Regulated procurement | UK Regulatory Outlook September 2024

New procurement regime delayed to February 2025  

The government announced on 12 September 2024 that the new procurement regime being brought in under the Procurement Act 2023 will be delayed by four months, pushing the go-live date to 24 February 2025.

The written statement announcing the delay states this will allow the new government to rewrite the National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) which currently "does not meet the challenge of applying the full potential of public procurement to deliver value for money, economic growth, and social value". The government confirmed that the current regulations will remain in place until the new commencement date.

The current NPPS will be withdrawn and a new NPPS, once drafted and following consultation, will then be laid to complete a 40-day passage in Parliament.

The amending regulations to update the transitional and saving provisions were published on 16 September and came into force on 17 September to reflect the new go-live date of 24 February 2025. This includes amendments to the period of validity of dynamic purchasing systems awarded under the previous legislation, which has been changed from 27 October 2028 to 23 February 2029.

Whilst the implementation of the new regime has been delayed, contracting authorities and suppliers should not take their "foot off the pedal" completely and should continue to upskill on the new regime and its implications for their business.

Further guidance on the Procurement Act published

The Cabinet Office has published further technical guidance in relation to the Procurement Act 2023. New documents that have been added include guidance on: exclusions; debarment; frameworks; key performance indicators; and contract modifications.

For the full list of published guidance see here.