UK Procurement Market Insights & Intelligence

Government procurement now accounts for over a third of total public expenditure, with central government departments, local authorities, and NHS trusts collectively spending more than £400 billion annually. The Procurement Act 2023, which came into force in February 2025, has reshaped how contracts are awarded, placing greater emphasis on transparency, value for money, and social value. For suppliers, this means that well-structured bids with clear evidence of capability and impact are more critical than ever.

The Procurement Act 2023 replaced the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and went live in February 2025. It introduces a single digital platform for all public procurement notices, new competitive flexible procedures, and mandatory standstill periods. Suppliers who have not updated their bid strategies to reflect the new evaluation frameworks risk falling behind. Glaxtons has already adapted its approach, helping clients secure contracts worth over £85 million under the new rules.

Research from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply continues to show that organisations relying solely on in-house teams achieve success rates between 15% and 25%. By contrast, those working with specialist bid consultancies typically see rates of 60% to 75%. Glaxtons Consulting maintains a 93% success rate across all sectors, driven by a combination of expert writing, strategic pricing, and rigorous quality assurance processes.

NHS procurement has become one of the most competitive arenas in UK public sector tendering. Framework opportunities across NHS Supply Chain, regional ICS bodies, and individual trust procurements are attracting 45% more bidders than in 2024. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and increasing outsourcing of clinical and non-clinical services continue to open new opportunities for suppliers who can demonstrate quality, compliance, and value.

The trend towards quality-weighted evaluations has accelerated. Under the Procurement Act 2023, contracting authorities are placing even greater emphasis on demonstrable outcomes, innovation, and social value. The average evaluation split has shifted from 60/40 to closer to 70/30 in favour of quality, particularly for complex services and construction frameworks. This rewards suppliers who invest in professionally written, evidence-rich submissions.

Social value requirements have been significantly strengthened under the Procurement Act 2023. Many central government contracts now allocate between 10% and 20% of total evaluation marks to social value. The Government's Social Value Model, combined with sector-specific themes such as net zero, local employment, and skills development, demands a sophisticated response. Suppliers without a robust social value strategy are at a measurable disadvantage.

The UK Government's National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline now stands at over £600 billion over the next decade. Major programmes including HS2, hospital building, school refurbishment, and defence estate upgrades are generating significant tendering opportunities. Frameworks such as Pagabo, CCS Construction Works and Associated Services 3 (CWAS 3), and SCAPE are actively accepting new suppliers, making this the strongest period for construction procurement in recent memory.