Procurement Act 2023 - the new Central Digital Platform

 A little bit more information from the government about the new Central Digital Platform coming in with the Procurement Act 2023 from 24th February 2025.

It confirms that the CDP will be built on the existing Find a Tender Service (FTS) platform.  We were expecting (hoping?) that this would mean that existing registrations would just be ported over into the new system.

Sadly, the new information clarifies (see below) that this is not going to be the case and that Buyers and Sellers will need to re-register.  Buyers should be able to register from end of January, and Sellers after that (sellers don't actually need to be registered until there are tenders to bid for - so after 24th Feb - but I am sure many people will want to get ahead of the game).

My friends at Delta e-sourcing (part of BIP Solutions) have shown that their systems are ready for the go-live and to fit into the new system.

I am presenting at The Procurement Act Live on 27th Feb 2025 at the NEC, so that will be a great opportunity for people to see what is going on and ask questions (to the Cabinet Office rather than just me!)

Here is the relevant text:

If I am already registered on Find a Tender, will I need to re-register?

Yes, you will need to re-register and enter your organisation information. We will provide comprehensive guidance to help you do this closer to 24 February 2025.

Full details are here.

The Procurement Act Live - NEC - 27th February 2025

 The Procurement Act has been delayed from October 2024 to 24th February 2025 - and just 3 days later we shall be running a live event at the NEC discussing the PA2023 and how well it is going.

Well, maybe how well it is going to go...

I shall be running a handful of short sessions, and be around on the day.  I will also be hoping to learn from the panolpy of other presenters.

Did I mention that it is free if you are public sector or VCSE?

Hope to see you there.

Full details (which are still developing) are here.

Kyle

 Sad to hear of the death of Kyle Jaggers from London Management Centre after a short illness.

He was my introduction to LMC about 15 years ago, and was a bundle of energy, expertise and warmth.

He will be missed.

IChemE - what engineers needs to know about Contracts - 25 to 27 November 2024

 

Gosh this has been a year - busiest ever for PAWA Consulting. And some family issues.

Anyway as we get to the end I finally have a minute to promote one of our regular open courses for IChemE.

This is online, from 10am to 1pm uk time for 3 days 25/26/27 November 2024.

We shall also be running it in person in Rugby in 2025 (gosh, 2025 - sounds like a date from science fiction).

Full details of the course are here.

The Procurement Act 2023 and the election

 The good news is that an election on 4th July is well away from the confirmed go-live date of 28th October 2024 for the Procurement Act 2023.

So no complications, such as there might have been if the election was in October or November. (though Cabinet Office assured us that it would not be a problem and the legislation seems to have cross-party support).

Meanwhile there is increasing amounts of information about the Act being published by the Cabinet Office - which I am trying to keep up with.  The good news is that it seems pretty good stuff at the moment.  The bad news is that there are always going to be particular issues that need more clarity, or are not currently clear.

But with 5 months to go I think we have lots to work on.

BIP Solutions - Understanding Sustainability in Public Procurement Tuesday 30th April 2024

 I am running a course on this increasingly important topic on Tuesday 30th April 2024.

Full details are here.

The course requires no previous knowledge or understanding.  We shall briefly discuss the new Procurement Act 2023, where the change from MEAT to MAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender to Most Advantageous Tender) may allow us to look more broadly at sustainability criteria.

In difficult times sustainability may seem like a luxury, but it is a priority that is not (and cannot) go away.

I am as always delighted to have tough questions and skepticism on the course.

Hope to see you there.

In the meantime here is a graph to make you worried, which may or may not be in the slide deck for the day.  I know the constant rain in the UK means it doesn't seem like the planet is warming - but that is not how things actually work.

 

CIPS Procurement Fundamentals - Thursday 25th April 2024

 I shall be running CIPS Procurement Fundamentals course on Thursday 25th April 2024, starting at 8:45am for 9am UK time.

This assumes no knowledge of Procurement so is ideal for new starts or those considering a career in Procurement (you should - it is very interesting).

As always the course will be as interactive as I can make it.

Full details are here.

This interactive training course considers fundamental elements of the procurement process, together with basic tools and techniques used within procurement and supply. It provides a robust grounding in procurement basics and is designed for those in a junior procurement/supply chain role or those new to the discipline. Delivered using learning systems and techniques to develop individual skills