The Guidelines underline the importance of using transparency clauses in procurement documents so that tenderers know that the Authority must publish information on public procurement. While the final decision on publication rests with the authority, the guidelines suggest obtaining the contractor`s consent on what will be published – and that a dialogue be held on what can be disclosed and what can be edited. Subject to this, the guide states that, as a general rule, at least the following should be published: You can access PPN 07/21 and the instructions from the Cabinet Office`s PPN website or through this link. The Cabinet Office has published PPN 07/21 – “Update of legal and policy requirements for the publication of public procurement information on the contract search tool” with new “Guidelines on transparency requirements for publication on the contract search tool”. This replaces a PPN and previous advice. The changes to the guidelines were introduced to reflect the end of the Brexit transition period and to provide more clarity. The main changes to note are as follows: The consolidated guidelines remind public authorities of the requirements contained in the Government Procurement Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015) that opportunities and awards exceeding the defined thresholds must be published on Contracts Finder (CFS). Annex 2 contains 18 FAQs on the publication of central government contracts. The appendix to the guidelines provides a very useful summary of publication requirements and suggestions for some of the most sensitive issues that can arise when using Contracts Finder.
Part 2 deals with issues related to the publication of procurement documents (tender documents) on occasion and during the procurement phases. It provides advice on the preparation of documents for publication, including the use of transparency clauses, exceptions and redactions, as well as the processing of commercial information. It also includes a section on mitigating circumstances in which publication delays may be permitted and confirms the option of quarterly notices for high-volume transactional executives and the DPS. You can create an account to receive email updates and save your searches. You can always search for and request contracts without an account. Part 2 Additional guidelines for central government agencies replace the previous guidelines for the publication of central government tenders and contracts. It applies to central government agencies as defined in Schedule 1 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 Contracts Finder, which allows you to search for information on contracts worth more than £10,000 with the government and its agencies. This guide is outdated.
Read PPN 09/21: Requirements for Publishing in Contracts Finder for the most up-to-date information. This section of the guidelines is new – it applies to entities explicitly listed in Annex 1 of the 2015 RCP, but ministries are encouraged to seek compliance from their broader “families” of NDPB and independent bodies. There was some confusion as to which date should be understood as the “date of supply”. Should this be the date on which the Authority takes the decision to award the contract or the date of the actual signature? The guidelines specify that, for the purpose of calculating the above-mentioned time limits, the date of award of the contract is considered to be the date on which the contract is signed by the last Party. The publication period begins on the day following that date (and if the period ends on a non-working day, the authority has until the end of the next working day to meet the deadline). The guidelines provide guidance on what should be published with respect to procurement documentation – and suggest that this goes beyond the minimum requirements to include both the contract and related documents such as specifications, conditions or other relevant timelines. The NPP explains that the guidelines have been reissued to reflect changes that occurred after the end of the transition period and to clarify compliance with transparency obligations. The main changes that apply to all contracting authorities concern: new references to Finding a tendering service and a more precise definition of the term “procurement” – which triggers the publication period. The definition of the central government has been adapted to the 2015 Public Procurement Regulation. For central government agencies, there are provisions on the voluntary adoption of the transparency policy for bodies and agencies that are not explicitly listed, and a modified requirement to publish the details of the award within 30 calendar days of the award. Further clarification will be provided regarding the drafting of contract documents, the publication of contract notices for contracts awarded under framework agreements and SPDs, and contract amendment notices. Part 2.
The previous guidelines on the “Publication of Central Government Tenders and Contracts” are replaced. The guidelines apply to central government bodies and cover the obligation to publish tender and tender documents at specific stages of procurement and to respect reasonable notice periods when seeking a contract. The guidelines contain additional policy requirements for the central government to publish procurement and contracting documents. For example, does another Contracts Finder award notice need to be published if a contract is amended or renewed? The FAQs indicate that in cases where an amendment falls within the scope of the amendments authorized under section 72 of the Regulations, no new contract notices should be published (as the amendment does not result in the conclusion of a new contract). If a new contract is concluded, this new contract is of course subject to all the aforementioned publication obligations. The deadline for publishing public procurement details in the contract search tool is 90 calendar days after the procurement date for sub-central authorities and 30 calendar days for central government agencies. This 30-day period was extended by 20 days in the previous version of the Guidelines in order to reconcile the requirement with the obligation to publish notices on the award of contracts of the “Tendering” service (which replaced the Official Journal of the European Union). The new guidelines are now divided into two parts. Part 1 is of general application, while Part 2 is explicitly addressed to central government agencies.
Part 1 Guidelines applicable to all organizations covered by the scope** replaces PPN 07/16 and its guidelines. It applies to all contracting authorities, with a few exceptions listed in Section 6 of Part 1. The guidelines are a useful complement to the types of information that can reasonably be withheld under one of the FOIA exemptions. For example, details of profit margins and overheads, financial information that would affect the outcome of a new offer or future purchase, certain intellectual property details such as proprietary information about the solution provided under the contract. The guidelines remind all authorities falling within the scope of transparency obligations: another issue raised is the situation in which services are included before the contract is signed; What is the correct “award date” to calculate publication deadlines? In this case, the guidelines propose that the day immediately preceding the start of the service should be considered an appropriate date […].