How the Isle of Wight Council does business with suppliers is changing from February due to significant changes introduced to public sector procurement as a result of the new Procurement Act 2023.
This new legislation, which comes into force on 24th February 2025, will affect how all public sector organisations, including the council, procures its goods, works and services, issues tender opportunities and contracts with suppliers.
In response, the council has reviewed and updated its own rules governing these processes.
Key changes and their impact
The Procurement Act 2023 aims to streamline procurement processes and enhance transparency. To help suppliers understand these changes, the government has produced a series of short guides, videos, and awareness campaigns targeted at suppliers and small medium enterprises (SMEs).
For suppliers currently working with or interested in working with the council and the wider public sector, it is crucial to familiarise yourself with these changes.
The council recommends signing up for the Cabinet Office newsletter to stay informed about the latest updates in procurement legislation.
Council’s updated contract standing orders
In response to the new legislation, the Council has updated its rules for how it contracts with suppliers (contract standing orders), effective from 24th February. Key changes include:
- Streamlined spend levels: The council will adopt a more efficient approach to engaging suppliers for future requirements.
- Increased transparency: There will be a greater focus on transparency regarding what the council is tendering for and who it contracts with.
Steps we recommend suppliers should take
To ensure readiness for these changes, suppliers should:
- Register on the council’s e-tendering system: This will be essential for participating in future tenders.
- Register on government tendering portals: The existing government portals Find a Tender and Contracts Finder portals will be replaced with a new enhanced Find a Tender service. To keep informed suppliers should ensure they are signed up to the government newsletters. This will help suppliers stay informed about when the new enhanced Find a Tender service goes live.
Information Sessions
The Cabinet Office is running 2 webinars for suppliers and other external organisations to support readiness for the Procurement Act 2023. These sessions will focus primarily on what the key changes are, how the central digital platform will work (featuring a live demonstration) and will be an opportunity to ask questions on attendees’ own preparations for go-live.
Places can be booked on one of the following dates:
To make it easy for suppliers to find information on the Procurement Act 2023, the Cabinet Office has created a dedicated supplier information page. They will continue to add information as it gets closer to the go-live date, including ‘how to’ videos.
More information on the council’s current tendering arrangements and spend and contract information, is available on its website.
I thought a lot of the contracts handed out were on
an “who you know basis”
Personally I would give the work to the cheapest tender
and cap the charges, no going over with charges.
And you’d get exactly what you pay for…cheaper goods and services. Caps on add-ons, yes, for the larger service providers, but for the small businesses being forced into a race for the bottom, undercutting ourselves just to win a contract…no. A game I will not play. If the tax-payer and the council want to place more value on cheapness than a job well done with integrity and fairness, crack on.
Well said
Too many Companies who put in tenders
take the piss and add on more costs later on,
I have seen it all before.
Many rogue Companies take the piss with
Government organisations, they know it’s
tax payers money and think what the heck!
Surely in this day and age of austerity and the obvious corruption of our previous way of life, all these recommendations should be the norm, not a ‘new’ way of working. Why are contract awards not transparent? Why do we keep being told that we cannot know some facts because of ‘commercial confidentiality’ reasons? When and why are the lowest quotes not accepted? Why are cost ‘overruns’ just paid, and not prevented by penalty clauses? There is a somewhat Cavalier attitude to spending OUR money which is remedied by simply increasing the councils income with a nice little tax hike. Come on Council,,, get with the programme!
Well done, IE and IWC, for telling us about these undoubtedly valuable Information Sessions on the day after they took place!