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What Is Procurement? A Plain-English Guide for Training Providers

Start here · Updated 1 October 2026

If you run a training company or deliver L&D programmes, sooner or later a council or NHS trust will tell you it cannot simply book you: the work has to "go through procurement". This guide answers what is procurement, in plain English, for training and L&D providers who want public sector work.

The word sounds more complicated than it is. Once you know what procurement means and how the public sector version works, the notices, frameworks and tender packs you keep meeting start to make sense.

At a glance

  • Procurement is how an organisation finds, buys and manages what it needs, from a one-day first aid course to a three-year leadership programme.
  • Public procurement is the same thing done by councils, NHS trusts, universities and government departments, under rules.
  • The rules make buying fair, transparent and open, so a smaller training provider can win on the strength of its bid.
  • Training is advertised on official portals such as Find a Tender, and a lot of it is bought through frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems.

What does procurement mean?

The simplest procurement definition is buying, done in a structured way. Rather than ringing the trainer it used last year, a buyer defines what it needs, invites providers to compete, evaluates the offers and awards a contract.

In a company, "procurement" usually means the team or process that handles purchasing. In the public sector it has a narrower meaning, because the buyer is spending taxpayers' money and has to follow the law.

What is public procurement?

Public procurement is how the public sector buys what it needs, and training is a steady part of it: statutory and mandatory training for NHS staff, leadership programmes for council managers, safeguarding courses, mental health awareness sessions, CPD for social care workers and apprenticeship delivery. The buyers are called contracting authorities: councils, NHS trusts, universities, colleges, government departments and many more.

Because public money is involved, the rules require fair and equal treatment, transparency and open competition. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, those rules now come from the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025 and replaced the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Scotland has its own rules. (See the Procurement Act 2023 explained.)

Education and training services, including CPV code 80500000 "Training services", are listed as light touch services in the Procurement Regulations 2024. Light touch contracts have a higher threshold and give buyers more freedom in how they run the competition. (See CPV codes explained.)

The procurement process: how the public sector buys training

Most procurements follow the same shape:

  1. A need is identified. An NHS trust decides its statutory and mandatory training needs a new provider, or a council wants a leadership programme for its middle managers.
  2. The opportunity is advertised, on an official portal or as a call-off from a framework or DPS the buyer already uses.
  3. Providers bid: how you will deliver, who will deliver it and what it costs.
  4. Bids are evaluated. Against published criteria, normally a mix of quality and price. (See how bids are scored.)
  5. A contract is awarded. The decision is published, and unsuccessful bidders get an explanation of how they scored.

From 1 January 2026, contracts above £135,018 including VAT (central government buyers) or £207,720 (other public bodies) must follow the full rules, and the threshold for light touch contracts, which include training, is £663,540. Below those figures, a buyer that chooses to advertise a contract worth at least £12,000 (central government, which now includes NHS trusts and foundation trusts) or £30,000 (other contracting authorities) must publish a notice on the Central Digital Platform.

Why it matters for training providers

Public procurement is an open market, so a well-run training provider without a public sector history can still win. Two things trip providers up. The first is that a lot of public sector training is never put out as a one-off tender. Councils, NHS trusts and buying organisations set up frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems (DPSs) and then call off training from the providers already on them, so getting onto the right one is often the real first step. Our frameworks overview covers the six we focus on, including the Hull learning and training DPS and the YPO training framework.

The second is the writing: a submission has to score well against experienced providers who have bid before. Our guide to training tenders in the UK is the next step.

Common terms you'll meet

Frequently asked questions

What is procurement in simple terms?

It is the structured way an organisation buys what it needs: define the requirement, invite competition, evaluate the offers and award a contract. For a training provider, it means bidding against a published requirement rather than being booked directly.

What is the difference between procurement and purchasing?

Purchasing is the act of buying. Procurement is the managed process around it, from planning and advertising to evaluating providers and managing the contract.

Who regulates public procurement in the UK?

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Procurement Act 2023, in force since 24 February 2025. Scotland has its own procurement legislation.

Is training bought differently from other services?

Partly. Education and training services are light touch services under the Procurement Regulations 2024, with a higher threshold and more flexibility for the buyer. Advertising, evaluation and award still apply.

Where are public training contracts advertised?

On Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI. Many training contracts are also called off from frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems, so it pays to join the ones that cover your subject.

Sources

Not sure which framework fits you?

Lentora helps specialist training and L&D providers get onto public sector frameworks and win tenders, in their own name. Tell us what you deliver and we'll tell you honestly whether frameworks or tenders are worth your time.

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