What is the UK procurement act?

The Central Digital Platform Act is the legislation that crated the online system a contracting authority uses under the Procurement Act 2023 to publish procurement notices and supplier information in one place, enabling transparency and easier access for suppliers.

The Competitive Flexible Procedure (CFP) is a UK procurement route created by the Procurement Act 2023. It allows contracting authorities to design a tailored competition that fits the contract’s complexity, market and value, offering more freedom than previous procedures while maintaining transparency and fairness.

The term “New Procurement Regulations” in the UK refers to the Procurement Regulations 2024, which implement and detail how the Procurement Act 2023 must be applied by contracting authorities in their procurement processes (for example transparency, notices, contract award rules).

A pipeline notice is a forward-looking publication by a contracting authority that lists major upcoming public contracts (above a set value threshold, e.g., £2 million) which are expected to be tendered in the next 18 months, helping suppliers plan ahead.

A planned procurement notice is an optional advance notice published by a contracting authority under the Procurement Act 2023 to inform the market of an upcoming tender. It can allow for a reduced tendering period if published at least 40 days and no more than 12 months before the tender notice.

A preliminary market engagement notice is published by a contracting authority when it intends to carry out or has carried out engagement with the market ahead of issuing a tender. It helps shape requirements and attract supplier interest while ensuring a level playing field.

The Procurement Act refers to the Procurement Act 2023, a UK Act of Parliament that overhauls public procurement law, replacing several earlier sets of regulations with a single unified framework for public-sector procurement.

Procurement Act Guidance refers to the official documents published by UK government bodies that explain how to apply the Procurement Act 2023 and its associated regulations in practice. These materials help contracting authorities and suppliers understand compliance, roles, duties and the new regime.

A procurement policy notice is another name for a Procurement policy note (PPN) and serves the same role, it provides formal guidance or policy updates to contracting authorities about procurement rules, practice and thresholds.

Procurement reform means the changes made to UK public procurement laws, policies and practices, such as those in the Procurement Act 2023, designed to make public buying faster, simpler and more transparent.

Procurement thresholds 2024 set the contract values at which full UK procurement rules apply under regulations such as the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. From 1 January 2024, for example, central government bodies must run a regulated process for supplies and services contracts worth £139,688 or more.

It’s a document a contracting authority uses to collect supplier information and assess suitability (exclusion grounds, financial standing, technical ability) at the selection stage of a procurement. It often replaces the PQQ in UK public procurement.

Transforming public procurement is the UK government’s reform programme led by the Cabinet Office which underpins the Procurement Act 2023 and associated regulations, aiming to open up public procurement, support innovation, simplify processes and improve value for money.