Changes to the way Cefas buys goods and services
24 February 2025
Changes to the way Cefas buys goods and services
The Procurement Act 2023 goes live today (24 February 2025). This is new legislation that will change the way the public sector buys goods and services. It is the biggest change to procurement rules in a generation and it aims to:
- create a simpler and more flexible commercial system
- open up public procurement to new entrants
- take tougher action on underperforming suppliers
- embed transparency throughout the commercial lifecycle
What’s new for suppliers
- a central digital platform where suppliers will upload core information once
- a simplified bidding process
- more flexible commercial frameworks
- a new duty on contracting authorities to consider barriers facing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprises (VCSEs)
- a stronger exclusions framework
What will stay the same
If you are an existing or potential supplier to Cefas and have live contracts, are a member of an existing framework, or have bid for a procurement that started prior to the new regime commencing, that arrangement will continue to be subject to the existing Public Contracting Regulations (PCR2015) until the contract ends.
What you need to do
If you are a supplier, you should:
- read the government guidance
- sign up for regular updates (from the Cabinet Office)
- watch the Transforming Public Procurement Knowledge Drops
We recommend that you familiarise yourself with the new Central Digital Platform using these guidance videos:
- An overview of the central digital platform, an enhanced Find a Tender service
- How to register an organisation and the first administrator in 3 easy steps
- Detailed walkthrough: How an administrator completes and updates supplier info
- The central digital platform, an enhanced Find a Tender service
If you have a question about the new procurement act, contact the Transforming Public Procurement helpdesk at: procurement.reform@cabinetoffice.gov.uk or you can contact procure@cefas.gov.uk if your query relates to a specific contract or procurement.
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