Industry webinar for Achilles on Covid-19 contracts and other developments in public procurement regulation

On 23 November 2021, Professor Sue Arrowsmith presented a webinar in conjunction with Achilles explaining and analysing key developments in public procurement over the last year. Much of the focus of the webinar was on the regulatory implications of the fall-out from the controversial contracts awards by the Government to respond to Covid-19. Several of these contracts have now been the subject of court judgments.

Professor Arrowsmith examined and assessed both the implications of these judgments for future contract awards – such as a greater role for public interest litigation - and the Government’s regulatory response in terms of proposals for new legal rules. These proposals include greater transparency to alert stakeholders to impending direct awards and greater requirements for justification for making direct awards through negotiation with only one supplier.   Professor Arrowsmith also reviewed other case law, covering topical practical issues ranging from remote debriefing to the impact of Brexit on regulation of low value contracts.

The event was attended live by 345 delegates from all parts of the public procurement “industry” - law firms, government, the private sector and academic – with a further 303 registering for video access.