Mystery Shopper service to conduct spot checks of procurement processes

This will be in addition to the service’s existing role in dealing with referrals raised by SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and other concerned suppliers.

In a Procurement Policy Note issued earlier this month, the Cabinet Office said: “The objective is to raise the commercial capability of contracting authorities through their adoption of good procurement policy and practice and ensuring that public procurements do not impose unnecessary barriers to small businesses when bidding for public contracts.

“Spot checks will be undertaken by examining procurement documents, usually online, on procurement portals and checking for compliance with the relevant procurement policy notes.”

The Cabinet Office added that – as with existing referrals to the Mystery Shopper scheme and following consultation with contracting authorities – the result of spot checks would be published on GOV.UK “so that poor practice by public bodies and their contractors can be challenged and good practice identified”.

The extension of the Mystery Shopper scheme was first proposed in the publication Small Business GREAT Ambition issued in 2013.