced engagement with the market.
- Prompt Payments: Ensuring timely payments to suppliers.
- Consistent Feedback: Providing consistent feedback and debriefs to suppliers.
- Alignment with National and Local Objectives: Meeting both national and local procurement needs.
Central Digital Platform (CDP)
A central digital platform has been established to facilitate the publishing of required notices and documents. All companies wishing to do business with the Council, must register on this platform.
Failure to complete your registration will result in your organisation losing eligibility to tender for new contract opportunities.
Registration process
Companies need to provide the following information as part of the registration process:
- Basic Information: Name, address, Companies House number, VAT number, relevant qualifications, and whether the organisation is an SME, VCSE, or public mutual.
- Financial Information: Copies of recent financial completed accounts.
- Connected Persons: Details of individuals or organisations with significant control over the supplier.
- Exclusions: Information on any discretionary or mandatory exclusions as per the Act.
Support is available for suppliers on the registration process using the following link:
Sharing information
When bidding for Â鶹ÊÓƵ Tender opportunities, suppliers must provide their unique share code:
Share Code - This is a unique code generated from your central digital platform account. The code will need to be populated within the relevant fields of your tender response.
Failure to provide your current share code will result in your organisation losing eligibility to tender for the opportunity.
Updating information
Suppliers must ensure their information on the central digital platform is accurate and all changes are made prior to generating a new share code.
Support and guidance
The UK Government has launched several resources to help suppliers understand and comply with the new regulations, including:
- Guides and Factsheets
- Knowledge Drop Videos
- Supplementary Guidance for SMEs
For more detailed information, you can refer to the official on the GOV.UK website.
- Factsheet explaining how the will work
- Dedicated videos giving you an overview of the key changes with versions for SMEs and VCSEs.
- to explain how Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises are defined
For further information or support with your registration or tender response, contact the Procurement Team:
Tel: 01495311556