On 24 February 2025, the rules that shape how public bodies buy goods and services will change. The Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023) will improve and streamline the way procurement is performed, and make the expenditure of public money easier to bid for, and more transparent.
The internal Procurement Regulations, Strategy, and all internal processes will change to ensure the University remains compliant with the legislation.
The major changes are that :
- Direct Awards (also known as Single Supplier Waivers) will have to be published and can be challenged
- All projects with a value over £30,000 inc. VAT will require Procurement involvement
- Tendering processes have changed
- Large value contracts must be published in a redacted form
- KPI’s and SLA performance must be published
- Payment information must be published
- A Procurement Pipeline of upcoming projects must be published
If you have any requirement with any supplier that is worth more than £30,000 inc. VAT, you must contact the Procurement Team at the earliest opportunity.
This is the most significant change to Public Sector Procurement since 1976, and reshapes procurement activity post-Brexit. It introduces significant obligations regarding transparency, openness and fairness, and equality of opportunity. It is a requirement to publish more information including redacted versions of contracts, KPI’s and SLA’s, and upcoming projects. Whilst the University currently operates above the current legislation, these requirements will formalise the expectations and increase the visibility of our contracts and supplier performance.
A Procurement Review Unit (PRU) will be established by the Crown Commercial Service that is, in effect, a central audit function for best practice in Procurement.
The Procurement Regulations and Strategy have therefore been updated and amended to meet the standards of the PA (2023) which should be regarded as a complete rewrite of the previous Regulations. Thresholds and processes have been updated and clarified.
The Team will commence information and training sessions regarding these Regulations and what they mean for you starting in March 2025.
Mark Reed
Assistant Director (Procurement)