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Welcome to the second local government TPP Bulletin.
We will be releasing a bulletin periodically. In this bulletin will give you the latest updates on:
- the ‘go live’ date of the Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement Act 2023 guidance documents
- e-learning modules
- preparing for the Act – Crown Commercial Service (CCS) approach
We do hope you find this information useful. We will also welcome your input, please email procurement@local.gov.uk with any suggestions for future inclusion.
Key updates
The Procurement Act 2023: 'go live' date
Following the laying of secondary legislation earlier this year, the Cabinet Office is working towards a ‘go live’ date for the new regime of Monday 28 October 2024. This date will be formalised in Commencement Regulations which are expected to be made in May.
For all questions relating to the implementation of the Act, please email procurement@local.gov.uk.
E-learning modules launched
To mark the beginning of the six-month preparation period, the Cabinet Office officially launched e-learning modules on 22 April 2024 to support practitioners in implementing the new regime. The e-learning is aimed at all operational procurement staff. This includes staff whose main role is to run tenders or let contracts, or procurement / commercial professionals whose main role is to manage suppliers or contracts.
Comprising 10 one-hour modules, the e-learning covers all aspects of the new reforms, such as key regulation changes, transparency, and the competitive flexible procedure. On completion of the course, you will be awarded a certificate along with an e-badge to evidence your attainment at Practitioner level and demonstrate your achievement and new proficiency. The e-badge can also be added to your email signature.
The Government Commercial Function (GCF) will be publishing the full content of the modules in an extensive learning manual on ‘gov.uk’ in May. Individual learning aids supporting the modules will be also available on the Government Commercial College (GCC) from May onwards. To access to the modules, you will need to register with the GCC at govcommercialcollege.co.uk
It is recommended to set aside 2-3 hours a week to complete the 10 modules, meaning that you can complete all 10 modules within one month. If you are planning to register, or have already registered for the Deep Dive learning, completion of the e-learning is a prerequisite.
E-learning technical difficulties/completion issues – things to try
If module completion is not registering:
- try using Chrome as your web browser, clear your cache and do it in an incognito window, which generally resolves the issue
- occasionally your department’s firewall can also create these issues, so we recommend that you use a personal device if available once you have tried the other solutions
- when completing each module, you need to exit it correctly for your progress to be saved
- click "exit course/exit module" to go back to the course page rather than hitting the backspace key, closing the browser tab, or exiting the window
- if you do not exit the module properly it may not capture full completion if you shut down the activities, information, or video mid-way through the progress, and this could later become a barrier to obtaining your certificate and badge
- if you are leaving your device for a period mid-way through a module please exit correctly, so that the session does not time out and lose your progress.
Completing the modules in order is advised as this will minimise technical difficulties.
If you notice that your completed modules continue not to show up on your course completion tab throughout the day, we suggest logging out of the GCC then back in again. The updated completion should then show up on your landing and course page.
Should you experience any further issues please contact gcftpp-busops@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Communities of Practice launch
On Wednesday 8 May 2024, the new Communities of Practice landing page will be available for all practitioners. Please note that the Superuser portal will no longer be available after this date. All information will still be available via this new landing page.
Procurement Act 2023 guidance documents
To support the preparation for the Act, the Cabinet Office has published a suite of guidance documents that address all aspects of the new regime. The documents will provide technical guidance and help with interpretation and understanding.
The guidance documents cover a broad range of subjects from procurement through to pre-market engagement, award rules, exclusion, and contract modification.
You can view all the guidance published so far including more recently the guidance for Transitional Arrangements. You can also subscribe to receive notifications directly when the page is updated with further guidance documents.
Preparing for the Act – CCS approach
CCS has taken an organisation-wide approach to the implementation of TPP to ensure the organisation is ready to apply the new procurement rules immediately and give confidence to their customers that CCS commercial agreements will continue to drive value, remain compliant, and provide the intended flexibility under the new regime.
CCS has developed an implementation guidance document which details their five workstream approach, including a checklist of considerations for each workstream. You can download the guide now.
Mini SPOCs (single points of contact)
The Mini-SPOCs are your key contacts for anything related to the TPP programme.
They are your regional representatives, available to assist, escalate issues and promote best practices within your region. They collaborate on a national level to ensure all notable practices are captured and shared.
You can find the Mini-SPOCs for your region below.
East Midlands
East of England
London
North East
North West
South East
South West
Wales
West Midlands
Yorkshire & Humber
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