With the Procurement Act 2023 set to go live on 24 February 2025, the Cabinet Office has been releasing guidance notes to help both contracting authorities and suppliers prepare. One of the more anticipated notes - Central Digital Platform and the Publication of Information - has now been published. As part of the reforms, the current Find a Tender system will be improved to create a Central Digital Platform. Specifically, the platform will: Simplify the procurement process for suppliers: Suppliers will only need to enter their information once, which can then be reused across multiple tende ..read more

Your guide to the Procurement Act 2023 with festive facts, key dates and practical resources for a smooth transition As the holiday season draws near, it’s a timely moment to unwrap the latest developments in the Procurement Act 2023 (the Act). In this festive edition of our legal insights, we highlight three festive facts about the upcoming changes and present three invaluable 'gifts' to help you prepare for the new procurement landscape. Festive Facts Countdown to change Mark your calendars - there are just 68 (as of 18.12.24) sleeps until 24 February 2025, the date the Act will come into f ..read more

The Procurement Act 2023 (the Act) introduces a range of reforms aimed at simplifying and enhancing transparency in the procurement process, which should be good news for suppliers. In Part 1 of our FAQs for suppliers , we covered key changes to the procurement process  and what suppliers can do to get ready for the Procurement Act. In Part 2,  we're diving into what suppliers need to be aware of at the selection and award stages -  this includes understanding the new debarment list, changes to contract award and standstill and what options are available to suppliers if things ..read more

With the Procurement Act 2023 now set to come into force on 24 February 2025, contracting authorities have been given an additional four-month extension to prepare. But with many organisations still far from ready, the question remains: 'why wait?' At a recent procurement webinar, 70% of delegates admitted they weren't ready for the Procurement Act's original start date of 28 October, with over 15% saying they still had a long way to go. It is likely that there were sighs of relief when on 12 September the Cabinet Office signaled a four-month delay to the introduction of the Act, intended to ..read more

The Procurement Act 2023 (the Act) introduces a range of reforms aimed at simplifying and enhancing transparency in the procurement process, which should be good news for suppliers. In this two-part blog series, we answer frequently asked questions to help you understand the impact of the Act and how to prepare. In Part 1, we will look at how the procurement process has changed for suppliers, from navigating the new Central Digital Platform to benefitting from the new transparency regime. Part 2 will cover the debarment list; contract award process and what options are available to suppliers ..read more

As part of the Transforming Public Procurement reform, the Government sought feedback on the secondary legislation that will sit under the Procurement Act 2023 (the Act). The Government's response to these consultations has now been published - Consultation on draft regulations to implement the Procurement Bill. The first part of the consultation focusses on areas of the Act such as the scope of light touch services, the interface with the NHS provider selection regime and application of the tests for the Teckal exemption for public to public contracts. Part 2 focusses on transparency, notice ..read more

The Cabinet Office has advised that the go-live date for the Procurement Act 2023 has been delayed into 2025. We have now had official confirmation from the Cabinet Office that the go-live date for the Procurement Act 2023 will be delayed until 24 February 2025, almost a 4 month delay. The reason for the delay is to allow time for a new National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPs) to be produced. After the change in Government earlier this year, the Government want to ensure the NPPS correctly aligns with their priorities. The previous NPPS will be withdrawn. As before, tenders started before ..read more

In this guide we offer practical insights into using frameworks under the new Procurement Act (the Act) and highlight some of the important changes introduced by the Act. Framework agreements are a useful tool for procuring common goods, services and works. However, there are some important legal and commercial considerations to ensure compliance with the correct process. We anticipate the following questions are likely to frequently arise, and hope the answers provided by our experts at VWV give you a head start in resolving any potential issues. If you want to call off under a framework, wh ..read more

This guidance is considered a valuable tool for reducing the risk of intervention—making it essential in the current climate. The guidance offers useful insight into areas such as the role of members, what you should expect from key officers, what does 'good' look like. It also breaks down the relationship between this framework, corporate peer challenge, best value standards, statutory interventions and Oflog. The guidance lists the following as 'the key principles of good assurance and accountability': Clarity: understand who is accountable for what Proportionality: assurance activity must ..read more

A comprehensive review of crucial guidance documents for navigating the procurement lifecycle under the new legislation. As part of the roll out of the new Procurement Act 2023 (the Act), the Cabinet Office is releasing a suite of 38 guidance documents. The guidance is intended to provide technical insights and assist with interpretation and understanding of the new Act. While the guidance is not statutory and thus non-binding, it offers a valuable understanding of the key changes and practical implications of the new provisions. The guidance documents have been split into the four key stages ..read more