Government proposes fundamental reforms of public procurement rules

What are the proposed changes?

The government is proposing fundamental reforms of the public procurement rules governing the purchase of goods, works, and services by the public sector and certain utilities.

The NFU welcomes the government’s Green Paper on Transforming Public Procurement and will be responding to the consultation on behalf of members. We have been working with government on this area of policy and we will be making it clear that we believe that there are currently multiple barriers for British product to enter the public sector supply chain. The NFU believes it is in both the public and producers’ interests that government utilises our world-leading food and farming industry to deliver safe, traceable, affordable, nutritious food.

What is the NFU calling for?

The NFU believes that the procurement of food within the public sector should be more accessible and transparent, making it easier for smaller businesses to access the market. Public sector food provision is currently fragmented and comprises multiple supply chains, with procurement decisions often made at a local level. Although this Green Paper may not address all our concerns the NFU would welcome more consistency and simplicity across all government departments to address the ability for local suppliers, SMEs, and British product to enter the market.

The current tendering process is complex. A common approach for public sector sourcing would provide clarity for smaller businesses on product specification and contracting terms. The lack of commonality between different supply chains often makes the market feel opaque, and out of reach of farmers and local SMEs.