Guide
The UK Procurement Act 2023: what changed for small IT suppliers
What the Procurement Act 2023 means for SMEs selling IT to the UK public sector, including the Central Digital Platform, new procedures, pipeline notices, payment terms and debriefs.
The Procurement Act 2023 is the biggest change to UK public procurement in decades. It came into force on 24 February 2025 for procurements started after that date, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland mostly kept its own rules.
What changed for small suppliers
One place to register. The Central Digital Platform, through Find a Tender, holds your core supplier information once, so you don't re-enter it for every tender. Register before you bid.
More flexible procedures. Buyers can use an open procedure or a new competitive flexible procedure that they design, with stages such as shortlisting, negotiation or demos.
A duty to consider SMEs. Buyers must have regard to the particular barriers SMEs face and consider whether they can be removed or reduced, for example by splitting contracts into lots.
More transparency. Buyers publish more notices across the lifecycle: pipeline notices from larger buyers, tender notices, contract details, performance and termination. This makes award data much more useful. See using contract award data.
Assessment summaries. Bidders get an assessment summary explaining their scores, and usually the winner's, before the contract is signed.
Prompt payment. 30-day payment terms are implied into public contracts and flow down the supply chain, which helps subcontractors.
Frameworks. Open frameworks can be reopened to new suppliers during their life, giving small firms more chances to join.
Exclusions. A central debarment list and clearer exclusion grounds.
Low-value contracts
Many lower-value contracts in England are still advertised on Contracts Finder, and buyers are encouraged not to use pre-qualification for them.
Other UK rules that still matter
- Social value: central government buyers typically weight social value in tenders. See social value in IT bids.
- Cyber Essentials: required for many central government contracts.
- G-Cloud and Digital Outcomes: the main frameworks for cloud and digital services. See how to get on G-Cloud.
More in selling IT to government in the UK.
Common questions
When did the Procurement Act 2023 come into force?
On 24 February 2025. Procurements started before then continue under the old rules.
Do I need to register on the Central Digital Platform?
Yes, if you want to bid for contracts run under the new Act. Your registration is reused across tenders.
Does the Procurement Act apply in Scotland?
Mostly not. Scotland kept its own procurement regulations for devolved Scottish buyers, though some UK-wide bodies operating there follow the Act.