Public procurement is a busy field; probably busier than you might expect. It’s also pretty exciting with a full calendar of events to look forward to. We’ve earmarked some of the most interesting events to add to your calendar.
Let’s start with the Procurement Act 2023 because it’s probably the biggest item on everyone’s radar.
The New Public Procurement Policy
On the 26th of October 2023, the Public Procurement Bill received Royal Assent and became the Procurement Act 2023. This got the ball rolling for the new procurement policy, and in November 2023 knowledge drops and short guides were made available. The short guides are primarily intended for suppliers and senior leaders in public procurement.
A rough timeline for the changes to procurement legislation is below.
February 2024
Official policy notes for the new government procurement policy published.
March 2024
Secondary legislation for the new public procurement law is finalised and laid before Parliament.
Self-guided e-learning products released. Successful completion of the modules results in Skilled Practitioner Certification.
May 2024
Communities of Practice – a system of collective, critical inquiry and reflection regarding the changes in procurement regulation – will be launched.
October 2024
The Procurement Act 2023 officially comes into effect. The launch may be carried out in stages to make it easier to adjust to the new procurement rules.
Significant Public Procurement-Related Dates in the First Half of 2024
There are several procurement conferences throughout the year, we’re just going to look at the procurement networking events for the first six months of the year.
12 March 2024
The UK Infrastructure Show (UKIS) will be held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham.
The theme is Creating New Opportunities in the £800 billion Public Infrastructure Sector and it includes:
- Future Pipelines: Main investment plans for major public procurement projects and programmes.
- Supply Chain Development: Helping buyers protect their supply chains throughout the procurement process and helping suppliers navigate the public sector landscape.
- Sustainability and Social Value: Sustainable infrastructure projects contribute to the government’s environmental and net zero objectives. Suppliers provide social value to support central government departments’ objectives.
- Portfolios and Case Studies: Current status of programmes and projects, including innovations that drive programmes and public sector projects forward.
- Market Insights: Better engagement between buyers and suppliers to facilitate procurement activity, as well as how prevailing economic conditions and policy changes will affect procurement opportunities going forward.
12 March 2024
The Procurement Act Expo, in partnership with the Cabinet Office.
It will be held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham.
Anyone (everyone) affected by the Procurement Act 2023 should attend to find out more about the changes to the public sector procurement industry.
It’s open to the public and private sectors. The event is free for public and third-sector organisations and provides access to all features.
Tickets for private sector organisations cost £145+VAT. In addition to all the features, ticket holders all receive a catering package.
27 March 2024
Defence Procurement, Research, Technology & Exportability (DPRTE).
The event will be held at the Farnborough International E&CC and will target an audience from the defence and security sector.
Themes include:
- Science & Innovation: The effect the Integrated Review Refresh 2023 will have on the defence sector, including the innovation required to successfully participate nationally and internationally.
- Digital & Technology: The effect the updated Defence Command Paper will have on productivity and how technology will create opportunities in the supply chain.
- Equipment & Supplies: How the defence sector uses the latest defence and security sector equipment and supplies to boost national security against local and global threats.
- Infrastructure & Estates: Approximately £3 billion is spent on construction and infrastructure annually. The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) creates contract opportunities for suppliers in the armed forces.
23 April 2024
Procurex Ireland will be held at the RDS in Dublin, targeting the Public and Private sectors. The aim is to connect buyers, suppliers, and interested parties to increase skills development, networking, and collaboration opportunities. Attendees also get insight into future developments.
Three Skills Zones help attendees develop the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver future public services and developments.
- Sustainable Procurement: Enabling buyers and suppliers to leverage sustainability and social value to fit in with the Irish Government’s Green Procurement Process and hit net zero targets by 2050.
- Procurement Skills: How can stakeholders adapt to changes in public procurement processes in Ireland? Developing the skills to ensure everything runs smoothly in the supply chain in terms of delivery and quality.
- Market Engagement: How can suppliers leverage engagement to better meet public authorities’ criteria, especially regarding innovation, cost-savings, efficiency, and transparency?
