The new digital platform for public sector procurement is expected to go live in February of next year, a Government minister has told Parliament.
Cabinet Office minister Georgia Gould was responding to a question from Alex Burghart MP on the progress in making the Central Digital Platform ready for use.
Gould replied: “The Central Digital Platform is currently being developed and will be operational and ready for use when the new procurement regime comes into force on 24 February 2025.
“Cabinet Office is working with e-procurement systems providers and contracting authorities to ensure their readiness.”
She also said the platform is being set up under the Public Procurement Act, due to come into force on that date, to improve transparency and efficiency.
Support for smaller firms
Plans for the platform were revealed by the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) early this year with an emphasis on its potential to boost the prospects of smaller companies winning more public sector business.
It is being designed partly to make it easier for a supplier to understand what the buyer wants and to take part in the bidding process.
CCS said that features will include a common portal with documents that will become familiar to suppliers, functions for building contracts and e-signatures online, and digital filtering to guide public sector users to the right commercial agreement and lot for their need.
