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The Procurement Act 2023: One Year On – what schools and Trusts need to know (and do) Part Two

Following on from our “Part One” blog post we’re now going to cover off some more aspects of the Procurement Act 2023: One Year On. 

In this post we’re looking at Assessment Summaries, Standstill Periods and KPIs amongst other things! 

We’ve also got a round up of useful resources for you – fully hyperlinked for your ease of use! 

1) Assessment Summary: replacing the standstill letter (and it’s more detailed)

 

The Assessment Summary replaces the standstill letter and needs to include very specific information — not just “who won and why”. 

It should include (among other things): 

  • Supplier name, address and unique identifier 
  • Award criteria 
  • Assessment methodology summary 
  • Scores and detailed reasons (including why a supplier didn’t score higher) 
  • Total scores 
  • For unsuccessful bidders: an explanation of why they were unsuccessful 
  • …and the same set of information for the successful bidder.  

This is an area where templates help enormously (and reduce risk) and the Government Commercial Function have super helpfully provided a template for your use.  This can be accessed via the Procurement Pathway (link below) 

2) Standstill period: slightly shorter 

 

The standstill period has reduced from 10 calendar days to 8 working days.  

That may seem like a small and unimportant change but it has been done to ensure bidders have more time to consider whether they wish to lodge a challenge.  By cutting out weekends and Bank Holidays from the standstill period this gives bidders a longer period of consideration and planning if they do have concerns. 

3) KPIs + contract publication for contracts over £5m 

 

For contracts valued at over £5m, when you publish the UK7 Contract Details Notice, you’re required to: 

  • publish a redacted copy of the contract, and 
  • publish three KPIs you’ll report against.  

Then via UK9 Contract Performance Notice, you must report on those KPIs annually thereafter. 

This is a big shift for anyone who historically kept contracts “internal”. 

There are some caveats and exemptions around this e.g. for Light Touch Contracts so if you find yourself running a tender process with a value >£5m then we’d recommend seeking advice on what you need to do. 

4) Prompt payment: schools are exempt (but know it exists) 

 

There are broader prompt payment requirements in the Act (e.g., record average payment days; publish payment compliance notices) — but schools, academies and Trusts are exempt.  

Still worth being aware, as you may be asked about publication by suppliers who are unaware of the exemption. 

5) SMEs: you need to show you’ve thought about accessibility 

 

The Act has a clear focus on making opportunities more accessible to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).  

The practical takeaways: 

  • Consider and record how your approach supports SME access 
  • Avoid suppliers being able to argue there’s been a “failure to have regard for the SME sector”  

Simple examples include sensible lotting decisions (i.e. splitting your contract by service or geography), proportionate requirements, consideration of financial requirements and not over-complicating selection stages. 

Practical implications: what to prioritise in your school, academy or Trust 

 

If you do nothing else, do these: 

Get your governance and documentation sorted 

  • Update your Procurement Policy (or write one if you don’t have one).  
  • Add easy-to-use tables/flowcharts so staff understand what to do at each value point.  
  • Build or refresh templates (ITT, evaluation forms, scoring spreadsheets, legal agreements).  

Plan earlier than you think you need to 

  • Allow lots of time for procurement — avoid unnecessary urgency with short timelines.  
  • Have a procurement plan (forward planning is essential).  

Treat your contracts register as a living tool 

  • Keep your contracts register updated (or prioritise creating one).  

This is now even more important — for planning, transparency, and audit trails. 

Training: don’t assume only “procurement people” need it 

Consider training for your central team and schools more widely.  

Even colleagues who “only” run a tender occasionally need enough confidence to avoid accidental non-compliance. 

Keep records of everything (yes, everything) 

A consistent thread through the new regime is: document your decisions and keep a robust audit trail.  

Much of the legislation is not around the decision you made but how you made it. 

Useful training and development options

 

A few options we suggest (a mix of free and paid): 

 

Handy resources to bookmark

 

Other key resources: 

One practical tip: sign up for updates from PPRS so you can learn from issues picked up elsewhere — and capture lessons learned inside your own setting too. 

Final thought

 

In other experience the key to navigating the Procurement Act 2023 is to understand what expertise, resources and training are available to you.  We’re all learning as we go along so don’t feel you’re alone if you’re feeling out of your depth. 

 

Disclaimer: Anything posted in this blog is for general information only and is not intended to provide legal advice on any general or specific matter.