25 April 2024
Procurement Event for Health (P4H) Scotland, held at Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Connects public sector buyers and suppliers in the healthcare procurement industry in Scotland – which is worth over £2.5 billion per year.
The theme is Working Together for the People of Scotland and focuses on the latest developments, innovation, collaboration, and networking for the public and private sectors.
16 May 2024
Procurex National is the UK’s leading public procurement event. This year it will be held at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool.
The event includes Certified Skills Development (CPD), networking, and collaboration opportunities in the UK’s public procurement marketplace – worth £393 billion annually.
There are six Skills Develop Zones for public sector organisations to dive into some of the more pressing challenges in the current environment.
- Social Value & Net Zero: Criteria for public sector buyers and suppliers to reach sustainability and net zero targets and how social value can enhance public procurement processes.
- Future of Procurement: How the new Procurement Act and tech developments can drive public sector organisations forward.
- Social Housing Procurement: The most efficient procurement processes and frameworks that meet sustainability requirements, while ensuring compliance and cost-effectiveness.
- Market Engagement: How early engagement promotes relationships between buyers and suppliers across all sectors, including health, education, and defence and identifies new procurement opportunities.
- Procurement Excellence: Sessions with GO Award winners on delivering successful projects and how to increase earnings using similar procurement processes.
- Procurement Leaders: Sessions from procurement leaders regarding in-demand skills, the benefits of diversity, and the potential effects of the General Election.
16 May 2024
GO Awards
The GO Awards, the most prestigious awards in public procurement, will be held at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool. It recognises standout performances in public, private and third-sector organisations.
17 – 18 June
Public Procurement: Global Revolution 2024, held at the East Midlands Conference Centre, The University of Nottingham, University Park Campus.
The event boasts public procurement experts from around the world, representing all major stakeholders, including lawyers, consultants, buyers, and academics.
Themes include:
- Human rights and due diligence
- Dispute avoidance and alternative dispute resolution
- Supply security
- Procurement and AI
- Sustainability and climate change
- Collaborative procurement
Themes specific to the EU/UK include:
- The New Procurement Act
- Social value
- Defence and healthcare
- Innovation
Tender Submission Deadlines
Let’s take a look at important deadlines or timeframes for the different types of public sector procurement procedures.
PIN Procedures
PIN (Prior Information Notice) is used when contracting authorities want to shorten the timescale in contract awards. The option is available for open and restricted procedures, as well as competitive procedures with negotiation.
- Open procedures: Shortened to 15 days
- Restricted and competitive procedures with negotiation: Shortened to 10 days.
Open Procedures
As above, a PIN notice shortens the public procurement timescale from 35 days to 15 days.
Other open procedure timescales include:
- The minimum time for electronic submission is 30 days.
- The standstill period is 10 – 15 days.
- Contract award notices are published on Find a Tender within 30 days of awarding the contract.
- Contract award notices are published on Contracts Finder within 90 days of awarding the contract.
Restricted Procedures
The restricted procedure has two stages with different timescales.
Stage 1
Expression of interest: 30 days after the contract notice has been published on Find a Tender.
Contract notices must be published on Contracts Finder within 48 hours after the notice on Find a Tender has been confirmed.
Stage 2
Invitations to tender: 30 days after the invitation to tender documentation has been received.
- Electronic submissions have a minimum of 25 days to submit tenders.
- The standstill period is 10 – 15 days
- Contract award notices are published on Find a Tender within 30 days of awarding the contract.
- Contract award notices are published on Contracts Finder within 90 days of awarding the contract.
Competitive Procedure with Negotiation
This type of competitive procurement procedure follows the same timescale as the restricted procedures above.
Competitive Dialogue
This type of competitive procedure is similar to the procedures above, except for differences in stage two.
Stage 2
Submission of tenders: Dialogue enables buyers and suppliers to come to a mutually beneficial agreement about solutions. It’s not uncommon for the final solution developed to vary from the initial proposal.
There isn’t a minimum timeframe for official tender submission, within reason.
