RIAI Research and Policy: Procurement

Beyond the Lowest Bid:
Reforming Public Procurement for Fairness and Faster Delivery

Public procurement reform has been identified by RIAI Members as one of the most urgent issues. Feedback from our 2025 Members’ survey has highlighted concerns around the high cost of tendering, delays in activating frameworks, unclear processes and timelines, and an unequal distribution of risk.

To address these concerns, the RIAI has published a new procurement policy, Beyond the Lowest Bid: Reforming Public Procurement for Fairness and Faster Delivery, which sets out clear and pragmatic policy recommendations to streamline and optimise the procurement process.

  • Early intervention project planning, reducing waste and preventing delay
  • Developing a robust, effective and more inclusive tender process, with a transition towards the most advantageous (MAT) model
  • Balancing risk fairly, particularly for smaller architectural practices and improving fee structures for essential cashflow management
  • Optimising public sector training and standards to improve collaboration, prevent inefficiencies and delays
  • Provide support for free and fair access to building standards to support best practice, safety, quality and consistency

Published: January 2026

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RIAI Research – Achieving Quality through Smart Procurement

The RIAI believes that the current procurement policy does not embed design innovation and impact quality of outcomes which can lead to higher whole-life costs. The procurement process focuses frequently on minimising the cost of design and construction, rather than achieving value for money. It is a responsibility of Government to put measures in place to ensure that quality of design and procurement for value are at the heart of public procurement policy. The RIAI published a report on public procurement includes a number of recommendations to improve the process. (April 2019)

Published: April 2019

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