The changes brought about by the Procurement Act 2023 are extensive, and the Central Digital Platform (CDP) represents the conduit through which many of those changes will be felt. The CDP is designed to centralise and streamline procurement processes across the public sector. This article looks at how the CDP intends to do so, and how it has been perceived by practitioners so far. Note that this article does not apply to Welsh contracting authorities, to whom the devolved Welsh procurement specific guidance applies.
What is the Central Digital Platform?
The CDP is an online system outlined in the Procurement Act 2023 and further detailed in the Procurement Regulations 2024. At a practical level, the CDP is not a new platform of itself, but rather an enhanced version of the existing Find a Tender Service. In this way, the nature of the CDP is similar to the existing platform, but aims to create a more joined up and transparent service.
Key changes
The key policy aim of the CDP is to drive enhanced transparency, time saving and efficiencies for all parties involve in the procurement process. The legal framework for the CDP is set out in the Procurement Regulations 2024, which sets out that all notices, information, and documents under the Act be published on the CDP. The regulations also set out the requirements on suppliers in order to be awarded public contracts.
So how will these aims be delivered? At the core of the CDP is the creation of unique identifiers for contracting authorities, suppliers, procurements, and contracts. This means, for example, that all notices related to a single procurement are linked and searchable, providing a comprehensive record of activity throughout the procurement process.
Another key tenet aligning with the aim of streamlining is the ability for suppliers to store and manage core supplier information (data that is required for every procurement) on the CDP. Suppliers will only need to register at the point that they want to bid for a contract, and can share core supplier information with those contracting authorities that advertise opportunities of interest. In turn, this saves time spent providing the same information repetitively for separate procurements.
Other considerations
While enhanced transparency is clearly a key goal of the CDP, there are considerations that contracting authorities should have in mind when publishing notices. The Act provides certain exemptions from the publication of information, particularly where it might impede law enforcement, prejudice commercial interests, or affect fair competition. It also sets out that personal data should not be disclosed in contravention of data protection legislation.
The latter may become a point of issue for contracting authorities since the Act states that contracting authorities have a duty to publish information about a supplier’s associated person(s) and connected person(s), and this information will constitute personal data. Additional thought will therefore need to be given to the content and disclosability of notices.
Early opinions from practitioners and conclusions
Clearly, the CDP is in its infancy and its full impact against the policy intentions will not be known until the Act has been in force for a more substantial period. That said, where a platform intends to create efficiencies, many will form an impression based on their early interactions in signing up.
On that topic, a procurement practitioner in one large county council client of ours reported, "I found it quite straightforward and easy to use, with effective validation and useful error messages."
Further, at a more conceptual level, another contact reported "I think the fact that providers will be given a unique code which enables all of their pre-populated company and qualification information to be transferred across to our tendering system will be really efficient in terms of saving both supplier and procurer time."
The early indications for the CDP's capacity to achieve its goals therefore appear to be good, and its potential to streamline procurement processes and enhance transparency is clear. Ultimately, its effectiveness will depend on its implementation and the engagement of contracting authorities and suppliers.