Innovation Partnership
Innovation partnerships also follow a two-stage process, which is marginally different from the others above.
Stage 1
Expressions of interest: Contracting authorities publish a notice that encourages potential suppliers to express interest in the procurement contract. Suppliers have 30 days to register their interest.
(PIN doesn’t apply)
Stage 2
Submission of tenders: Contracting authorities and suppliers negotiate to improve tender content. There is no minimum timeframe for the final tenders to be submitted, within reason.
Negotiated Procedure
There is no minimum period when there is no call for competition.
The contract award notice is published within 30 days of the award.
Contract Award Notices
All of the above have the same contract award notice period: 30 days
Framework agreements have a 30-day period that starts after the framework is published on Find a Tender. A contract award notice that uses framework agreements must be published on Contracts Finder within 90 calendar days of the award.
Dynamic purchasing systems (DPS)
There are two options.
1) A contract award notice is published on Find a Tender within 30 days.
2) Contract award notices can be grouped and published quarterly.
Extreme Urgency
During extreme urgency an accelerated procedure is available.
- For open procedures, the timeframe is 15 days.
- For restricted and competitive procedures with negotiation the response time is 15 days. The time for tender submission is 10 days.
- The negotiation procedure can be used in extreme urgency with no minimum period
Commercial Crown Services (CCS) Agreements
CCS publishes an updated list of commercial agreements for public sector suppliers:
- Procurements Recently Awarded, including Awarded Date and Live/Expected Live Date.
- Procurements in Progress, including Tender Closing Date and Expected Award Date.
- Dynamic Purchasing Systems Currently Open, including Live Date.
- Planned Procurements, including Tenders Open Date and Expected Live Date.
- Future Pipeline, including agreements intended to go live over the next three years.
Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023
The new Provider Selection Regime came into effect on the 1st of January 2024. It applies to NHS healthcare services that have a specific CPV code. Under the regime, specified NHS contracts can be awarded using direct award routes or the most suitable provider route.
New Procurement Thresholds
Public procurement thresholds for different contracting authorities and types of contracts are revised annually at the beginning of the year.
Thresholds for procurements starting on or after the 1st of January 2024:
Public Contracts Regulations 2015
Central Government Bodies Services/Goods £139,688 (inc. VAT)
Works £5,372,609 (inc. VAT)
Light Touch Regime £663,540 (inc. VAT)
Sub-Central Authorities Services/Goods £214,904 (inc. VAT)
Works £5,372,609 (inc. VAT)
Light Touch Regime £663,540 (inc. VAT)
Concession Contracts Regulations 2015
Procurements beginning on or after the 1st of January 2024.
New thresholds £5,372,609 (inc. VAT)
Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016
Services/Goods £429,809 (inc. VAT)
Works £5,372,609 (inc. VAT)
Defence & Security Public Contracts Regulation 2011
Services/Goods £426,955 (inc. VAT)
Works £5,336,937 (inc. VAT)
Keep An Eye On Bank Holidays
It’s always handy to know when you can and cannot contact government departments/organisations. As a rule, local and central government bodies are closed on bank holidays.
The 2024 bank holiday calendar looks like this:
New Year’s Day: Monday, 1 January
Good Friday: Friday 29 March
Easter Monday: Monday 1 April
Early May bank holiday: Monday 6 May
Spring bank holiday: Monday 27 May
Summer bank holiday: Monday 26 August
Christmas Day: Wednesday 25 December
Boxing Day: Thursday 26 December
What About The Space Between Public Procurement Events?
Government procurement can’t be all glad-handing and relationship-building. You have to put all the new ideas into action, refining the procurement process until you can be one of the leading event speakers and not just an attendee. While you’re implementing your procurement strategies, however, someone needs to ensure that news of your hard work gets to your target audience for maximum impact.
Cadence Marketing is an experienced B2G (business-to-government) marketing agency that develops tailor-made marketing solutions for your B2G business. Contact us for a free consultation and discover which of our public procurement services best suit your needs; email marketing, webinars, or market research.
