Procure
Procurement Act
What is the benefit to public sector organisations?
The Procurement Act 2023 brings many opportunities for the “Procure” stage of the journey. The Act will simplify how we approach procurement by amalgamating the different procedures present in the current regulations (Open Procedure, Restricted Procedure and others) into two procedures: an Open Procedure and a Competitive Flexible Procedure. There is also a change in how tenders will be evaluated. A contract will be awarded when a tender is considered a “most advantageous tender” rather than a “most economically advantageous tender”.
The new Act also brings new, flexible frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems, removing barriers of entry to SMEs and allowing authorities to access best in class suppliers without being locked into a framework with the same suppliers for four years.
Overall, the changes will allow contracting authorities more flexibility in how they structure procurements, as long as they meet the principles of transparency and equal treatment.
UK Cabinet Office Guidance
The UK Cabinet Office has published guidance documents for the sections of the Procurement Act 2023 that are relevant to the Procure phase.
To see the guidance visit the Procurement Act 2023 guidance documents – Procure phase.