On October 26 2023 the landmark Procurement Bill was granted Royal Assent, marking the largest changes in UK public procurement regulations seen to date.
The Transforming Public Procurement (TPP) programme aims to improve public procurement regulation to save the taxpayer money and drive social, environmental and economic benefits across the UK.
Each year around £300bn is spent on public sector procurement. This includes spend on:
• goods: such as office equipment or hospital beds
• works: the building and maintenance of roads, schools, and major infrastructure projects
• services: adult social care, waste management, and technology services
Crown Commercial Service (CCS) powers procurement across the entire public sector and helps customers get better value for money from their procurement of goods and services.
What is the Procurement Act 2023?
Our current procurement regulations are governed by the EU. When the UK left the EU in 2020, the government wanted to create a simpler and more flexible, commercial system that better meets our country’s needs.
This means that from Autumn 2024, the regulations that govern how money is spent on public sector goods, works and services will change.
The Cabinet Office is leading the TPP programme. Visit the Transforming Public Procurement webpage for more detailed information on how you can prepare for implementing the new regime.
What is CCS doing to prepare for the Act?
CCS’s dedicated project team will be implementing our own internal changes iteratively until the new regulations go live.
We have taken an organisation-wide approach to implementation and developed 5 workstreams that will cover:
1. Commercial activity: review all current and planned commercial opportunities
2. Standard operating procedures and policies: ensure they are robust future-proofed for the new regime
3. Guidance and information: review the documents that your teams and suppliers use and ensure they are current
4. Systems: consider the readiness of the organisation’s systems and what changes may be needed
5. People: ensure people understand Transforming Public Procurement and undertake the necessary training
We wanted to ensure CCS is ready to apply the new procurement rules immediately, and our customers can be confident that CCS commercial agreements will continue to drive value, remain compliant, and provide the intended flexibility under the new regime.
crowncommercial.gov.uk/ tpp-customer-guidance
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