One Year On: Has the Procurement Act Delivered on Its Promises?

The Procurement Act 2023 was not intended to transform public sector bidding overnight. It was, however, introduced to make procurement simpler, clearer and more transparent. In some ways, this is already underway, although suppliers are still working out what these changes mean in practice.  

For suppliers, the real question is fairly simple. Are opportunities easier to find? Are the requirements clearer? Do smaller businesses have a better chance of competing before the process becomes too time-consuming?

The procurement act has brought greater transparency and earlier visibility of some opportunities. However, businesses still need strong evidence, clear responses and proper preparation if they want to win public sector work.

The Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025, with the UK Government describing the new regime as part of wider changes to how public procurement works.  

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What the Procurement Act 2023 Was Intended to Change

At its simplest, the Procurement Act 2023 changed the way many public sector contracts are advertised, assessed and awarded. It was designed to make procurement simpler, more transparent and easier for suppliers to access.

That is the straightforward answer; the more practical answer is that it changes how suppliers need to prepare. Businesses now need to pay closer attention to notices, pipeline opportunities, conditions of participation, exclusions, award criteria and the information they keep ready between bids.

Some of this is administrative, but in tendering, administrative details can still affect the quality of a response. A missing policy, expired insurance certificate or unclear case study can quickly become the issue that slows everything down when a deadline is approaching.

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More Transparency, But Still More Work

One of the main promises of the procurement act was greater transparency. In this area, there has been a noticeable shift. Under the new central digital platform, contracting authorities that expect to spend more than £100 million under relevant contracts in the coming financial year must publish pipeline notices.  

For example, a facilities management company may see that a large authority expects to procure cleaning, repairs or maintenance services later in the year. That does not guarantee the work, but it gives the supplier time to review case studies, accreditations, pricing assumptions and capacity.

This is where the real benefit lies; the act has not made bidding easy, but it may provide prepared suppliers time to make more informed decisions.

The challenge is that the information still needs to be monitored and used. More published information will not help a business that only checks for tenders when work is quiet or when an existing contract is about to end. The suppliers most likely to benefit are those already watching the market, reading notices carefully and keeping their bid information in a usable state.

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What Has Changed for SMEs?

Smaller businesses have often found public sector bidding difficult, not because they cannot deliver the work, but because the process can feel demanding before they have a fair chance to compete.

So, how can the Procurement Act benefit SMEs? In principle, it will provide them with improved visibility, fewer unnecessary barriers and a more consistent process. If buyers consider proportional requirements more carefully, and suppliers can reuse core information more easily, bidding should become less frustrating.

Having said that, better access is not the same as an easy win because SME access is still a real issue. According to the British Chambers of Commerce, only 20% of direct public sector procurement spend went to SMEs in 2024, although direct spend with SMEs rose to £45.4 billion.

The direction may be positive, but the gap has not disappeared. A smaller supplier still needs to exhibit relevant experience, delivery capacity, social value, risk management and a fair price. Buyers may want to improve SME access, but they still need confidence that the contract will be delivered appropriately.

For example, a local maintenance business may now find more public sector opportunities than before. But if its response only says it is reliable and experienced, which is unlikely to be enough. It also requires examples of similar work, named processes, evidence of health and safety standards, and a clear explanation of how it would manage the contract from day one.

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Does the Procurement Act Apply to Scotland?

The Procurement Act 2023 does not apply to all public procurement in Scotland. The official explanatory notes state that it does not make provision for all public procurement in Scotland. However, it can apply to contracting authorities in Scotland that are cross-border bodies or exercise wholly reserved functions.

In practical terms, suppliers should not assume that every UK opportunity follows the same route. A business bidding in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland needs to check which rules apply before planning a response. This may sound straightforward, but it is essential because misreading the route, portal, or rules can waste valuable time.

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What Has Not Changed?

Buyers still need to be able to trust the supplier and want clear method statements, realistic pricing, relevant experience and evidence that the business can deliver its promises. Vague claims are still weak, and longer answers are not always better. Polished writing will not make up for a lack of proof.

For example, saying “we deliver strong social value” is easy to claim. A stronger response explains what has already been delivered, such as apprenticeships, local jobs, community partnerships, training hours or carbon reduction measures.

This also applies to mobilisation. Instead of declaring “we have a proven mobilisation process”, a supplier could explain how it mobilised a similar contract across five sites, trained staff, managed risks, transferred information and started delivery on time.

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What Suppliers Should Do Now

The best response to the Procurement Act is preparation. Suppliers should always keep their core company information up to date, review policies regularly, collect evidence from live contracts and monitor the market before tenders are published. They should also look carefully at pipeline notices, early engagement notices and award information, because these can show where buyers are heading before the formal deadline arrives.

This is especially important for businesses that only bid occasionally. A supplier that waits until the tender is live may find that much of the real preparation should have started months earlier.  

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Final Thoughts

One year on, the Procurement Act 2023 has delivered part of what it promised. There is more transparency, more focus on access and more information available for suppliers that know where to look.

However, it has not made public sector bidding simple and has not removed the need for evidence, planning or strong tender responses. For SMEs, the door may be more open than it was, but they still need to be ready when the right opportunity appears.

The businesses that benefit most will be those that use the extra visibility properly. Read the notices, prepare early and keep evidence close. When the tender lands, make it easy for the buyer to trust you.

If you need support with public sector tenders or want to improve your bid preparation, contact Bid Writing Service at info@bidwritingservice.com.