{"id":887492,"date":"2026-01-24T22:11:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T04:11:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/24\/trade-bodies-urge-changes-over-new-procurement-reforms-to-boost-standards\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T22:11:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T04:11:47","slug":"trade-bodies-urge-changes-over-new-procurement-reforms-to-boost-standards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/24\/trade-bodies-urge-changes-over-new-procurement-reforms-to-boost-standards\/","title":{"rendered":"Trade bodies urge changes over new procurement reforms to boost standards"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"Palace<\/p>\n

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Subcontractors should be forced to meet the same competence and training standards as tier one firms on public contracts to tackle low-pricing culture, a coalition of trade groups and unions have told the government.<\/p>\n

The 11-strong coalition wrote to business minister Chris McDonald calling for the government\u2019s latest procurement reforms<\/a> to be co-designed with the industry, then implemented\u00a0<\/span>at pace.<\/p>\n

A consultation on further reforms to public procurement was launched by the government last June, just months after the Procurement Act 2023 came into place.<\/p>\n

The latest changes are aimed at tackling social value objectives in procurement.<\/p>\n

However Jay Parmar, chief executive of the Joint Industry Board (JIB), which coordinated the letter, told Construction News<\/i> the current proposals still prioritise \u201clowest upfront cost\u201d .<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cIt makes it really hard for employers that are trying to do the right thing in investing in skills and apprenticeships and creating a stable workforce.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re really worried it\u2019s going to result in higher risks, more reworks, delays, disputes and safety issues, which kind of undermines everything that government is trying to deliver on long-term value from projects.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not asking for more money, we\u2019re not asking for more red tape. We\u2019re simply saying, get the public procurement standards in shape. So that you signal very clearly to the marketplace that you\u2019re prioritising quality and standards.\u201d<\/p>\n

The groups said there should be mandated verified workforce competence and employment standards on public contracts, with requirements for recognised certification such as the CSCS Alliance Scheme. These should be \u201ccore eligibility criteria, not voluntary commitments\u201d, the JIB said.<\/p>\n

The groups argued that persistent skills shortages drive up project costs and constrain delivery capacity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout intervention, this will limit the UK\u2019s ability to meet its infrastructure, housing and net-zero ambitions,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

The letter<\/a>, which was also addressed to parliamentary secretary for the cabinet office Chris Ward, was signed by the Electrical Contractors\u2019 Association, the Building Engineering Services Association, the Joint Industry Board for Plumbing and Mechanical Engineering Services, Unite the Union, GMB Union, the JIB, the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, JTL Training, the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association, the Engineering Construction Industry Association, and the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors.<\/p>\n

In response, a government spokesperson said: \u201cWe are focused on growing the economy and investing in our communities using the power of public procurement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve already overhauled procurement rules to prioritise British jobs and skills, and recently consulted on changes that will reward suppliers who create high-quality local jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese changes mean that when the government invests in projects \u2013 whether it\u2019s building roads, railways, or schools \u2013 jobs are created and communities prosper as a result.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Read More<\/a>
\n James Wilmore<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Subcontractors should be forced to meet the same competence and training standards as tier one firms on public contracts to tackle low-pricing culture, a coalition of trade groups and unions have told the government. The 11-strong coalition wrote to business minister Chris McDonald calling for the government\u2019s latest procurement reforms to be co-designed with the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":887493,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26143,425],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-887492","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bodies","8":"category-trade"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/887492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=887492"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/887492\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/887493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=887492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=887492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=887492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}