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Did you know that seven in every ten pounds the council spends is with our supply chain? This money needs to be compliant with these new laws, and it’s our job to help you prepare.
What you need to do
To prepare for the change, you should think about any new work coming up, even if you’re still applying for grant funding, and communicate this with your Procurement contact.
Changes to low risk purchases below £100K (RFQ)
From 24 February, new rules came into force telling us what we need to do when you complete a request for quotation (RFQ) for low risk purchases below £100,000 (one hundred thousand).
To comply with the law:
- make sure you follow self-serve process for making low risk purchases between £10,001 and £100,000 (RFQ)
- send all completed forms into the Procurement team
- within 30 days of entering into a new contract, make sure you have sent the Procurement team the fully completed RFQ completion form
- as soon as possible after you enter into a new contract, the Procurement team will need to publish a 'contract details notice' on your behalf - this informs suppliers and the public that we have entered into a contract
If you do not know who your contact is or have any questions, email procurement.team@essex.gov.uk.
About the Procurement Act 2023
The new Procurement Act:
- provides greater flexibility in how we buy goods, works or services
- opens up public procurement to new market entrants - this includes small businesses and social enterprises so they can compete for and potentially win more public contracts
- takes tougher action on suppliers that are not performing well in their contract, and exclude suppliers who pose unacceptable risks
- embeds transparency so the use of taxpayers’ money can be scrutinised properly
- formalises some areas we already excel in, like social value and carbon reduction goals
The new Act does not affect:
- procurements already underway before the Act came into force
- existing contracts until they expire or are replaced
The existing laws continued to apply until the new Act comes into force.
You can read more information on the transformation of public procurement at: