DSIT reveals plan for National Digital Exchange for public sector technology buyers

The UK Government has unveiled plans for a new digital marketplace to provide a new approach in how the public sector buys technology.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said the National Digital Exchange (NDX) will enable organisations to rate and review tech products.

It will also have an AI powered engine to quickly match buyers with suppliers based on what the buying organisation needs.

DSIT said the platform is being designed to open up the market to more UK tech firms, with a target to boost small business involvement in government contracts by 40% within three years, and that it could unlock up £1.2 billion per year in savings.

Breaking red tape

Minister for AI and Digital Government Feryal Clark said: “We’ve all heard the stories — months of red tape, tech that doesn’t deliver, and money wasted. That’s not good enough for the people we serve.

“The National Digital Exchange aims to change that. It will make it faster, fairer, and focused on what works — with real reviews, upfront pricing and smart AI to match buyers with the right suppliers in hours.

“It’s a clear example of our Plan for Change in action: cutting waste, boosting innovation, and backing British tech to deliver better public services.”

Best practice playbook

DSIT will be created under the revised procurement regulations and accompanied by a digital playbook to guide officials towards best practice, which includes ensuring their long term impacts of their decisions and the social value of contracts are considered.

It is working on the project with IT industry association techUK.

The announcement came shortly after Parliament's Public Accounts Committee published a report criticising government organisations' record in dealing with technology suppliers.

Source:https://www.ukauthority.com/ar...