Cabinet Office has published a new National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) setting out the strategic priorities for public procurement, and how contracting authorities can support their delivery
Published 15 June 2021
Last updated 18 June 2021
The National Procurement Policy Statement asks that all contracting authorities have due regard to a set of national strategic priorities when exercising their functions relating to procurement.
The statement puts public procurement at the centre of our economic recovery as we build back better from the Covid-19 pandemic, with common benchmarks and standards to enable continuous improvement in public procurement practice and boost the social value generated by the public sector when it buys goods and services.
The National Procurement Policy Statement – what it means for CCS customers
CCS is already working to implement the strategic priorities:
- embedding social value through our commercial agreements
- regularly assessing our capabilities against commercial standards
The guidance focuses on three areas:
Social value
The NPPS sets out national priority outcomes for social value. It places emphasis on creating new businesses, new jobs and new skills; tackling climate change and reducing waste, and improving supplier diversity, innovation and resilience, all themes within the social value model.
The NPPS clarifies how contracting authorities should secure the best mix of quality and price, directs contracting authorities to include award criteria that achieve social, economic, and environmental benefits, and advises on the development of procurement specifications, as well as other measures.
Commercial and procurement delivery
The statement requires all contracting authorities to consider whether they have the right policies and processes in place to manage the key stages of commercial delivery it sets out, where relevant to their procurement portfolio.
CCS works in partnership with our customers to build the latest Government procurement policy and best practice guidance into our commercial solutions.
Skills and capability for procurement
The statement requires all contracting authorities to consider their organisational capability and capacity, with regard to the procurement skills and resources required to deliver value for money.
CCS regularly undertakes assessments of capability and capacity against the Government’s commercial standards and publishes the outcomes in our annual report and accounts.
Find out more
You can read the National Procurement Policy Statement along with accompanying guidance on GOV.UK.
Cabinet Office’s Commercial Policy team are hosting webinars for contracting authorities from across the public sector, suppliers and any organisations with an interest in public procurement. You can sign up using Event Brite.