A guide to selling into the UK public sector and its frameworks

What to take away

How UK public sector procurement is structured

Public procurement in the UK runs through central government departments, arm's length bodies, local authorities, NHS trusts and police forces. Each has its own buying teams, but they follow common rules set by HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office.

The Cabinet Office's procurement policy context matters for agencies selling to the public sector, as set out in Procurement in the national interest - GOV.UK.

The structure splits into three main routes: open tenders, framework agreements and dynamic purchasing systems. Open tenders are advertised publicly and anyone can bid. Frameworks are pre-approved lists of suppliers that buyers can call off without running a full competition. Dynamic purchasing systems are electronic lists that stay open for new entrants.

Below the UK-wide threshold, each public body sets its own rules, often published on its website. Above the threshold, the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 apply. The Cabinet Office publishes the current values on GOV.UK and reviews them every two years.

The values were last updated on 1 January 2024. They are £5,372,609 for works, £139,688 for goods and services bought by central government bodies, and £214,904 for goods and services bought by sub-central bodies such as councils and NHS trusts.

Regions differ in spend and priority. Greater London and South East England dominate central government and transport contracts. The North West and West Midlands have strong NHS and local authority pipelines. Scotland, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East of England and the South West each have distinct sector strengths, from defence to agri-tech.

For agencies, the practical implication is that one sales playbook will not fit all. A framework owner at a London department wants different evidence from a procurement lead at a Scottish council. Map the buying centre before you book meetings.

Crown Commercial Service frameworks and how to get on them

Crown Commercial Service frameworks are the largest single route into UK public sector work. CCS manages hundreds of agreements covering technology, professional services, facilities, travel and more. Being on a CCS framework gives your client a route to thousands of public bodies without bidding each time.

Scope varies widely. G-Cloud 14 (RM1557.14) covers cloud hosting, cloud software and cloud support and is open to any public sector buyer. Management Consultancy Framework Three (MCF3, RM6187) covers consultancy across business, strategy, finance, HR and procurement.

Getting on a framework is a competitive process in itself. CCS publishes a contract notice on Find a Tender, runs a selection questionnaire, then evaluates tenders. The selection questionnaire tests financial standing, technical capacity and compliance. The tender stage tests quality, price and social value.

Here is a practical sequence for helping a client onto a CCS framework:

Some CCS frameworks allow further competition among awarded suppliers. Others allow direct award. Know which applies, because it changes how you pitch. Direct award frameworks reward relationships; further competition frameworks reward sharp pricing and fast responses.

Read the call-off terms inside your client's commercial contracts before promising a route to market. A framework place with unworkable terms is a liability, not a win.

Find a Tender and the Public Contracts Regulations 2015

Find a Tender is the UK's official service for publishing and finding public sector contract notices above the threshold. It replaced the EU's TED for UK contracts after Brexit. Every above-threshold opportunity must appear there, which makes it the single most important monitoring tool for agencies.

The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 set the legal rules for above-threshold procurement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 and associated regulations. The 2015 Regulations cover advertising, timescales, selection, award criteria and standstill periods.

For agencies, three features of the 2015 Regulations matter most. First, award criteria must be linked to the subject matter of the contract and published in advance. Second, there is a standstill period between award decision and contract signature, which gives bidders a chance to challenge.

Third, contracting authorities must keep records and provide feedback to unsuccessful bidders on request.

Monitoring Find a Tender effectively requires more than a daily email alert. Set up saved searches by CPV code, region and contract value. Track early engagement notices, which signal upcoming requirements before the formal tender. Use those signals to book introductory meetings with buyers before the competition opens.

Appointment-setting agencies that specialise in public sector work often build their own Find a Tender monitoring routines. They filter for opportunities where their client has a genuine chance, then approach the named contact or the relevant category team. That is a form of demand signals work that pays off when done consistently.

Social value weighting and what bidders must evidence

Social value weighting is the proportion of evaluation marks given to non-price factors such as community benefit, environmental impact and equality. Since the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, many public bodies must consider social value in services procurement. In practice, social value now carries 10% or more of the total score on many tenders.

