What is the Procurement Act 2023?
The Procurement Act 2023 is a new law set to come into effect in England and Wales. Even though the new regulations are for England and Wales, our colleagues in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and other areas outside England and Wales can continue to benefit from the National LGPS Frameworks and act as Founding organisations.
The act aims to simplify and improve public procurement by:
- Making public procurement more flexible and transparent
- Introducing new opportunities that benefit suppliers of all sizes, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprises (VCSEs).
National Procurement Policy Statement
The National Procurement Policy Statement, laid in Parliament on 13 February, confirms that collaborative procurement agreements (such as the National LGPS Frameworks) are appropriate to ensure value for money. You can read the statement here.
When will the regulations change?
The Procurement Act 2023 is set to come into effect on 24 February 2025 in England and Wales.
As new National LGPS Frameworks are developed under the new regulations, we will be working with the Founding organisations to take advantage of the new provisions in the act where useful.
Remaining compliant with the right regulations
The act will apply to all new National LGPS Frameworks established after 24 February 2025. The new regulations are not retroactive, meaning Frameworks established before this date will remain unchanged and the Public Contracts Regulations (PCR) 2015 will continue to apply. This includes all contracts let under them.
User Guidance and Support
To support the new act, all user documentation will be updated to clearly show which regulations each National LGPS Framework is established under, including the obligations for users (for example, what notices contracting authorities will need to publish when calling off a framework established after 24 February 2025).
We are preparing a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document about the new regulations and how they affect the National LGPS Frameworks which will be available soon.
Information for Providers
The Government Commercial Function has provided a set of guidance videos and Knowledge Drops to provide a high level overview on the changes for Providers. You can find a link to these here.
Explore the National LGPS Frameworks
Click the below button to find out more about the National LGPS Frameworks.
