Public Procurement is Now an Open Book, But Who’s Reading?

Imagine this: You’re a small business bidding for a public contract. You put in the work, the numbers look good, but somehow… you don’t win. Why? Who got it? What did they offer that you didn’t?

Until now, these questions often went unanswered. That’s changing.

With the Procurement Act 2023, a new Central Digital Platform is now in place, giving the public access to government contract data like never before. We’re talking real-time insights into who’s winning contracts, what’s being spent, and how decisions are made.

Why this matters:

? Greater accountability – Public bodies must now justify procurement choices.

? More competition – Suppliers can see market trends and improve bids.

? Better value for taxpayers – Transparency forces efficiency and fairness.

But here’s the catch… Transparency is only powerful if people use it.

The National Procurement Policy Statement reinforces this by making transparency a pillar of procurement strategy. It’s not just about opening data, it’s about holding decision-makers accountable.

But will businesses, watchdogs, and the public actually dig into this information?

?? For SMEs: Will this level the playing field or just expose flaws in the system?

?? For procurement pros: Will this drive better decision-making or add another layer of scrutiny?

I’m curious, how do you see this playing out? Will this new era of procurement transparency bring real change, or will it be business as usual?

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