Procurement is no longer just about process. It’s a platform for purpose.

The Procurement Act 2023 represents the most significant overhaul of public procurement in a generation - and for LUPC members, it’s an open invitation to re-think the use of our frameworks to deliver more than just compliance and cost savings. 

The Act ensures that public benefit is now built into the process - frameworks must deliver social and environmental value as standard.  Procurement with purpose has long been LUPC’s approach, allowing us to hit the ground running with the new regs.  

Procurement processes must be more accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs). This includes simplifying tendering processes and promoting fair competition. 

Historically, procurement has been measured by how efficiently it could achieve the lowest cost or highest economic return. But the Procurement Act 2023 redefines success through a new lens: the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT). This terminology replaces Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT). It promotes a broader view that encompasses environmental, social, and economic value.  This is not just semantics. MAT gives contracting authorities the flexibility to give appropriate weight to social value, something many of our members have been championing for years.  This principle is further elaborated by PPN 002 (updated February 2025) and accompanying guidance. This mandates a minimum 10% weighting of the overall quality score for social value in tender evaluations for contracting authorities for procurements on or after 1 October 2025. 

What’s Changing? 

For our members, this means revisiting specifications and scoring criteria. It's a chance to ask, “How does this contract serve our community? Will it support fair and inclusive employment, reduce carbon emissions, or strengthen local supply chains?” 

Through LUPC frameworks, we’re already working to ensure suppliers understand these expectations and are equipped to deliver on them. 

Practical Examples already in action 

🧪 Sustainable Science - Framework: Laboratory Equipment Low-energy and water use lab solutions 

🧼 Fair Work and Local Impact - Framework: Cleaning & Associated Services Living Wage commitments, local recruitment and training for disadvantaged groups are written into contracts 

💻 Greener and Ethical Technology - Framework: ICT & Audio Visual Suppliers provide secure asset recovery, ethical disposal, and energy-efficient tech as well as factory disclosures to support worker-led monitoring 

🏗️ Building Community Value - Framework: Estates & Facilities Suppliers participate in apprenticeship schemes, local SME subcontracting and on-site skills development 

Every specification is a chance to ask: how does this contract create lasting value?