Compliance · All sectors

Procurement Act 2023: what it changes for small businesses writing tender responses

Prepared by TenderChecker. Last reviewed 4 October 2026. General guidance only — every buyer's own instructions and criteria take priority.

Short answer

The Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025 and governs most new public procurements in England, Wales and Northern Ireland started after that date. Procurements started earlier continue under the old regulations.

For bidders, the practical points are: register on the Central Digital Platform when a buyer asks you to, read the award criteria and weightings the buyer publishes, and answer every requirement in the tender documents. This guide is not legal advice — check the buyer's documents and official guidance for your procurement.

What the buyer might be asking

Have you registered and shared your supplier information as instructed?
Does each answer address the published award criteria?
Have you confirmed any exclusion-related declarations accurately?

Worked example (fictional)

Everything in this example — company, people and numbers — is invented for illustration.

Example question: (Applies across a tender run under the Procurement Act 2023.)

Fictional context: Fictional bidder: Harbourside Grounds Ltd is bidding for its first council contract run under the new Act. (Fictional.)

Weak draft (fictional)

We comply with all procurement legislation and will meet every requirement.

What the draft misses

A blanket compliance claim shows no evidence and answers none of the published criteria.
It does not confirm the specific steps the buyer asked for, such as platform registration or declarations.

A better version (using only the fictional facts above)

Our supplier information is registered on the Central Digital Platform [insert confirmation the buyer requested]. Each quality answer below is structured against the published award criteria: [insert criterion] is addressed in [insert section]. [Insert any declarations the buyer requires, completed accurately.]

Bracketed text marks facts the bidder still needs to supply. Never fill these with invented figures.

Evidence checklist

☐ Central Digital Platform registration if requested
☐ Published award criteria and weightings mapped to answers
☐ Required declarations completed
☐ Latest tender documents and clarifications read

Common mistakes

Assuming old-regime forms still apply
Generic compliance claims
Missing the buyer's platform instructions

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