Procurement Act 2023 & Blue Light Suppliers
A major change to procurement
The Procurement Act 2023, implemented 24 February 2025, is the largest overhaul of procurement regulations in a generation and is mandatory for all public contracting authorities. It aims to bring great benefits to both the public sector and suppliers, drive innovation, deliver better outcomes and embed transparency right through the commercial lifecycle, so everyone can access procurement data and see how public money is spent.
It's designed to:
- Boost transparency
- Create more flexible procurement processes, aligned to the marketplace, product or service
- Increase supplier engagement
- Help level the playing field for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises
- Strengthen provisions for prompt payments
- Create more flexible commercial frameworks, giving suppliers improved access
- Develop compliance and complaints processes and consideration of national security and debarment issues
- Simplify the bidding process with a new central digital platform, so suppliers can register their details once for multiple bids, find a tender and see all opportunities in one place
Why these changes matter to you:
This is a pivotal time for anyone involved in public sector procurement.
Suppliers to blue light services will need to understand the changes and new processes which apply to all new procurement opportunities published on or after 24 February 2025.
BlueLight Commercial has been working with the Cabinet Office, on behalf of Police and Fire services with training, new processes and policies to support implementation across the sector.
Below are some useful resources to help you understand the new regulations and what you need to do.
Government Central Digital Platform
You will need to register as a current or potential supplier on the new Government Central Digital Platform, a tool for all contracting authorities and suppliers.
In the event of registration or access issues please contact: tppdigital@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
In addition to the Central Digital Platform you will need to sign up to eSenders, such as InTend, to participate in procurements. If you are already registered there is no need for any further action.
Resources
Familiarise yourself with the Act and the changes you will need to make with these useful resources.
NEW: Cabinet Office Information and Guidance - click here for their Procurement Act support materials in one place.
Supplier Training and Webinars
In addition to Cabinet Office resources we are hosting supplier training and webinar events for blue light suppliers, including specific ones for micro and small businesses and VCSEs. Below you will find recordings of recent webinars to watch on demand.
When new webinars are scheduled we will update this section with information and the registration link, and post details on our LinkedIn page.
Supplier Webinar Recordings
BlueLight Commercial Webinar, August 2024
In this online session we were joined by Gillian Askew from Go4Growth, who specialise in helping businesses to improve their skills and understanding in public sector procurement.
Suppliers can find an update on the latest developments of the Act, a review of some key changes from the supplier's perspective and the answer to the question "what do these changes mean for my business?".
Emergency Services Times Supplier Webinar, September 2024
Chaired by Catherine Leven, Editor, Emergency Services Times, this session answered questions from suppliers, helping them to learn about the features of the new central digital platform, understand the streamlined bidding process and explore the benefits you can take advantage of before the changes in February, along with social value considerations and more.
Click on the image to access the webinar recording and register for CPD.
BlueLight Commercial Webinar, November 2024
This event included an update on the latest developments of the Act, revisited some of the key changes from a supplier's perspective and answered the question "how can we best prepare for the new procurement regulations?".
We also discussed the new Central Digital Platform and hosted a Q&A session to end the meeting.
Click here to download the meeting slides (PDF).
Click here to download the Q&A report (CSV).