{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/procurement-act-2023/section-12",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/procurement-act-2023/section-12.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2023/54",
  "legislation_title": "Procurement Act 2023",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/procurement-act-2023",
  "path": "section/12",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "12",
  "heading": "Covered procurement: objectives",
  "text": "(1) In carrying out a covered procurement, a contracting authority must have regard to the importance of—\n(a) delivering value for money;\n(b) maximising public benefit;\n(c) sharing information for the purpose of allowing suppliers and others to understand the authority’s procurement policies and decisions;\n(d) acting, and being seen to act, with integrity.\n(2) In carrying out a covered procurement, a contracting authority must treat suppliers the same unless a difference between the suppliers justifies different treatment.\n(3) If a contracting authority considers that different treatment is justified in a particular case, the authority must take all reasonable steps to ensure it does not put a supplier at an unfair advantage or disadvantage.\n(4) In carrying out a covered procurement, a contracting authority must—\n(a) have regard to the fact that small and medium-sized enterprises may face particular barriers to participation, and\n(b) consider whether such barriers can be removed or reduced.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 12 applied (24.2.2025) by S.I. 2013/1582, reg. 6(2), Sch. 2 Pt. 1 (as amended by The Procurement Act 2023 (Consequential and Other Amendments) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/163), regs. 1(2), 17 (with reg. 33))"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 12 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 127(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 12 in force at 24.2.2025 by S.I. 2024/716, Sch. (as amended by S.I. 2024/959, regs. 1(2), 2(7)(a))"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/12",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T16:57:07.988577+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
  }
}