November 2023 update on procurement legislation.
Procurement Act 2023
New public procurement rules become law as Royal Assent is given to the Procurement Bill on 26 October 2023.
The Procurement Act will replace the procurement rules that currently regulate the way public contracts are procured. This new Act provides a simpler, flexible and more transparent system, which will allow for more focus on social value and help reduce barriers to entry for smaller businesses and social enterprises.
The existing legislation will apply until the new regime goes live, which is anticipated to be October 2024, and will also continue to apply to procurements started under the old rules.
We would like to thank all stakeholders for their efforts in helping us reach this important milestone and look forward to continuing our engagement with you as we prepare for the implementation of the new regime over the coming months.
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If you have any queries, please e-mail: ProcurementReformTeam@gov.wales
Procurement Bill secondary legislation
The response to the consultation on the Procurement Bill secondary legislation is being finalised and will be issued in due course.
Delivering socially responsible procurement
The socially responsible procurement duty is an important feature of the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act, and will require contracting authorities to put environmental, social, economic and cultural well-being at the heart of their procurement activity.
On Thursday 23 November, the CIPS South Wales branch will be hosting a hybrid workshop at the Sparc Innovation campus in Cardiff. The workshop will explore the concept and application of socially responsible procurement, and share best practice, insights and practical tools to integrate socially responsible procurement proportionately.
Led by Carl Thomas, Sue Hurrell and Alun Richards, the workshop will give participants the opportunity to reflect on what they can do practically within their own organisations to embed socially responsible procurement as ‘the way we do things’, and to help achieve the goals and ways of working within the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act.
For further details and booking, click here.
If you have any queries about procurement reform in Wales, please e-mail: ProcurementReformTeam@gov.wales