The Procurement Act 2023 received Royal Assent on 26 October, the final step in a long and arduous legislative journey.

The government has promised the transformation of public procurement law for post-Brexit Britain, unleashing us from the shackles of European-derived legislation, increasing access to the public purse for SMEs and creating value for money by reducing red-tape and increasing flexibility. 

So why doesn’t it come into force until October 2024? It is not (as some might think) the need for more time by the Cabinet Office to enact secondary legislation and guidance or finalise a new central digital platform, although all of this needs to be done.