Collection

Procurement policy notes

This collection brings together all procurement policy notes, providing guidance on best practice for public sector procurement.

Published 8 August 2013
Last updated 29 November 2018 — see all updates

• From: Cabinet Office, Efficiency and Reform Group, and Crown Commercial Service

Guidance on best practice for procurement for public sector organisations, together with supporting documentation.

Please note: the service desk telephone number 0845 000 4999 is no longer in use. If you are a public sector organisation please call 0345 410 2222. If you are a supplier to the public sector please call 0345 010 3503.

2018

1. Procurement Policy Note 04/18: Taking account of a supplier’s approach to payment in the procurement of major contracts
   • 29 November 2018
   • Guidance
2. Procurement Policy Note 03/18: Electronic invoicing in public procurement
   • 29 November 2018
   • Guidance
3. Procurement Policy Note 02/18: Changes to Data Protection Legislation & General Data Protection Regulation
   • 18 May 2018
   • Guidance
4. Procurement Policy Note 01/18: Supply Chain Visibility
   • 10 April 2018
   • Guidance

2017

1. Procurement Policy Note 04/17: New Threshold Levels 2018
   • 22 December 2017
   • Guidance
2. Procurement Policy Note 02/17: Promoting Greater Transparency
   • 13 December 2017
   • Guidance
3. Procurement Policy Note 01/17: Update to Transparency Principles
   • 6 March 2017
   • Guidance

2016

1. Procurement policy note 11/16: procuring steel in major projects - revised guidance
   • 18 December 2017
   • Guidance
2. Procurement policy note 10/16: onerous practices in procurement and contracting
   • 5 December 2016
   • Guidance
3. Procurement Policy Note 09/16: Procuring for Growth Balanced Scorecard
   • 14 October 2016
   • Guidance
4. Procurement policy note 8/16: Standard Selection Questionnaire (SQ) template
   • 8 February 2017
   • Guidance
5. Procurement Policy Note 07/16: Legal requirement to publish on Contracts Finder
   • 19 July 2016
   • Guidance
6. Procurement policy note 06/16: Armed Forces Covenant
   • 25 June 2016
   • Guidance
7. Procurement policy note 05/16: Open book contract management
   • 24 May 2016
   • Guidance
8. Procurement policy note (PPN) 04/16: Concession contracts threshold
   • 17 May 2016
   • Guidance
9. Procurement policy note 03/16: publication of payment performance statistics
   • 29 March 2016
   • Guidance
10. Procurement policy note 02/16: Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 and Concession Contracts Regulations 2016
    • 18 March 2016
    • Guidance
11. Procurement Policy Note 01/16: complying with international obligations
    • 17 February 2016
    • Policy paper

2015

1. Procurement Policy Note 18/15: New Threshold Levels 2016
   • 10 December 2015
   • Guidance
2. Procurement Policy Note 17/15: Standard EU forms and notices for public procurement
   • 2 December 2015
   • Guidance
3. Procurement Policy Note 15/15: statistics on utilities procurement contracts awarded in 2013 and 2014
   • 4 September 2015
   • Guidance
4. Procurement Policy Note 14/15: supporting apprenticeships and skills through public procurement
   • 27 August 2015
   • Guidance
5. Procurement Policy Note 12/15: Availability of Procurement Procedures (Decision Tree)
   • 30 July 2015
   • Guidance
6. Procurement policy note 11/15: unstructured electronic invoices
   • 22 June 2015
   • Guidance
7. Procurement policy note 10/15: annual statistical returns on public procurement contracts awarded 2013 and 2014
   • 18 June 2015
   • Guidance
8. Procurement policy note 09/15: assisting with procurement investigations
   • 1 June 2015
   • Guidance
9. Procurement Policy Note 08/15: tax arrangements of appointees
   • 27 March 2015
   • Guidance
10. Procurement Policy Note 07/15: open standards for technology
    • 27 March 2015
    • Guidance
11. Procurement Policy Note 06/15: sustainable skills development through major projects
    • 27 August 2015
    • Guidance
12. Procurement Policy Note 05/15: prompt payment and performance reporting
    • 27 March 2015
    • Guidance
13. Procurement Policy Note 04/15: taking account of suppliers’ past performance
    • 25 March 2015
    • Guidance
14. Procurement Policy Note 03/15: reforms to make public procurement more accessible to SMEs
    • 4 March 2015
    • Guidance
15. Procurement Policy Note 02/15: Public Contracts Regulations 2015
    • 6 February 2015
    • Guidance
16. Procurement Policy Note 01/15: implementing Energy Efficiency Directive article 6: further information
    • 19 January 2015
    • Guidance

