Making innovation procurement work in practice

Public procurement is one of government’s most powerful tools, but in the UK ambition too often fails to translate into awarded contracts, real deployments and scaled adoption. The issue is not a lack of innovation. It is an execution gap, with limited capability embedded in live procurements, risk managed too defensively, and adoption issues identified too late.

Innovation procurement competency centres address this gap by focusing on delivery, not guidance. They embed expertise directly into real procurements, reduce delivery risk, convene markets around genuine demand, and build repeatable capability across the public sector.

International evidence shows that training alone does not change outcomes. What works is a mix of clear mandate, hands on support in live procurements, and sustained demand signals that give confidence to both buyers and suppliers.

The UK Procurement Act 2023 creates the flexibility to do this more systematically. The innovation procurement empowerment centre, hosted by Connected Places Catapult, is designed to provide a nationally visible capability that turns intent into action.

The document sets out five clear recommendations for the UK.

• Designate and fund the innovation procurement empowerment centre as the cross government function for innovation procurement, linked to Procurement Act delivery and standards.
• Build a model that can scale, with a national hub for tools and playbooks and embedded support working directly with delivery teams.
• Prioritise live procurements that can reach contract and adoption, using clear conversion measures to avoid activity without outcomes.
• Start with simple metrics that matter, such as time to award, contract conversion, SME participation and value, and strengthen outcome tracking over time.
• Create the right conditions for delivery, including early stage procurement funding, communities of practice and feedback that improves tools and guidance.

Download the full paper to see how we could support innovation procurement across government.

Innovation Procurement Competency Centres: Global Models, Value and Lessons for the UK

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