Another bite at the cherry? New application issued in the CAT challenges subsidies proposed by Durham County Council
5 February 2026
Insight Hub
9 January 2025
At a glance Recent decisions, including by Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, highlight contracting authorities (‘CAs’) ability to abandon a procurement process where appropriate. Here the CA decided to withdraw a £65 million pound contract award after legal action was commenced by an unsuccessful bidder. This is not the first time the…
Read more12 December 2024
On 11 December the Competition and Markets Authority (‘CMA’) announced that it had launched an investigation into suspected bid-rigging in relation to a key government fund for improving the condition of school buildings. Bid-rigging has serious competition and procurement implications, and the CMA has issued almost £60 million in fines in the last year alone…
Read more3 December 2024
Overview This article explores the concept of Competitively Appointed Transmission Owners (‘CATOs’), their regulatory framework and role in enhancing onshore transmission infrastructure through competition. It will also look into the potential benefits, risks, associated developments and draw comparisons with the use of offshore transmission owners. With already high levels of demand on the grid and…
Read more3 December 2024
Bus franchising is a model for providing bus services where local authorities have the power to determine the details of the services being provided, including where they run, when they run and the standards of the service. Usually, this will involve the local authority letting an appropriate contract to a bus operator who will provide…
Read more1 October 2024
Recent reports, such as that published by Middlesbrough Council earlier this year exploring their value for money arrangements, have outlined how some local authorities have struggled to secure economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the use of resources. With several high-profile section 114 notices also being issued by authorities including Birmingham City Council in late 2023,…
Read more6 September 2024
There are several subsidy mechanisms available to the UK Government, as outlined below, that are designed to address various barriers to investment and innovation in the manufacturing sector. These are able to provide both direct or indirect support to enhance competitiveness and drive technological processes and should be means the UK Government is considering soon….
Read more4 June 2024
On the 13th of May, the Government Commercial Function published a new National Procurement Policy Statement (the ‘NPPS’) which sets out the strategic priorities for public procurement and how contracting authorities (‘CAs’) can support their delivery. The NPPS is a statutory statement which will come into effect/’go live’ on the 28th of October 2024 alongside…
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