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 sized firms, embed transparency across the procurement lifecycle and ensure value for money alongside broader objectives such as job creation and supplier resilience.

The trade bodies’ letter urges that subcontractors be required to meet the same recognised workforce competence and training standards as tier one contractors on public contracts. It calls for mandatory verification of competence and …