Brexit: Bidding For Overseas Procurement Opportunities From January 1, 2021

The UK Department for International Trade has updated its guidance on “Bidding for overseas procurement opportunities” to inform UK businesses about overseas procurement opportunities covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) and the UK’s trade agreements following the end of the transition period.

The updates to the guidance cover the following matters:

• UK businesses: UK businesses will continue to benefit from the opportunities and rights provided by the GPA, negotiated by the members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), from 1 January 2021.
• Trade agreements from January 1, 2021: The UK is seeking to reproduce the effects of existing EU agreements (for when they no longer apply to the UK) to ensure continuity of trading arrangements for UK businesses; if the effects of an existing EU agreement are not reproduced, trade with other WTO members will take place on WTO terms when EU trade agreements cease to apply to the UK.
• Procurement opportunities under the GPA: The GPA opens up procurement markets among its parties; as a party to the GPA, UK businesses can bid for certain procurement opportunities in the other parties’ territories and businesses from those parties can bid for certain procurement opportunities in the UK.
• Markets covered by the GPA: The WTO website sets out which markets are covered by the GPA and what types of procurement opportunities are covered in each market; GPA parties use their own online platforms for publishing procurement opportunities; the WTO website provides party specific procurement-related information; the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will continue to operate as the UK’s regulator.
• Procurement opportunities in addition to GPA coverage: Certain trade agreements between the UK and non-EU countries also include procurement provisions in addition to those covered by the GPA; the terms of these agreements may vary between countries.

A contact form can be used for questions about the GPA or what is covered in the procurement agreements