Published
By Ashley Cox
2025 will be the year the transformative Procurement Act finally comes into effect, and CPC's Learning & Development Lead, Mark Pearson, can help you prepare this winter via a special online and in-person 'PAG Presents' event in Salford.
Born out of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, Procurement Act 2023 has been multiple years in the making, with the revamped rule set ping-ponging its way between the House of Commons and House of Lords in its initial Procurement Bill form, before achieving its Royal Assent last October, providing the ensuing Procurement Act with its suffix.
While this process might at times have been seen as glacial in its pace, the end result may well prove seismic and there is no mistaking the significance of the incoming Act to a sector like education and all of the various industries that field into it.
Procurement Act 2023 represents what has been called a once-in-a-generation shift to the regulatory laws that will soon govern public procurement in England, Wales & Northern Ireland (many 'EU' regulations will remain in place for Scotland).
The Act is scheduled to come into legal effect on 24th February 2025, alongside its associate Procurement Regulations 2024.
Confused?! CPC can help… it’s part of our job.
Across various literature that has promoted the new Procurement Act’s institution, values such as increased transparency and simplicity have been espoused, as well as the ever-popular value for money, positioning the Act as a welcome development.
Nevertheless, CPC knows that 24th February will represent something of a leap into the unknown for many of our member institutions and suppliers alike, thus we are keen to connect those with questions or uncertainties with our Procurement Act authority, Mark Pearson, who can help reassure, inform and clarify some of the outstanding questions.
With a little over two months to go until the big day, Mark will be on hand for our next PAG Presents meeting - a special Procurement Act update for our supply chain, to be held at CPC's Procurement House HQ in Salford, Greater Manchester.
Intended to share expert advice and key information, the session takes place on Thursday 12th December (10am to 11am).
Free of charge to attend, this bitesize briefing is aimed specifically at suppliers in the wider public sector marketplace and we encourage CPC members and other readers to alert connected providers who might benefit from this learning opportunity.
On the day, tenured procurement professional Mark and Customer Engagement Manager, Jack Horton, will examine some notable changes to procurement the Act will introduce, plus suggested impacts on suppliers and what preparation is needed.
In addition, December's PAG Presents event will address the perhaps under-reported ‘schools exemption’, underlining aspects of the new Procurement Act regime where education-based buyers may be exempt from regulatory compliance.
Education supply chain stakeholders looking to attend in-person are asked to email Jack Horton by Monday 9th December.
Please be advised that in-person places are limited. Those who wish to attend online via Microsoft Teams can register here.
PAG Presents is a spin-off of CPC’s Procurement Advisory Group, which connects interested parties with expert analysis of a particular topic or issue. Check out forthcoming newsletters for details on future PAG meetings and PAG Presents events.