Chartered Architectural Technologists have the skills and expertise to make valuable contributions to public sector construction projects.  

To support members interested in tendering for public sector contracts, CIAT has prepared two short films which provide an introduction to UK public procurement and the types of opportunities open to Chartered Architectural Technologists. 
 

Introduction to Public Procurement | Part 1

This film introduces you to public procurement and demonstrates how to find procurement opportunities along with the considerations to take prior to bidding. 
N.B. see below for updated information on finding tender opportunities.  

Introduction to Public Procurement | Part 2

This film covers the different types of tenders, frameworks and contract notices you may come across along with additional information on Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP). 

Finding tender opportunities 

Find a Tender (The “Central Digital Platform”) – England, Wales and Northern Ireland 
The Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024 set out new requirements for the publication of tender notices and other information regarding procurement processes in the UK, through a “Central Digital Platform”, a relaunched version of the existing Find a Tender portal.   

All public contracts with a value of £30,000 or more, and all central government contracts with a value of £12,000 or more will need to be published to the central digital platform.  

There is the option for local authorities to also use Find a Tender for lower value contracts (including contracts of £5,000 or more, which must be publicised under the Local Government Transparency Code 2015). As such, we anticipate that this service will replace most other portals for contracts of a value of £5,000 or more.

Find a tender


Find a tender


In Scotland
Scotland has a different legislative regime for public procurement to the rest of the UK, and the requirements to publish to the Central Digital Platform do not apply to Scottish bodies.  

Public procurement opportunities can instead be found via Public Contracts Scotland. 

Other platforms
A number of other platforms exist, with more narrow focuses: 

We anticipate that these platforms will gradually be integrated with Find a Tender and eventually phased out. However, they may still be worth reviewing if you cannot find appropriate opportunities via Find a Tender. Additionally, opportunities may be listed on the webpages of individual contracting bodies.  

Health and safety
Contracting authorities may require you to be a member of a Safety Schemes in procurement (SSIP) member scheme. Membership of a SSIP member scheme reduces administration for both suppliers and contracting authorities during the pre-qualification phase of the tender process, by providing assurance that suppliers have met PAS91 Pre-Qualification requirements and Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015, which assesses health and safety competence of contractors and consultants working in the construction industry. 

Sometimes a contracting authority may specify which member scheme you must be registered with but once you are registered there is a Deem to Satisfy agreement that operates amongst SSIP member schemes. For more information, click here. 

Understanding the Procurement Act 2023
The Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024 come into force on 24 February 2025. These two pieces of legislation are designed to modernise and simplify procurement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Key changes include new transparency requirements, duties to enable SME participation, improved standard payment terms, and a new emphasis on selecting bids which offer the greatest value and public benefit, rather than those which are simply the cheapest. More information on the new legislation can be found on the Procurement legislation and guidance page.  

In addition, the UK Government has produced a range of resources to support businesses in the transition, including: 

A full list of government guides can be found here, and regular updates here. 

Further guidance can be found via Constructionline. 

Other useful links 


CIAT believes that all design professionals should be able to compete for public sector design contracts on a level playing field. If you have concerns regarding a specific procurement process, please contact Joanne Rowlands ([email protected]) or [email protected]. You may also wish to raise concerns about UK public procurement exercises via the Government’s Public Procurement Review Service.