Working with us - guide for suppliers
Procurement Act 2023 and our suppliers
The Procurement Act 2023 is the largest overhaul of procurement legislation in a generation and is mandatory for all public contracting authorities, including us. It went live on Monday 24 February 2025, and aims to bring great benefits to both the public sector and suppliers, drive innovation, deliver better outcomes and embed transparency right through the commercial lifecycle, so everyone can access procurement data and see how public money is spent.
This represents a significant change to procurement, tendering and to contract management in the public sector. If you are a company that tenders for contracts, framework agreements or are part of a dynamic purchasing system then learning more about the new legislation is a must.
It's designed to:
- Simplify the bidding process with a new central digital platform (enhanced Find a Tender Service), so suppliers can register their details once for multiple bids across multiple contracting authorities
- Increase supplier visibility, with the ability to see all tender opportunities in one place, including attendance at engagement events
- Be easier to bid, negotiate and work in partnership with the public sector, including a new 'competitive flexible' procedure
- Create more flexible commercial frameworks, to prevent prospective suppliers from being excluded for long periods of time
- Help level the playing field for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs), by identifying and wherever possible, overcoming, particular barriers faced by these organisations throughout the procurement lifecycle
- Strengthen provisions for prompt payments throughout the supply chain, enabling SMEs and VCSEs to benefit from 30-day payment terms on a broader range of public sector contracts
- Improved transparency, with greater visibility about who is bidding for, and winning, larger public sector contracts (above £5 million) and the details of those contracts
- Deliver a stronger exclusions framework which takes tougher action on under-performing suppliers
This is a pivotal time for anyone involved in public sector procurement. Understanding the changes can position you to take full advantage of the new processes which apply to new procurement opportunities published on or after 24 February 2025.
This date was extended from the originally published date of 28 October 2024 for the Government to review the associated National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) prepared by the previous Government.
It's expected that the new NPPS will be published soon after the go-live date and we will be considering how this will affect the public procurement objectives.
Our Procurement Team is working with the Cabinet Office’s Transforming Public Procurement team, has undergone training, and developed new policies and processes to support implementation of the Act.
As a supplier, it's important that you are prepared for this significant change, familiarise yourself with the Act and the changes you will need to make.
Yes, current and potential suppliers need to register on the following two platforms.
1. Registering on the Government's new central digital platform (Find a Tender Service)
Suppliers will need to register as a current or potential supplier on the Government’s new central digital platform (Find a Tender Service), which is now available.
Existing CCHA suppliers need to re-register on the Government's Find a Tender Service. It is anticipated that there will be a high demand on 24 February (the day it went live) and soon after, but you can re-register at any point as long as it's before you bid for any new public contracts. Prospective suppliers can also register from the same date onwards.
The benefit of the Find a Tender Service platform is that supplier profiles can be added once and shared across a number of bids to multiple public contracting authorities through provision of your unique API code.
Here is a short video explaining how to register and there is further information on the central digital platform (Find a Tender Service) here.
2. Registering to bid for CCHA opportunities through Proactis ProContract
We use an eSender system called Proactis ProContract to issue Requests for Quote and Invitations to Tender for a range of good, services and works contracts.
Suppliers also need to register on this system. Please click here to register free of charge. Once registered, opportunities from contracting authorities, including us, will appear in the Housing Procurement Portal. Click here and search for Castles and Coasts in the drop down menu to see any current opportunities we are advertising.
The Government's Transforming Public Procurement function has put together a short guide for suppliers which explains how the new Procurement Act makes it easier to bid and work in partnership with the public sector.
You can also review the Government's information and guidance for suppliers pages. Here, you can view helpful videos and guidance documents, information on registering your organisation and updating supplier information, how to use the central digital platform (enhanced Find a Tender Service), see further information on transparency commitments, and access 'knowledge drops' for suppliers and SMEs/VCSEs.
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