Cabinet Office Model Contracts Updated

The Cabinet Office provides three standard contracts for public sector procurement.

These reduce administration, legal costs and negotiation time, and are up to date with current procurement policy, legislation, and best practice.

Sitting alongside the commercial agreements for common goods and services owned by the Crown Commercial Service, these contracts are for use with a single supplier, and include:

• The Model Services Contract (MSC), for complex services contracts with a total contract value of £20m and above.

• The Mid-Tier Contract, for less complex, above-threshold goods and services procurements.

• The Short Form Contract, for below-threshold goods and services procurements.

The 2022 versions of the Model Services Contract (v2.0) and Mid-Tier Contract (v1.1) have now been published, replacing the old versions.

These new versions include:

• Updated GDPR and other EU-related provisions.

• Alternative drafting options for the ownership and licensing of foreground intellectual property rights.

• Social Value KPIs.

• Collaborative working principles for suppliers.

• New sustainability requirements.

The Short Form Contract for lower value procurements is next in the Cabinet Office’s workplan for update and we will publish details once available.

For more information and to review each of the contract forms, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/model-services-contract.