Procurement Act 2023 learning and development

Cabinet Office guide

The Cabinet Office has developed a short guide outlining the comprehensive, centrally funded, free learning and development package for contracting authorities. The guide will help you decide which of the learning and development options are most suitable for you and your team's needs – and what actions you need to take in the coming months to plan your training programme to ensure you don’t miss out on the benefits and flexibilities of the new regime.

LGA Procurement and Supply Chain bulletin

In January and February, we contacted the main procurement leads to notify them of the Cabinet Office’s learning and development programme and we continue to raise awareness through direct communication and through our Procurement and Supply Chain bulletin.

Knowledge Drops 

Knowledge Drops are designed to provide an overview of the Procurement Act 2023 for three audiences:

• contracting authorities (with accompanying fact sheets that outline specific differences for Wales, Northern Ireland, utilities, light touch and schools)
• suppliers who deliver contracts to the UK public sector
• small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs).

The Procurement Act is only the start of achieving great commercial outcomes for the public sector. The Procurement Act sets the framework, but it is outstanding commercial leadership and capable suppliers which will deliver those outcomes.  Councils need to take the necessary steps to ensure they are prepared and ready to utilise the Procurement Act to its full potential.

Self-guided e-learning suite

The Procurement Act 2023 e-learning modules are the key learning product to support practitioners in implementing the new regime. The e-Learning is free for all council staff and is aimed at all operational procurement staff - this includes staff whose main role is to run tenders or let contracts, or procurement and/or commercial professionals whose main role is to manage suppliers or contracts.

Comprising of ten, one hour modules, the e-learning covers all aspects of the new reforms, such as key regulation changes, transparency and the competitive flexible procedure.

Learners who complete the course and achieve certification will be awarded a certificate along with an e-badge for adding to email signatures, evidencing attainment at Practitioner level. The e-badge will be available to manually download from the GCC website upon completion of the e-learning modules.

The e-Learning modules are only available via registration with the Government Commercial College (GCC). Visit the Government Commercial College website to register.

If you experience any issues in accessing the e-Learning via the GCC, please contact [email protected].

Deep dives

These will build on the ‘what’ provided by the e-Learning to focus on the ‘how’. They will give those who need to become expert practitioners in the new regime (and those responsible for procurement policy or capability in contracting authorities) the skills and confidence to maximise the benefits of the Procurement Act 2023.

This course is for commercial or procurement professionals in contracting authorities who require intensive learning and development to become experts in operating the new regime, such as: 

• commercial or procurement leadership team members who are directly involved in operational procurement 
• strategic commercial or procurement practitioners such as category managers 
• in-house specialist procurement or contract lawyers
• those responsible for commercial or procurement policy and capability.

Learners must have completed the e-Learning series before being able to book onto this course. It will be available on the Government Commercial College (GCC) website. Learners will need to register to access the material.

The course is over three consecutive days and includes sessions on:

• designing a competitive process (part 1)
• designing a competitive process (part 2)
• setting award criteria
• assessment and award
• frameworks and dynamic markets
• contract governance.