Trade bodies press ministers to toughen procurement reforms on standards

Thomas Edwards | 9th February 2026 | Trade Associations

Trade bodies and unions in the UK construction and engineering sectors have called on ministers to revise the government’s latest procurement reforms to strengthen standards and address what they describe as a persistent low price culture in public contracts.

Industry groups including the Electrical Contractors’ Association and the Building Engineering Services Association, alongside unions such as Unite and GMB, have written to business minister Chris McDonald urging a co designed and expedited approach to implementing changes to procurement rules. The coalition says the government’s proposals still place undue weight on lowest upfront cost in public tenders, undermining efforts to invest in skills, apprenticeships and stable employment and potentially increasing risks such as reworks, delays and disputes on major projects. The call for change comes amid the ongoing rollout of the UK’s reformed procurement regime following the enactment of the Procurement Act 2023, which overhauled longstanding EU derived rules and set new priorities for transparency, SME access and social value in public contracting. Government guidance published under the Transforming Public Procurement programme has set out aims to widen access for small and medium size...

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