Guidance

Procurement Act 2023 guidance documents

These guidance documents cover all aspects of the Procurement Act 2023 and provide help with interpretation and understanding. Please read further details below.

Documents

Guidance: Contracting Authority definition (PDF)

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Guidance: Covered Procurement definition (PDF)

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Guidance: Valuation of Contracts (PDF)

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Guidance: Mixed Procurement (PDF)

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Guidance: Exempted Contracts (PDF)

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Guidance: Thresholds (PDF)

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Guidance: National Procurement Policy Statement (PDF)

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Guidance: Pipeline Notice (PDF)

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Guidance: Technical Specifications (PDF)

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Guidance: Planned Procurement Notice (PDF)

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Guidance: Preliminary Market Engagement (PDF)

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Guidance: transitional and saving arrangements (PDF)

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Details

To support preparation for the Procurement Act 2023, we are publishing a suite of guidance documents addressing all aspects of the new regime, covering subjects from transitional arrangements and covered procurement through to pre-market engagement, award rules, exclusions and contract modifications.

These documents should be read in conjunction with the Procurement Act 2023 and its associated regulations and are aimed at procurement practitioners and commercial policy leads in contracting authorities. They are intended to provide technical guidance and help with interpretation and understanding of the new regime.

The documents will vary in length, but each will typically cover:

  • Legal framework
  • What has changed
  • Key points and policy intent
  • Linked notices or guidance, where relevant (hyperlinks to related guidance will be added once all documents are published)
  • Where to find further information (hyperlinks will be added once all documents are published)

References to ‘regulations’ within this guidance should be interpreted as the Procurement Regulations 2024 unless specified otherwise. Guidance which discusses contracting authorities acting in accordance with the Act is to be read as complying with the provisions of both the Procurement Act 2023 and its associated regulations.Where the guidance refers to ‘previous legislation’, this means the Public Contracts Regulations 2015; the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011; the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016; and the Concession Contracts Regulations 2016.

The central digital platform referenced in the guidance comprises an enhanced version of Find a Tender (FTS), providing the new procurement notices, and a new Supplier Information Service (SIS).  The central digital platform will be supported by a single place of registration for both parts of the service and suppliers will be able to access both FTS and SIS using the same account via: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Search

The Welsh Government will be publishing its own guidance separately for devolved Welsh authorities in due course.

We will be publishing the documents in separate batches which we aim to conclude by June 2024. All documents will be available from this page.

Published 26 March 2024
Last updated 22 April 2024 + show all updates
  1. Added the document: Guidance: transitional and saving arrangements (HTML)

  2. Added the following guidance documents: Guidance: National Procurement Policy Statement Guidance: Pipeline Notice Guidance: Technical Specifications Guidance: Planned Procurement Notice Guidance: Preliminary Market Engagement

  3. First published.