The Procurement Act 2023 will go live on 24 February 2025. In the final few weeks before commencement the Cabinet Office are focusing on publishing our ‘how-to’ guidance for suppliers so they are prepared to register and use the new central digital platform when it opens for business; onboarding contracting authorities to the platform ahead of go-live; and promoting our Procurement Act 2023 guidance and Community of Practice events for procurement practitioners so they are ready to buy under the new rules.
Onboarding for contracting authorities to Find a Tender Service will begin from 27 January 2025. This is being coordinated across the public sector through implementation leads and sectoral leads.
From 24 February 2025, suppliers will be able to register on the central digital platform – the new enhanced Find a Tender service.
To help prospective suppliers and other stakeholders prepare we have published video guides with accompanying PDF user manuals. These guides will give you an overview of the platform, the registration process, and the information you will be asked to provide so that when the time comes your registration will be straightforward.
You can access the videos through the dedicated TPP GOV.UK supplier page: Transforming Public Procurement – information and guidance for suppliers, where you will also find links to the associated user manuals.
You can also access each of the videos directly using the links below:
For suppliers: How to register your organisation and first administrator on Find a Tender in three easy steps
For suppliers: detailed walkthrough – how an administrator completes and updates supplier information
For buyers and suppliers: How to use the central digital platform (enhanced Find a Tender service) a short guide for everyone
For contracting authorities: an overview of the new transparency commitments and illustration of notices on enhanced Find a Tender service
New Guidance and Templates Published
To support stakeholders in their preparation for the Act, the Cabinet Office have published a suite of guidance documents and templates that address all aspects of the new regime, providing technical guidance, and help with interpretation and understanding.
They have also recently published the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) template on the Procurement Pathway Tool and on the Government Commercial College platform.
The PSQ will help contracting authorities receive core supplier information (from the central digital platform), additional exclusions and debarment information, and information relating to conditions of participation. The guidance also includes a glossary and handy ‘explainer’ for suppliers.
