“PPN” stands for Procurement Policy Note. They’re updates that the Government release which advise the country on changes to procurement rules. They’ve been happening more regularly now that we’ve left the EU. As part of SECs commitment to our network we’ll be updating you on each relevant PPN.
What’s important about PPN 07/21?
The PPN is a reminder following the end of the transition period. It reiterates that all public bodies must publish information on their opportunities and awards over certain low-value thresholds on Contracts Finder.
The key takeaways are:
- All Contracting Authorities in England must ensure that any below-threshold procurement opportunities and awards are published on Contracts Finder. For sub-central authorities and HAs this will be any contract £25k + net VAT.
- Contracts Finder is free and you can access it here – Contracts Finder – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- All references to OJEU/TED have been replaced with Find a Tender Services (FTS)
- The term “Contract award” has been defined as the date on which the contract was signed by the last party. This is just for clarification purposes. Most CAs already follow this.
You can read the PPN in full here – Procurement Policy Note 07/21.
Who does it apply to?
PPN 07/21 applies to:
- Part 1 of the note applies to all contacting authorities across the public sector – this does not include devolved functions of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, NHS and maintained schools.
- Part 2 applies to Central Government only. To keep things as clear as possible we haven’t included advice on it’s guidance here.
When does it apply from? – Immediately
For many of our network this PPN won’t be telling you anything new. At SEC we’ve updated our process to reflect the language change. Our processes are up to date and we’ll always provide a compliant route.
