How to compete when procurement feels rigged

Public procurement is the largest single commercial market in the UK, with 80,000+ notices worth £300bn+ coming to market over the next three years across 2,800 buyers.

But headline spend does not equal accessible opportunity.

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In our 2026 benchmark survey of 200+ UK public sector suppliers, the dominant mood was frustrated optimism: the opportunity is visible, but getting to it is getting harder.

Buyer access is still the number one barrier to growth, for the second year running.

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In this session, Dallán Ryan and James Tucker walk through what the data reveals, what the suppliers who are growing are doing differently, and what 2027 demands from your sales and bid strategy.

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What this session covers:

• The state of the market: why 48% grew revenue while pipeline confidence remains at an all-time low
• The barriers: buyer access, incumbent advantage, and why most losses are shaped before the bid is written
• SMEs and the value gap: winning volume but not a proportionate share of contract value
• AI in bid workflows: how suppliers are using it today and where the real strategic opportunity sits
• The 2027 qualification model: how to assess buyer fit, opportunity fit, route fit and winnability before committing bid effort

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About the speakers

James Tucker, CEO of GovNet, the UK's leading public sector events and intelligence business connecting suppliers with government buyers across central and local government.

Dallán Ryan, Research and Services Manager at Stotles, who led the 2026 UK Public Sector Supplier Benchmark survey and analysis.