Public procurement
The Procurement Act 2023 for suppliers
On 24 February 2025 the Procurement Act 2023 replaced the older public procurement regulations for new procurements in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For manufacturers and engineering firms bidding for public contracts, including many defence contracts, it changed where you register, how bids are run and what you are told afterwards. This guide covers what suppliers need to do differently.
Not legal advice. The Act, its regulations and the Cabinet Office guidance on GOV.UK are the authoritative sources. Procurements that began under the old rules continue under them. Scotland has its own procurement regime for devolved Scottish authorities.
What changed, in one table
| Area | Under the Act | What it means for a supplier |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | A central digital platform (Find a Tender) with a unique identifier for every supplier | Register once and keep core information current |
| Procedures | An open procedure and a competitive flexible procedure; direct award only on set grounds | Read each tender notice for the stages the buyer has designed |
| Award basis | The "most advantageous tender", assessed against published award criteria | Price alone is rarely the whole story; read the weightings |
| Feedback | Assessment summaries for suppliers who submitted assessed tenders | Use them to improve the next bid |
| Standstill | A mandatory standstill period (eight working days in most cases) before most contracts are signed | The window in which to raise concerns about an award |
| Exclusions | Mandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds, and a central debarment list | Declare relevant matters and any steps taken to put them right |
| Frameworks | Standard frameworks and open frameworks that reopen to new suppliers | Missing one opening is no longer a long lockout |
| Dynamic markets | Replace dynamic purchasing systems | Join to be eligible for contracts awarded through them |
| Payment | 30-day payment terms implied into public contracts and flowed down to subcontracts | Applies across more of the supply chain |
| Performance | Key performance indicators published for larger contracts | Your delivery record becomes more visible |
Step 1: register on the central digital platform
- Choose an administrator. Cabinet Office guidance says each supplier should have one person set up the organisation account; that person can then add and approve colleagues.
- Register the organisation on Find a Tender. You receive a unique identifier, which buyers use to link your information to procurements and contracts.
- Enter core supplier information. This includes basic details, connected persons (such as people with significant control), and information relevant to exclusion grounds.
- Share it when you bid. When a buyer asks, you share your stored information rather than retyping it.
- Keep it current. Update it when directors, ownership or other details change, and confirm it is up to date when bidding.
GOV.UK publishes a short step-by-step guide for suppliers on registering an organisation and finding the unique identifier.
Step 2: understand the procedure in each notice
Under the open procedure, anyone can submit a tender in a single stage. Under the competitive flexible procedure, the buyer designs the stages, which can include shortlisting, negotiation and prototypes, and must explain them in the tender notice and associated tender documents. Read those documents first; the process is no longer one of a handful of fixed templates.
Direct award is allowed only on grounds set out in the Act, such as extreme urgency or where only one supplier can provide the goods. Buyers must publish a transparency notice before a direct award in most cases.
Step 3: check the exclusion grounds
The Act lists mandatory exclusion grounds (for example certain offences such as fraud and bribery) and discretionary ones (for example certain breaches of contract or professional misconduct). A buyer must also consider whether the grounds apply to "connected persons" and, in some cases, to subcontractors you rely on. If a ground applies, the buyer considers whether the circumstances are likely to occur again, taking into account evidence of self-cleaning, such as changes to management or controls. Suppliers on the debarment list maintained by the Cabinet Office may be excluded from bidding.
Step 4: write to the award criteria
- Read every criterion and its weighting, and answer each in the order given.
- Use evidence: test results, certifications and their scope, delivery records, named people.
- Check any social value requirements and answer them with specific, measurable commitments.
- Answer conditions of participation directly; they are pass-or-fail tests of capability or standing.
Step 5: use the assessment summary
After award, suppliers who submitted an assessed tender receive an assessment summary explaining how their tender was scored and, where relevant, how it compared with the winning tender. Keep these; they are the most useful feedback a bid team receives.
Defence and security contracts
The Act includes specific rules for defence and security contracts, which the Cabinet Office sets out in its defence and security guidance. Points relevant to suppliers include:
- Separate thresholds for defence and security contracts, which are revised every two years; check the current Procurement Policy Note on threshold amounts.
- Additional direct award grounds for defence authorities where needed to maintain or enhance the armed forces' operational capability, with further approval required above a set value.
- Longer frameworks: a defence and security framework can last up to eight years, longer than most other frameworks.
- Supplier nationality: for some defence contracts, buyers can restrict participation to UK suppliers.
- Exemptions, including for contracts where the authority decides exemption is in the interests of national security.
- Single-source contracts remain governed by the Defence Reform Act 2014 and the Single Source Contract Regulations, which the Act amended.
For the defence-specific registration steps, see how to become an MOD supplier.
Finding opportunities
Find a Tender carries notices for covered procurements. Contracts Finder remains the place to search for many lower-value public contracts; the MOD's own page notes it lists contracts worth over £12,000 including VAT. Defence opportunities also appear on the Defence Sourcing Portal.
Common questions
Do I have to register on Find a Tender to bid?
For procurements under the Act, buyers use the central digital platform to hold supplier information and identifiers, so registering is part of bidding. Check each notice for its instructions.
Does the Act apply to subcontracts?
The Act governs procurements by contracting authorities, not purchases by private primes. Some of its effects reach subcontractors, notably the implied 30-day payment terms and exclusion checks on subcontractors the supplier relies on.
What happens if I disagree with an award?
Raise it with the buyer during the standstill period. Formal challenges go to the courts, with strict time limits, so take legal advice quickly. The Public Procurement Review Service also receives concerns about procurement practice.
Are SMEs treated differently?
The Act requires authorities to have regard to the barriers SMEs face and to consider lots. Government guidance also encourages proportionate conditions of participation.
Where does modern slavery come in?
Government buyers may ask about modern slavery risks in your supply chain. See modern slavery statements for manufacturers.
Last reviewed 2026-09-17