Simon Bullimore
Head of Procurement
As we approach the launch of the Procurement Act on 24 February 2025, Simon Bullimore, Head of Procurement, shares some useful resources to help suppliers navigate the changes.
The Procurement Act 2023 will transform how the UK public sector procures goods and services, replacing over 350 outdated regulations with a streamlined approach focused on value for money, competition, and transparent decision-making.
One of the key changes is the shift from the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) to the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT). This move opens the door for factors like social value, innovation, and sustainability to carry more weight in decisions, alongside price and quality. So, for all suppliers out there who are pushing a USP around sustainable supply or carbon reduction benefits in your products or services, or any other unique and defining factors, contracting authorities should not just be interested in this, they should be shaping the evaluation scoring to make these factors far more prevalent and contributing to the winner score.
A major update is the introduction of the Competitive Flexible Procedure (CFP). This allows procurement teams more freedom to design their processes to suit their needs, incorporating stages like negotiations, presentations, and site visits—things we often see in private sector tenders. While the new system offers more flexibility, it still maintains fairness through transparency and equal treatment. It will also give suppliers far more opportunity to demonstrate the value they can bring, lifting the lid on the previous black-and-white process. The CFP is the big kick that public sector procurement has needed for the past 15 years.
So if you see a Competitive Flexible Procedure procurement released, don’t think ‘complicated’, think ‘opportunity’
For SME’s, you no longer need evidence of large insurance policies in place to bid for public sector work. You should also see the amount of time you are allocated for putting together your bid being extended. Contracting Authorities should consider the possibility of SME supply for their tenders and consider LOTS and geographical factors.
For procurement teams, these changes bring exciting opportunities to be more strategic and innovative. To help suppliers and public sector teams get up to speed, the Government Commercial Function has released a series of helpful videos to guide the process.
How to register an organisation and the first administrator in 3 easy steps
How an administrator completes and updates supplier information
An overview of the central digital platform – an enhanced Find a Tender service
Learn more
Tune in to episode 6 of Inside Norse, where Simon Bullimore, Head of Procurement, joins Paul Pawa to discuss procurement in the public sector. Simon shares his insights on the upcoming Procurement Act 2023 and how this landmark legislation will transform the way public bodies procure goods and services.
Get in touch
Norse Group is committed to helping the wider public sector manage the reform, so whether you are a current supplier or not, we welcome your questions via procurement@norsegroup.co.uk.
