The UK Procurement Act is the most significant shift in public procurement law in a decade.

As it comes into effect, after being delayed until February 24th 2025, suppliers to the public sector need to understand the changes and how they can adapt to remain competitive. 

We are proactively updating our public sector pipeline generation platform to help suppliers navigate these regulatory shifts with greater transparency, flexibility, and efficiency. The key drivers of the Procurement Act include:

• A more straightforward, flexible commercial system – Making procurement processes less rigid while maintaining compliance with international obligations.
• Opening procurement to new entrants – Enabling more small businesses and social enterprises to bid for public sector contracts.
• Embedding transparency throughout the commercial lifecycle – Ensuring taxpayers’ money is spent with greater accountability and scrutiny.

This blog post highlights the key updates we are making to our product and how they will support users as the Procurement Act goes live.

[Read more about the key changes suppliers should know before February 24th and how they can prepare for this transition. Click here to download our Procurement Act 2023 go-live playbook.]

Understanding the Procurement Act: What’s changing?

More straightforward and more flexible routes to market

The Act streamlines procurement by reducing four sets of regulations and about seven competitive procedures to two main routes - the traditional open procedure and the new competitive flexible procedure.

Framework agreements have also been revised, with conventional frameworks capped at four years, open frameworks extended to eight years with annual updates, and dynamic markets (formerly DPS) introduced to cater to niche and specialist procurements.

Greater transparency throughout the procurement lifecycle

Enhanced transparency is a key feature of the Act. A single ID will now link all notices related to a procurement process, ensuring a clear, sequential record.

New notice types, such as those for procurement termination, contract extension, and payment compliance, alongside additional documentation like redacted contracts, assessment summaries, and success KPIs, provide comprehensive insight into each stage.

The introduction of a Central Digital Platform (CDP)

The government is launching a Central Digital Platform (CDP) to serve as a single supplier registration point, eliminating the need for repeated questionnaires across different buyers. This aims to reduce administrative burdens and simplify the supplier registration process.

Enhanced enforcement measures

Stricter enforcement mechanisms have been introduced to ensure compliance and prevent malpractice. A new procurement review unit will oversee adherence to regulations, while a supplier exclusion and debarment list will help keep underperforming suppliers off the list. 

How Stotles is adapting its product to support suppliers

Our latest product updates are designed to address the four aforementioned changes by offering clear guidance, minimising disruption, and helping suppliers capitalise on new market opportunities as the Procurement Act goes live.

A more detailed view of procurement stages

Our primary aim is to simplify the transition for suppliers. We are updating our platform to integrate all the new data points published via the central digital platform.

This means that whether you’re dealing with contract awards or transparency notices, you won’t need to decipher the complexities yourself. 

When you log into the Stotles platform on or after the 24th of February, you’ll find all relevant market data in a consistent, easy-to-understand format.

Pipeline notices

Gain early insight into buyers’ commercial pipelines – up to 18 months in advance. Although mandatory publication via Find a Tender starts on 1 April, many organisations have shared this information in various formats. We’ve taken the initiative to collect and standardise these details into a single resource you can access immediately.

Additionally, you can see which pipeline notices are currently available using our publicly available procurement pipeline notices page, which contains relevant re-procurements and new contracts coming to market in 2024/2025.

Enhanced contract details

We will display additional details for contracts above the designated threshold, such as whether contracts are being extended or terminated early, and even include redacted versions of the commercial documents. 

This level of detail means you can confidently track whether a contract is active or nearing the end and better anticipate when a buyer might return to the market.

One comprehensive timeline

We understand that piecing together disparate data points can be challenging. That’s why we are introducing a new feature: a single timeline that presents every phase of a procurement process from start to finish. 

This unified view lets you quickly identify the most recent updates and fully understand the process.

Our commitment is to keep you informed and ensure your access to vital market insights remains uninterrupted.

Looking Ahead

Beyond the initial updates, we are also preparing for additional changes that will further enrich the platform:

Contract performance: Soon, you’ll be able to see detailed performance metrics for active contracts, helping you understand which suppliers are excelling in the eyes of buyers.

Supplier and exclusion lists and payment compliance notices: These enhancements will provide further transparency, particularly aiding SMEs in assessing potential business partners.

By taking these steps, Stotles ensures that the transition under the Procurement Act is as smooth as possible and positions you to make informed decisions, save time, and ultimately win more government contracts.

Want to see how Stotles can help your business navigate the Procurement Act changes? Book a demo today.