Public Contracts Regulations: One Year On

12 months on from the introduction of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (the Regulations) and the additional flexibilities that they looked to introduce are now firmly embedded in our procurement regime.

The Regulations were introduced to make the procurement of goods and services from the public sector much more straightforward. As they approach their first anniversary, we reflect on how they have affected the public sector procurement process and whether they have had a positive or negative impact on the sector.

What is public procurement?

Public procurement is the process by which public sector organisations buy goods, works or services from third party suppliers. It can range from routine, day-to-day supplies, to complex spends such as large scale infrastructure, major IT or organisational change initiatives.