The Procurement Act 2023

Overview

• New regime is now in effect
• The Procurement Act 2023 will apply to all procurements which have been published after Monday 24 February 2025
• Procurements already in progress or calls offs from frameworks which were procured prior to this date will remain subject to the Public Contract Regulations 2015

What has changed?

• Central Digital Platform (Find a Tender Service) – for all contracts over £25,000 in value, Torbay Council requires suppliers to be registered on the Central Digital Platform. 
• All public contracting organisations are now using the same platform, which means that all public sector procurement opportunities are in one place
• Suppliers now have improved visibility via Find a Tender, including advertised below threshold opportunities
• There is greater transparency of who is bidding for and winning contracts above £5 million, copies of these contracts and their associated KPIs will also be published
• The Find a Tender platform and standardised sections of procurement documentation provide a simplified bidding process
• The new regime offers the ability to award flexible Framework agreements meaning that they are not locked in with the same suppliers for their full duration and suppliers have an opportunity to join a framework at various points during its term
• Use of the central platform and flexible frameworks, along with a change from Most Economically Advantageous Tender to Most Advantages Tender (MEAT to MAT) will help to level the playing field for SMEs and VCSEs

Government information and guidance for suppliers

The Cabinet Office has created a dedicated supplier information page which includes a recording of a recently hosted webinar. The webinar focussed on the key changes for suppliers and featured a live demonstration of the central digital platform. Please bookmark this page and remember to check back for further updates.

Find information and guidance for suppliers on the government website.