Central government departments must give social value a minimum 10% weighting under the Social Value Model in PPN 06/20, which took effect on 1 January 2021. NHS trusts, local authorities and devolved bodies set their own figures, and a 10% to 20% range is common in their tenders.

What counts as social value varies by buyer. A London borough may prioritise local employment and apprenticeships. A Scottish health board may prioritise carbon reduction and fair work practices. A Welsh government body may prioritise Welsh language and community wealth building.

Bidders must evidence their claims, not just assert them. Typical evidence includes apprenticeship schemes with named partners, carbon reduction plans with baseline data, equality policies with monitoring reports, and supply chain commitments with local firms. Vague promises score poorly.

Here is a checklist for social value evidence before submitting a bid:

Social value is not a box-ticking exercise. Buyers increasingly audit delivery after award. If your client promises apprenticeships and does not deliver, the framework place or contract can be at risk. Agencies should brief clients to promise only what they can evidence and repeat.

How appointment-setting agencies help clients bid

Appointment-setting agencies help clients bid by opening doors that a cold bidder cannot. Public sector buyers are busy and often inaccessible. A well-targeted meeting with a category manager or framework owner can reveal whether a requirement is coming, what the buyer values and who else is bidding.

The work starts before the tender appears. Agencies monitor Find a Tender and framework pipelines, then map the buying centre for each opportunity. They identify the commercial lead, the technical evaluator and the budget holder. Then they book introductory calls or meetings to position the client as a credible supplier.

During a live tender, agencies can support bid teams by arranging clarification meetings, gathering intelligence on evaluation priorities and confirming submission logistics. They do not write the bid, but they make sure the right conversations happen at the right time.

After award, agencies help clients convert framework places into actual call-offs. That means booking meetings with individual public bodies that can use the framework, explaining the benefits of the agreement and prompting a further competition or direct award.

Good agencies also help clients review how public bodies buy, because framework call-off terms and evaluation habits vary widely between departments and devolved administrations. Understanding the terms before signing avoids disputes later.

Where do these opportunities come from? Often from patient relationship building rather than mass email. Agencies that understand commercial opportunities in public sector markets focus on a small number of high-value targets and work them consistently.

Compliance and records when selling into the public sector

Public sector sales carry a higher compliance burden than private sector sales. Buyers expect suppliers to meet data protection, anti-bribery, competition and consumer law standards. Getting this wrong can disqualify a bid or end a contract.

Data protection is the first area. UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 govern how you handle personal data. The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) govern electronic marketing, including email and calls. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) enforces both. Appointment-setting agencies must have lawful bases for contacting public sector employees and must honour opt-outs.

Anti-bribery is the second area. The Bribery Act 2010 guidance is relevant to ethical practices in public sector sales, and it applies to UK companies and those doing business here. Gifts, hospitality and facilitation payments are high-risk. Keep a written policy and a register of anything offered or received.

Competition law is the third area. The Competition and Markets Authority enforces rules against cartels, bid rigging and abuse of dominance. Never discuss pricing or bid strategy with competitors. Public sector buyers watch for patterns that suggest collusion.

Consumer law can also apply to B2B contracts for services in some circumstances. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is relevant to B2B contracts for services, particularly where one party deals on the other's standard terms. Review your client's standard terms for fairness and clarity.

Records matter. One retention checklist covers the main areas:

Set the retention period from the buyer's tender documents. Under regulation 92 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, a challenge must start within 30 days of the date the grounds for it arose. If a challenge arises, good records are your best defence.

Finally, remember devolved differences. Scotland runs its own regime under the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 and the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014. Northern Ireland follows the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, with policy led by Construction and Procurement Delivery in the Department of Finance.

Wales applies the same 2015 Regulations alongside the Wales Procurement Policy Statement. Read the buyer's own procurement rules before advising a client on a cross-border bid.

Common questions