2014

1. Procurement Policy Note 11/14: references and public procurement
   • 12 December 2014
   • Guidance
2. Procurement Policy Note 10/14: the plan for public procurement of food and catering
   • 13 November 2014
   • Guidance
3. Procurement Policy Note 09/14: Cyber Essentials scheme certification
   • 26 May 2016
   • Guidance
4. Procurement Policy Note 07/14: implementing Energy Efficiency Directive article 6
   • 3 June 2014
   • Guidance
5. Procurement Policy Note 06/14: short form terms and conditions
   • 8 April 2014
   • Guidance
6. Procurement Policy Note 05/14: staff transfers and pensions
   • 11 March 2014
   • Guidance
7. Procurement Policy Note 04/14: model services contract
   • 3 March 2014
   • Guidance
8. Procurement policy note 03/14: promoting tax compliance
   • 15 May 2015
   • Guidance
9. Procurement policy note 02/14: extending Mystery Shopper
   • 7 February 2014
   • Guidance
10. Procurement policy note 01/14: sharing information within government
    • 3 February 2014
    • Guidance

2013

1. Procurement policy note 10/13: new threshold levels for 2014
   • 17 December 2013
   • Guidance
2. Procurement policy note 09/13: Implementing the New Classifications Policy
   • 23 October 2013
   • Guidance
3. Procurement policy note 08/13: EU statistics on utilities sector procurement annual return for calendar year 2012
   • 8 August 2013
   • Guidance
4. Procurement policy note 07/13: EU statistics on public procurement annual return for calendar year 2012
   • 8 August 2013
   • Guidance
5. Procurement policy note 05/13: modernising EU procurement rules
   • 25 July 2013
   • Guidance
6. Procurement for growth
   • 21 May 2013
   • Guidance
7. Procurement policy note 03/13: promoting tax compliance and procurement
   • 14 February 2013
   • Guidance
8. Procurement policy note 02/13: supplier financial risk issues
   • 18 February 2013
   • Guidance
9. Procurement policy note 01/13: public sector equality duty
   • 28 January 2013
   • Guidance

2012

1. Procurement policy note 10/12: The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012
   • 20 December 2012
   • Guidance
2. Procurement policy note 08/12: update on modernisation of the European Union procurement rules
   • 28 August 2012
   • Guidance
3. Procurement policy notes 05/12 and 06/12 - annual EU statistical data collection for 2011
   • 31 May 2012
   • Guidance
4. Procurement policy note 04/12: procurement supporting growth, supporting material for departments
   • 9 May 2012
   • Guidance
5. Procurement policy note 03/12: European legislative proposal on third country access to the EU public procurement market
   • 5 April 2012
   • Guidance
6. Procurement policy note 02/12: guidance on ICT contracts that exceed £100m
   • 30 March 2012
   • Guidance

2011

1. Procurement policy note 11/11: legislative proposals for the revised procurement directives and new directive on concessions
   • 21 December 2011
   • Guidance
2. Procurement policy note 10/11: new threshold levels for 2012 and changes in the use of the accelerated restricted procedure
   • 12 December 2011
   • Guidance
3. Procurement policy note 8/11: procurement of open source IT
   • 7 November 2011
   • Guidance
4. Procurement policy note 07/11: updates to guidance on transparency in procurement and contracting
   • 3 October 2011
   • Guidance
5. Procurement policy note 06/11: amendments to the procurement regulations, including 'Uniplex'
   • 31 August 2011
   • Guidance
6. Procurement policy note 05/11: modernising the public procurement rules
   • 11 August 2011
   • Guidance
7. Procurement policy note 04/11: EU statistics on public procurement, annual return for calendar year 2010
   • 7 June 2011
   • Guidance
8. Procurement policy update: April 2011
   • 1 April 2011
   • Guidance
9. Procurement policy note 05/11: further measures to promote small business procurement
   • 11 February 2011
   • Guidance
10. Procurement policy note 4/11: modernising the public procurement rules and implementing the defence and security directive
    • 4 February 2011
    • Guidance
11. Procurement policy note 02/11: published guidance on implementing requirements for greater transparency
    • 18 January 2011
    • Guidance

