A number of proposals for procurement reform have been scrapped including the idea of setting up 'national oversight bodies' in each EU member state to regulate public procurement. In its Procurement Policy Note - Progress Update on the Modernisation of the EU Procurement Rules, the Cabinet Office reveals a number of amendments and summarises the latest progress.
The proposals on having to split tenders into Lots to enable SMEs to compete have also been abandoned. Authorities will however be encouraged to split into lots where appropriate. One proposal that would potentially assist SMEs is that the minimum annual turnover should not exceed three times the estimated contract value. The UK government considers this should not be the default position.
The Policy Note reports on the progress so far covering the following areas:
- Increased Flexibility
- Strategic use of public procurement
- Reducing documentation requirements
- Frameworks
- SME access
- E-procurement
- Governance
- Other issues.
