Collection

Procurement policy notes

• From: Cabinet Office, Efficiency and Reform Group, and Crown Commercial Service
• Part of: Government buying
• Published: 8 August 2013
• Last updated: 16 February 2017, see all updates

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

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.

2017

1. 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

   • 12 December 2016
   • 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 16/15: procuring steel in major projects

   • 14 December 2015
   • Guidance

2. Procurement Policy Note 13/15: increasing the transparency of contract information

   • 16 February 2017
   • Guidance

3. Procurement policy note 06/13: promoting tax compliance

   • 25 July 2013
   • Guidance

4. Procurement policy note 04/13: measures to promote tax compliance

   • 28 March 2013
   • Guidance

5. Procurement policy note 09/12: taking account of bidders' past performance

   • 8 November 2012
   • Guidance

6. Procurement policy note 07/12: tax arrangements of public appointees

   • 24 August 2012
   • Guidance

7. Procurement policy note 01/12: use of pre-qualification questionnaires

   • 11 July 2014
   • Guidance

8. Procurement policy note 09/11: open standards when specifying IT requirements

   • 30 November 2011
   • Guidance

Document information

Published: 8 August 2013

Updated: 16 February 2017

+ full page history

1. 16 February 2017 moved PPN 13/15 to out of date collection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4. 16 February 2017 Added 'PPN 13/15' to out of date procurement policy notes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

From: Cabinet Office Efficiency and Reform Group Crown Commercial Service

Part of: Government buying