The EU public sector procurement thresholds are revised every two years and the new thresholds that will apply from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2019 have now been released. Below is a summary of the thresholds in sterling that apply to sub central contracting authorities (the category in which schools, academies, colleges and other similar establishments fall).

If your contract exceeds these thresholds you must normally advertise the opportunity in the Official Journal of European Union (OJEU) and on Contracts Finder, following the procedural rules set down in The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (The Regulations), before you can award the contract.

The threshold change only applies to new procurement processes started on or after 1st January 2018. For existing contracts, or procurements currently at the tender stage, the previous thresholds apply.

• TIP: When calculating the total contract value for the purpose of establishing whether The Regulations apply, always be sure to factor in the full duration of the contract (not the annual value), any optional extensions, and the cost of any ancillary services, maintenance, equipment or spare parts that may increase total whole-life cost.
• TIP: The CPC offers a range of fully compliant framework agreements that cover key commodities and services. Using a framework agreement can remove the need to complete your own lengthy OJEU tender process, increase efficiency, and reduce risk.

More information on the EU Procurement Directives and The Public Sector Contracts Regulations that implement them in the UK, can be found at https://www.felp.ac.uk/content/eu-public-procurement-legislation or contact your CPC Regional Procurement Advisor for advice.