Public sector construction isn’t always directly focused on main contractors and big works contracts. It also hinges on a steady flow of building materials, such as timber, aggregates, concrete products, insulation, MEP components, civils supplies, fixings, kitchens/bathrooms, and everything in between. When availability can be volatile and both timescales and budgets are tight, choosing the right procurement method becomes as important as the specification itself.
Since 24 February 2025, UK public procurement has been operating under the Procurement Act 2023, replacing much of the previous “PCR 2015” approach for new procurements. The new regime aims to simplify procedures, increase transparency, and give buyers more flexibility in how they run competitions. These are changes that can matter a lot in construction supply chains, where markets move quickly and requirements can be complex.
This guide explains the current procurement methods available to UK public sector organisations for construction/building materials, and what’s changed under the Act from a buyer’s point of view.
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What are you buying and how often?
Before choosing a route to market, it helps to classify your need:
Commodity vs specialist: standard materials (e.g., plasterboard, standard insulation) versus specialist systems (e.g., façade packages, fire-stopping systems).
One-off vs repeat demand: a single project requirement versus ongoing “business as usual” supply across a region/estate.
Known vs emerging specification: fully defined requirements versus performance-based outcomes (common in retrofit, MMC, decarbonisation programmes).
Time sensitivity: planned works with long lead-in versus urgent maintenance.
Market maturity: plenty of capable suppliers versus a limited field.
These factors that are determined by the scope of your project will help to steer you toward a one-stage competition, a more flexible multi-stage competition, or a pre-competed route like a framework or dynamic market.
The core competitive methods under the Procurement Act 2023
Open procedure (single-stage competition)
Under the Act, one of the main “default” routes is the open procedure. This is a straightforward approach where you publish the opportunity, suppliers bid, you evaluate, and you award.
Why it suits building materials procurement
Good for clearly specified products and measurable evaluation (price, delivery, lead times, quality standards).
Efficient when you don’t need dialogue or multiple negotiation stages.
When it may not be suitable
If your requirement needs shaping with the market (e.g., alternative products, value engineering, logistics models, consolidation), the open procedure can feel rigid.
Competitive flexible procedure (CFP)
The other main competitive route is the competitive flexible procedure, which (as the name suggests) allows buyers to design a process that fits the requirement, within the Act’s guidelines. This replaces multiple legacy procedures with a more flexible model.
Why it suits construction procurement
Construction and materials sourcing often benefits from:
multi-stage selection (shortlisting based on capability and compliance)
clarification rounds (technical and commercial)
negotiation (where permitted and clearly set out)
market engagement and refinement (e.g., substitutions, supply assurance plans, carbon reporting)
A CFP can be shaped to reflect that reality, provided the rules are transparent and applied consistently.
It’s key to build your CFP around the real risk points, such as availability, logistics, quality assurance, product compliance, and pricing mechanisms, rather than making it a generic “two-stage tender”.
Pre-competed routes: frameworks and dynamic markets
Frameworks (including “open frameworks”)
Frameworks remain a key route, especially for recurring materials demand: you select pre-approved suppliers up front, then run call-offs when you need to buy. Under the new regime, there are updated rules and a concept commonly referred to as open frameworks. These are designed to allow periodic reopening to new suppliers (supporting competition and access over time).
Why frameworks work well for building materials procurement
Speed: pre-qualified suppliers and agreed terms reduce time to purchase.
Consistency: standardised specs, delivery SLAs, returns, and pricing models.
Governance: clear lotting by category/region and call-off rules.
Best practice for building materials frameworks
Lot intelligently (by product family, region, or delivery model), to ensure you are encouraging SME participation while still keeping the lots meaningful.
Include mechanisms for price volatility (indices, transparent mark-ups, catalogue refresh cycles).
Require product compliance evidence (and keep it up to date), especially where safety/standards are critical.
Dynamic Markets (the evolution of DPS-style buying)
Under the Procurement Act 2023, Dynamic Markets have been introduced as a commercial tool, evolving from older dynamic purchasing system (DPS) concepts. These can be particularly helpful where:
supplier markets change frequently,
you want to keep entry open for new suppliers,
you need frequent mini-competitions for varied or localised needs.
Why dynamic markets can suit construction supply specifically
Good for fast-moving categories and regional supply where capacity fluctuates.
Supports ongoing supplier onboarding and competitive tension.
Direct award and “non-competitive” routes: when are they relevant for building materials procurement?
Public buyers sometimes assume “direct award” is either banned or has a high risk. In reality, non-competitive routes are often permitted in tightly defined circumstances, requiring strong transparency.
Under the Procurement Act 2023, there are some circumstances when awarding without running a full competitive process is justifiable for the project at hand. For example, where only one supplier can meet the need, or in certain urgent situations. These decisions must be handled carefully and documented to ensure that they meet the new transparency obligations.
In construction/building materials contexts, typical triggers might include:
Urgent repairs to keep buildings safe/operational (time-critical).
Compatibility with an existing system where alternatives create disproportionate technical risk.
Proprietary components where there is genuinely only one viable source.
Direct award is often now the exception rather than the norm in public procurement. If your team find that there are repeated or regular “urgency buys”, that’s usually a signal that a framework or dynamic market might be better long-term solution.
The importance of transparency and planning in building materials procurement
One of the most practical shifts for buyers is the increased emphasis on published notices and a more visible procurement lifecycle. The new requirements include:
Central Digital Platform (Find a Tender)
Under the Act and Regulations, procurement notices are published via a central digital platform, with suppliers sharing “core” information through the platform for participation.
Pipeline notices
There is also a formal approach to pipeline visibility. For certain organisations/thresholds, pipeline notices help the market see what’s coming, and the government guidance notes that pipelines have been live since 1 April 2025.
Planned procurement notices and shorter tendering periods
Publishing a planned procurement notice can, in some circumstances, reduce minimum tendering periods (for above-threshold contracts) when correctly timed and linked to a later tender notice.
Why this matters in construction materials
Better pipeline visibility can improve supplier readiness and resilience.
Planned notices can help you move faster without cutting corners.
Transparency expectations mean your evaluation and award decisions need to be “audit-ready” earlier.
Key changes under the Procurement Act 2023 that affect building procurement methods
Fewer core procedures, more flexibility
The move to the open procedure and competitive flexible procedure simplifies things and gives buyers more control over process design. This can be useful for complex construction categories.
More transparency across the lifecycle
The new regulations embed transparency via notices and publication obligations, centred on the digital platform. This increases scrutiny on how requirements are set, how awards are made and how contracts change.
Modernised commercial tools (frameworks/dynamic markets)
Guidance highlights updated approaches to frameworks and the introduction of dynamic markets, supporting more agile sourcing models for changing supply chains.
Planning signals (pipeline) and process efficiencies (planned notices)
Pipeline notices and planned procurement notices can help buyers engage markets earlier and, in some cases, reduce timescales.
Net impact for buyers: Construction procurement can be faster and better tailored, but only if teams invest in and prioritise upfront planning, clear process documentation and strong contract management discipline.
Where our building materials framework can make all the difference
If you’re regularly buying building materials, a well-structured framework can be a practical way to balance speed, compliance, and value. Even more so when it’s designed around the realities of construction supply: regional availability, delivery capability, product compliance, and transparent pricing mechanisms.
That’s the approach we take in our building materials framework solution, giving buyers a compliant route to market that reduces procurement lead time while maintaining competition at call-off where appropriate, and supporting consistent terms across projects. If you’re reviewing your options or want to reduce ad-hoc urgent buys, framework-based purchasing is often a great place to start.