What does the Procurement Act mean for public bodies and suppliers?

Institute for Government

The government’s approach to procurement is entering a new era. Significant reforms to the UK's post-Brexit procurement legislation, set out in the Procurement Act, will redefine how public sector organisations acquire goods, services, and human resources as new rules and opportunities emerge. So with almost £400bn a year spent on public procurement, how ready are public bodies and suppliers for the Procurement Act’s profound implications? Drawing on IfG's extensive research and analysis on government procurement and outsourcing, this event convened a panel of experts to explore the following key questions: What are the main changes that will be implemented under the new Procurement Act? How prepared are public bodies and suppliers for these changes? What impact will the changes have on procurement practice? What are the key risks and opportunities for public bodies and suppliers? We were joined by an expert panel, including: Lindsay Maguire, Deputy Director for Procurement Reform Implementation at the Cabinet Office Andy Milner, Chief Executive Officer of Amey Peter Schofield, Head of Integrated Commissioning and Procurement at Manchester City Council Laura Wisdom, Partner at Burges Salmon The event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. The event is a follow-up to a previous briefing on the Procurement Bill in 2022.