DgC Environmental Goods & Services Category TPP Comms to Market PIN

This Prior Information Notice (PIN) relates to Environmental Research & Development Suppliers that sit within our Environmental Goods & Services Category within Defra group Commercial (DgC). The intention is to share some updates regarding the application of the new Procurement Act in this area. Other such notices may be published by other category teams within Defra, and if your business operates across multiple categories, you should review all relevant notices for updates. <br/><br/>The Procurement Act 2023 is new legislation that will change the way the public sector buys goods and services. It aims to:<br/>• create a simpler and more flexible commercial system<br/>• open up public procurement to new entrants<br/>• take tougher action on underperforming suppliers<br/>• embed transparency throughout the commercial lifecycle<br/><br/>The changes are expected to start on 24 February 2025. <br/><br/>The existing legislation will apply until 24 February 2025. After 24 February 2025, it will only apply to procurements and contracts that started before this date, i.e. if the Invitation to Tender (ITT) was published, a voluntary transparency notice was published, or a pricing request was issued.<br/><br/>The new features for suppliers include:<br/>• a central digital platform<br/>• a simplified bidding process<br/>• more flexible commercial frameworks<br/>• a new duty on contracting authorities to consider barriers facing SMEs and VCSEs<br/>• a stronger exclusions framework<br/><br/>What will stay the same<br/><br/>If you are an existing or potential supplier to Defra and have live contracts, are a member of an existing framework, or are planning to bid for a procurement that has or will start prior to the new regime commencing, that arrangement will continue to be subject to the existing Public Contracting Regulations until the contract ends. The same principle applies to any contracts that are subject to any other associated procurement regulations, such as The Utilities Contracts Regulations.<br/><br/>What you need to do<br/><br/>If you are a supplier, you should:<br/>• read the government guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/transforming-public-procurement <br/>• sign up for regular TPP updates: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMgwpZ1kwubGUpKMLwu0ZpHS8zdWmXKgaHUJKRl-SwqQT95w/viewform<br/>• read the government TPP Knowledge Drops: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-official-transforming-public-procurement-knowledge-drops <br/><br/>We recommend that you familiarise yourself with the new Central Digital Platform using these guidance videos:<br/>• An overview of the central digital platform, an enhanced Find a Tender service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSfxoZoV3yI<br/>• How to register an organisation and the first administrator in 3 easy steps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnjCa4swtjA<br/>• Detailed walkthrough: How an administrator completes and updates supplier info https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4ZdbMGRqeQ<br/>• The central digital platform, an enhanced Find a Tender service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSfxoZoV3yI<br/><br/>If you have a question about the new procurement act, contact the Transforming Public Procurement helpdesk at: procurement.reform@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.<br/><br/>Further information<br/><br/>As above, use of our current frameworks that were implemented prior to the new regulations will not be affected as they were let under the current regulations. <br/>We will ensure that we are very clear on upcoming procurements about which regulations will be used to avoid any confusion. This includes the anticipated re-procurement of our key Research, Development & Evidence (RDE) framework that we initially communicated under the following Prior Information Notice (PIN) (Research, Development and Evidence (RDE) Framework Renewal - Find a Tender . A new Preliminary Market engagement notice will be shortly implemented under the new regulations. All suppliers who expressed an interest under PIN Research, Development and Evidence (RDE) Framework Renewal - Find a Tender will be contacted with the link to the new Preliminary Market engagement notice when this has been published.