Procurement Act 2023 FAQs
What is the key information I need to be aware of?
- Official name of the act is ‘Procurement Act 2023’.
- Go live date is 24th February 2025.
- Act includes two main changes which form the Central Digital Platform (CDP):
- Buyer/supplier registration service
- New notice types
- Existing Frameworks/DPSs may run until 23rd February 2029 while following the current rules, as will all call-off contracts from them.
What does this mean for Tracker?
Tracker has been enhanced to ensure the system is ready for 24th February 2025. This includes the addition of new notices, the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) and the ability to connect with the CDP for both buyers and suppliers.
Supplier CDP Registration
Does my supplier organisation need to do anything with the CDP?
As part of the Procurement Act 2023, all suppliers to the public sector and organisations bidding for work with the public sector are required to register on the CDP. Suppliers will be required to do this as they respond to any opportunities. When suppliers register their information within the CDP, they will be able to share this data with Tracker.
When can I register on the CDP?
Supplier registration can take place from 24th February 2025 onwards.
How do I register on the CDP?
The Government Commercial Function has released guidance on how to do this. The web page below contains how-to videos and documentation which explain the process:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/information-and-guidance-for-suppliers
How will the new Supplier information service interact with Tracker?
Within Tracker, suppliers will use a unique share code, supplied by the CDP after successful registration, to pull their information from the CDP into Tracker when responding to an opportunity. This links the supplier in Tracker to the supplier’s CDP information and populates their basic information. Tracker can also receive a supplier’s share code during Tracker supplier registration or within the supplier profile.
If the supplier information changes and is changed in the CDP, a new share code will need to be provided within Tracker.
A guide on how to enter your supplier share code into Tracker will be made available.
Tracker System Changes/Readiness
What has Tracker done to ensure system readiness from 24th February?
The Tracker team has made necessary system enhancements to prepare for the CDP’s implementation and day one usability and compliance. We have built and extensively tested all the notices that have been made available to us and they will be available to all Tracker users when the Procurement Act comes into force.
We have also fully integrated the new API that is provided by the government to link Tracker with the buyer/supplier registration service. This will allow Tracker to pull information into the system from the CDP quickly and easily and will be available to all Tracker users from 24th February.
As part of the Procurement Act, the Standard Questionnaire (SQ) is being replaced by the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ).
This is a new set of questions that suppliers may be given to answer and aims to acquire information that is specific to the buying authority’s procurement. The questions asked in the PSQ are different to those asked during CDP registration.
Tracker has been enhanced so that buying authorities can assign the PSQ to suppliers during their procurement activity. This will work similarly to the current SQ within Tracker. Suppliers who have been assigned the PSQ will have to answer the questions so that the buyer can evaluate them.
What system changes will Tracker incur?
System changes will be made to implement the new notices, PSQ, CDP supplier and buyer registration service integration and other smaller changes. Further details of these changes will be shared in due course including webinars and other helpful communications from our team of experts.
Will Tracker incur downtime while these new changes are being activated?
Downtime will be required to make these changes; however, we do not anticipate this to be significant and where possible we will do this outside normal business hours.
