Brexit: we don’t know what the impact on public sector spending will be and whether the approach to procurement as a result of the leave vote will change. The construction industry has seen uncertainty growing more recently and the impact of a potential EU exit is unknown.
Despite increasing uncertainty in the run-up to the referendum, over 1,900 public sector construction tenders were published, an increase of 29% compared to the six months prior and mirroring growth seen over the last two years with a particular increase in tenders for roads infrastructure, renewable energy and new build housing.
The public sector has a large construction project pipeline which includes new and ongoing infrastructure projects such as HS2 and the completion of affordable housing projects across the country which remain in high demand. Regardless of the leave vote, projects of this nature will carry on and continue to create future opportunities.
Public procurement is governed by UK regulations which originate from EU Directives, there won’t be any change for some time as the UK negotiates its exit. The current regulations will remain in force until they are repealed or revised. As we can see the Government has much higher priorities than revising a system that generally works well. So what could happen if the UK continues to have access to the Single Market? there will be very little change to public procurement and without it, the UK will likely operate under the World Trade Organisation’s Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). This provides similar access to bidders from the countries that are signatories meaning that UK construction contractors will be able to bid on contracts in Europe, whilst at the same time European contractors will be able to bid here in the UK.
For now, the approach from construction suppliers looking to bid for public sector work will not be altered by any changes to regulations. Companies must ensure that they continue to meet the requirements set out in the tender, demonstrate efficiencies and remain competitive against the competition – it’s business as usual.
Ultimately, there is no reason why leaving the EU should mean that the public sector ‘downs tools’ on construction projects. Continued investment in the sector will have a direct, positive impact on confidence, growth and continued recovery. For now, we will just have to keep a watchful eye on proceedings…
