A two-day programme
The UK public procurement regulations have been governed by the European Union since the first unified set of regulations were introduced in 1995. In 2020 the UK exited the EU and set about formulating its own set of public procurement regulations which would be more suited to the country and its socio-political policy aims and objectives. Extolled as being the most extensive change to public procurement in generations, the Procurement Act 2023 introduced new approaches to procurement and contract management.
This course is designed specifically for those who work with (or in) the UK public sector and need to understand how the new legislation affects them.
- Understand the background of the EU-based Regulations and why the new UK Procurement Act was introduced
- Appreciate the principles and objectives of the Procurement Act, including the requirement for value for money, transparency, integrity and the due regard for smaller businesses
- Understand the new procurement procedures – Open, Competitive, Flexible and Direct Award
- Understand the derogations associated with defence and security, and healthcare, social care and education procurement
- Understand how the Act places value for money at the heart and gives opportunities for all businesses, charities and social enterprises to innovate in the context of public service delivery
- Appreciate how to implement the Act in practice in some of the key areas of change
Expert trainer
Sharon Croome spent more than 25 years with the Ministry of Defence and various UK-based major contractors before setting up her own consultancy in commercial, procurement and supply chain management.
Session outline
1. Introduction
- Introduction
- Learning outcomes
- Learning styles
- Plan for the day
2. Fundamentals of public sector procurement: The Regulations
- Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015)
- Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (DSPCR 2011)
- Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 (UCR 2016) and Concessions Contracts Regulations 2016 (CCR 2016)
- ‘Light touch’ regime
3. What’s new?
- An introductory overview of the key differences between the previous Regulations and the new Act, including:
- 5 Regulations into one
- 5 procurement procedures into three
- Changes to Frameworks and Dynamic Purchasing Systems
- Changes to Frameworks and Dynamic Purchasing Systems
- Transparency
- Debarment
- Contract management and KPIs
- Social Value
4. Deep dive
- A detailed analysis of the Act:
- UK Procurement Act 2023: Sections 1-14
- UK Procurement Act 2023: Sections 16-20
- UK Procurement Act 2023: Sections 21-88
5. Practical application
- Applying the UK Procurement Act 2023
- How things will change within the public sector
- What clients and suppliers will be doing differently
6. Conclusion
- Further information
- Open forum Q&A
- Action planning
- Summary
