The Marketplace

Summary:

This framework agreement, let under the Procurement Act 2023, gives public sector organisations access to products and services which may be classed as miscellaneous or outside of large, strategic contracts. This agreement supports both short term and longer term requirements.

Description:

This agreement prioritises efficiency and flexibility to support low complexity, largely product focused spend. Low complexity spending can take a lot of different forms, including:

  • low price, high frequency: these are items that have low individual value, but over time, are a significant amount of spend
  • low price, low frequency: items at the far end of the tail of spending
  • misclassified spending: items that are individually purchased and should be consolidated into existing supply contracts and competition systems
  • fragmented spending: items that are repeatedly purchased by various parts of the organisation that could be consolidated
  • maverick spending: spending that falls outside of the organisation’s procurement guidelines
  • unaddressed spending: items that have not been addressed by procurement in a reasonable period (generally considered to be two to three years)
  • unusual spending: high-value items that are new procurement’s or are procured only once, or so rarely that the organisation’s procurement staff has no expertise in the area

The aims of this commercial agreement include:

  • providing a simple and compliant route to market to support delivery of efficiencies and reconciliations in the public sector
  • empowering end users with a consumer style user experience allowing for more strategic deployment of skilled procurement resources
  • helping organisations build a better picture of their often overlooked lower complexity spend; to allow it to be managed more appropriately

Benefits:

Save time and be more efficient

  • buy products and services from different categories in one place
    find what you need quickly and easily
  • spend less time getting quotes
  • get a clearer view of your spending and purchases through better reports and invoicing
  • see where you can combine spending into existing contracts

Save money

  • access the buying platform for free
  • choose from a wide range of suppliers

Support social value and meet government targets

  • supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access to public sector spend
  • choose suppliers based on their location or diversity status
    select sustainable products
  • follow government rules on carbon reduction plans procurement policy note (PPN) 06/21

Product types:

Product types are currently being finalised following customer and market engagement. Typical product categories available under this agreement. Read page 21 of our draft specification for information on the marketplace.

Customer engagement

Customer engagement has commenced, please email the tail spend solution team using themarketplace@crowncommercial.gov.uk if you would like to share your current and future requirements that this agreement will need to meet or provide us with feedback.

We held a webinar session for public sector buyers on 24 October 2024 to provide an overview of the agreement and to gather feedback.

Contact themarketplace@crowncommercial.gov.uk with any questions or if you want to have a one on one discussion.

Supplier engagement

We will be holding a briefing session for interested parties on 9 July 2024. The session will cover the broad objectives of any subsequent procurement exercise and its potential scope. Following the briefing session, there will be an opportunity to engage with the team to seek further clarification.

To participate in the briefing session contact the team using  themarketplace@crowncommercial.gov.uk with the following details by midday on 8 July 2024:

  • organisation name
  • contact name
  • job title of contact (including responsibility within your organisation)
  • contact phone number
  • contact email
  • link to your organisation’s website

*Our draft specification is available for review. The draft is a working document being shared for information purposes only, and we will make updates as we refine the specification based on both continued customer and market feedback. To provide feedback email the tail spend team.

** We have documented required compliance, accreditation’s and insurances. The requirements are subject to change as we develop the agreement. The final bid pack will confirm our requirements.

Important links

Planned procurement notice Read planned procurement notice
Contract Notice in Find a Tender (FTS) Read Contract Notice
Tender documents Read draft specification

Read required compliance, accreditation and insurance

Timeline

Activity Estimated dates
Pre-market engagement July 2024 to April 2025
Drafting of procurement documentation Until April 2025
Publication of find a tender (FTS) notice 28 November 2025
Framework Award 29 July 2026
Framework Go-Live by October 2026

10/04/2025: Our estimated date for tender publication was April 2025, this date has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. This web page will be updated with the new estimated dates once confirmed.

15/09/2025: The indicative tender publication date is now 28 November 2025.