The Procurement Act 2023 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.
This is a pivotal time for anyone involved in public sector procurement.
Understanding the changes can position you to take full advantage of the new processes which will apply to all new 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.
As a supplier, you need to prepare for this significant change.
Below are some useful resources to help you prepare.
Familiarise yourself with the Act and the changes you will need to make with these useful resources.
We are hosting supplier training and webinar events, 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.
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?".
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.
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).
You will need to register as a current or potential supplier on the new Government Central Digital Platform - more news coming soon.
The Police Industry Charter sets the foundational principles upon which industry partners, whatever their product or services, together with UK policing can collectively adhere to.