Procurement news for ambitious SMEs

The stories that matter to small businesses navigating public sector contracts — updated weekly, plain-English always.

Procurement Act 2023

New assessment summary rules — what they mean for losing bidders

June 2026

The Procurement Act 2023 introduced a mandatory assessment summary that unsuccessful suppliers must now receive. Here’s what you’re entitled to see — and how to use it.

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Social Value

PPN 002 — six months on, what’s actually changed on the ground

June 2026

The updated social value model has been mandatory for above-threshold central government contracts since October 2025. We look at how buyers are applying it in practice.

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SME Opportunity

Which government departments are closest to their SME spend targets?

June 2026

Departments published their first annual progress reports against their SME spend targets this spring. We break down who’s ahead, who’s behind, and what that means for bidders.

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Bidding Strategy

The go/no-go decision: five questions every SME should ask before bidding

June 2026

The biggest mistake SMEs make is bidding on everything. A disciplined go/no-go process concentrates your limited resource on opportunities you can actually win.

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Procurement Act 2023

MAT vs MEAT — why the language shift in the Procurement Act actually matters

June 2026

The Procurement Act replaced MEAT with MAT — removing “economically” from the award standard. It’s a small word change with real implications for how SMEs can compete.

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SME Opportunity

Find a Tender vs Contracts Finder — which portal should your business be on?

June 2026

Find a Tender and Contracts Finder serve different purposes. Understanding which to use — and when — can make a real difference to your pipeline.

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The fortnightly procurement briefing

Every two weeks: the procurement news that matters to small businesses, plain-English updates on legislation changes, and opportunities worth knowing about.