Greenwich Council is set to implement the Procurement Act 2023, marking a significant shift in public sector procurement practices with a key focus on transparency. The Act requires public contracting authorities to publish detailed information about all aspects of procurement, including project information and progress, contract awards, and contract management outcomes. The intention is to provide a wide range of information on an open basis to the public sector, suppliers, and the public.

The Audit and Risk Management Panel met on Wednesday, 3 September 2025, to discuss the actions taken by officers to implement the Procurement Act 2023. The act, which came into effect on 24 February 2025, introduces major changes.

According to the Public reports pack, the Procurement Team has initiated several actions to ensure compliance and improvement. These include:

  • Revised Contract Standing Orders (CSOs), approved on 24 June 2024, focusing on contract management and requiring annual reports on contract performance for contracts exceeding £2 million.
  • A new eProcurement System aligned with the Act. This system is designed to effectively manage contracts and variations, and provide significantly improved management information to support compliance, planning and the MTFS challenges.
  • A Strategy and Contract Management Team to develop a new Procurement Strategy and Social Value Framework.
  • The appointment of a Corporate Contracts Manager and Contracts Support Officer to enhance contract management practices and deliver training across the council, starting in September 2025.
  • Implementation of a Social Value system called Match My Project (MMP) in the first quarter of 2025. The 'Match My Project' (MMP) system allows suppliers to register and offer Social Value services, supplies, and assistance to local community organisations and groups, who can also request specific support directly. This has been well received by both suppliers and community groups and is building momentum.

The Audit and Risk Management Panel included Councillor David Gardner (Chair of Audit and Risk Management Panel and Deputy Mayor) and Dr Susan Blackall (Vice-Chair).

The meeting url was open to the press and public.