Out of date procurement policy notes

1. Procurement Policy Note 03/17: Changes to Data Protection Legislation & General Data Protection Regulation
   • 18 May 2018
   • Guidance
2. Procurement Policy Note 16/15: procuring steel in major projects
   • 14 December 2015
   • Guidance
3. Procurement Policy Note 13/15: increasing the transparency of contract information
   • 16 February 2017
   • Guidance
4. Procurement policy note 06/13: promoting tax compliance
   • 25 July 2013
   • Guidance
5. Procurement policy note 04/13: measures to promote tax compliance
   • 28 March 2013
   • Guidance
6. Procurement policy note 09/12: taking account of bidders' past performance
   • 8 November 2012
   • Guidance
7. Procurement policy note 07/12: tax arrangements of public appointees
   • 24 August 2012
   • Guidance
8. Procurement policy note 01/12: use of pre-qualification questionnaires
   • 11 July 2014
   • Guidance
9. Procurement policy note 09/11: open standards when specifying IT requirements
   • 30 November 2011
   • Guidance

Published 8 August 2013
Last updated 29 November 2018 + show all updates

1. 29 November 2018 Updated to include Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 0418
2. 23 November 2018 Added PPN 03/18
3. 18 May 2018 New PPN added replacing 03/17
4. 10 April 2018 New PPN added to 2018 collection
5. 22 December 2017 new PPN added - threshold levels 2018
6. 19 December 2017 New PPN 03/17 added to 2017 list
7. 13 December 2017 02/17 update on previous transparency PPN added
8. 16 February 2017 moved PPN 13/15 to out of date collection
9. 16 February 2017 new collection group '2017' added
10. 16 February 2017 New PPN 01/17 added and new group '2017' created
11. 16 February 2017 Added 'PPN 13/15' to out of date procurement policy notes
12. 12 December 2016 Added procurement policy note 11/16: procuring steel in major projects - revised guidance and moved 16/15 to out of date content as it has been replaced by this new note.
13. 5 December 2016 Added procurement policy note 10/16: onerous practices in procurement and contracting.
14. 14 October 2016 Added Procurement Policy Note 09/16: Procuring for Growth Balanced Scorecard
15. 19 July 2016 Added 07/16 procurement policy note.
16. 24 May 2016 Added PPN note 05/16.
17. 29 March 2016 Added note 03/16
18. 18 March 2016 Added PPN 02/16
19. 29 February 2016 Edited collection documents to include PPN18/15
20. 17 February 2016 Added note on complying with international obligations.
21. 11 December 2015 Added PPN 18/15
22. 2 December 2015 Added procurement policy note 17/15 on standard EU forms and notices
23. 30 October 2015 Updated with procurement policy note 16/15 procuring steel in a major project
24. 4 September 2015 Added Procurement Policy Note 15/15: statistics on utilities procurement contracts awarded in 2013 and 2014
25. 27 August 2015 Added PPN 14/15 on supporting apprenticeships and skills through public procurement
26. 3 August 2015 Added policy procurement note 13/15 on transparency of contract information
27. 30 July 2015 Added latest procurement policy note 12/15: availability of procurement procedures (decision tree)
28. 22 June 2015 PPN 11/15 added
29. 18 June 2015 Added PPN 10/15: annual statistical returns on public procurement contracts awarded in 2013 and 2014.
30. 1 June 2015 Added new PPN: assisting with procurement investigations
31. 27 March 2015 PPNs 05/15, 06/15, 07/15, 08/15 added.
32. 27 March 2015 Added latest procurement policy note 04/15: taking account of suppliers’ past performance
33. 18 February 2015 Added Policy Procurement Note 03/15 on reforms to make public procurement more accessible to SMEs.
34. 6 February 2015 Added Procurement Policy Note 02/15 on the Public Contracts Regulations 2015
35. 19 January 2015 Added Procurement Policy Note 01/15 on further information for implementing Energy Efficiency Directive article 6.
36. 12 December 2014 Added procurement policy note 11/14 on references.
37. 13 November 2014 Added Policy Procurement Note 10/14: plan for public procurement of food and catering services.
38. 26 September 2014 Added 09/14: use of Cyber Essentials scheme certification
39. 11 July 2014 Procurement policy note 08/14 on pre-qualification questionnaires added: this replaces note 01/12.
40. 3 June 2014 Added Procurement Policy Note 07/14 – Implementing Article 6 of the Energy Efficiency Directive.
41. 28 April 2014 Updated with Procurement Policy Note 06/14 on short form terms and conditions.
42. 3 March 2014 Added Procurement Policy Note 04/14: model services contract
43. 7 February 2014 Added procurement policy notes 02/14 and 03/14.
44. 3 February 2014 Added PPN 01/14 on sharing information in government procurement.
45. 17 December 2013 New procurement policy note on threshold levels for 2014.
46. 8 August 2013 First published.