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, you can find this on page 21 of our draft specification.
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.
Please email themarketplace@crowncommercial.gov.uk should you have any questions or would like a 1:1 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 please email the team using themarketplace@crowncommercial.gov.uk with the following details by no later than 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. Please note that the draft is a working document being shared for information purposes only, and we expect to make iterative updates as we refine the specification based on both continued customer and market feedback. To provide feedback please email the tail spend team using themarketplace@crowncommercial.gov.uk .
** We have documented required compliance, accreditation’s and insurances. Please note that 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* |
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 | To be confirmed |
| Framework Award | To be confirmed |
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.