Procurement Act 2023 - A Guide for Suppliers

The Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025, replacing the previous EU-derived rules for most public procurement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For suppliers, it changes how you find opportunities, how you register your details, and how exclusion and debarment work.

The Act was designed in part to make public contracts more accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises. Whether it does depends on suppliers understanding the new mechanics and using them.

This guide explains what changed for suppliers and what to do about it.

When the Act Applies

The Procurement Act 2023 applies to procurements advertised on or after 24 February 2025. Procurements started before that date, and contracts already awarded, continue under the previous regime. For a transition period you will see both regimes running in parallel, so always check which rules a particular tender is run under.

What Changed for Suppliers

1. The Central Digital Platform

Suppliers register their core information once on a central digital platform and reuse it across bids, rather than re-keying the same company details for every opportunity. Registering early means your details are ready when a relevant notice appears.

2. More Notices, More Visibility

The Act introduces a fuller set of public notices across the procurement lifecycle, including pipeline and preliminary market engagement notices. This gives suppliers earlier sight of upcoming work and more chance to prepare or shape their offer.

3. Conditions of Participation

The standard selection questionnaire is replaced by "conditions of participation". Buyers can only set conditions that are proportionate and relevant to the contract, which is intended to reduce barriers for smaller suppliers. Our selection questionnaire guide explains how this works alongside the SQ still used in some procurements.

4. Exclusion and Debarment

The Act sets out mandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds and introduces a published debarment list. Suppliers on the list can be excluded from procurements, so understanding the grounds, and keeping your compliance documents in order, matters more than before.

5. A Focus on Prompt Payment

The Act strengthens expectations around payment in public supply chains, including 30-day payment terms that can flow down the chain, which is relevant if you are a subcontractor.

Quick Reference

Change	What it means for you
Central digital platform	Register core details once, reuse across bids
More notices	Earlier visibility of upcoming contracts
Conditions of participation	Proportionate, relevant requirements only
Debarment list	Serious misconduct can exclude you across procurements
Prompt payment	30-day terms flow down the supply chain

What Suppliers Should Do

• Register on the central digital platform so your details are ready.
• Watch pipeline and market engagement notices for early sight of work.
• Keep your policies, insurances and accreditations current and consistent.
• Understand the exclusion grounds and make sure none apply to you.
• Check which regime each tender runs under during the transition.

How Policy Pros Can Help

We keep your bid documentation current and consistent so you can respond to opportunities under the new regime without scrambling. Our tender and proposal support service maintains the policies, statements and responses buyers ask for.

Because exclusion and debarment turn on compliance, our compliance and legal policies service helps you hold the documents that keep you eligible.

For the full document set, see our guide to documents needed for public sector tenders.