Norfolk County Council has approved a two-year procurement pipeline covering roughly £1.1 billion of public spending that flows through external contractors and providers.

Cabinet delegated authority to senior officers to run tender processes, extend existing contracts, and award new ones across a wide range of council services. The decisions follow the introduction of the Procurement Act 2023, which sets new rules on how public bodies must run competitive exercises.

The Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Transport, Cllr Graham Plant, stressed that once contracts are in place, funding can only be spent on the specific purposes written into them — meaning money cannot be moved between projects even if priorities shift.

Officers were also told to publish the pipeline early so that businesses, including smaller firms, are aware of upcoming opportunities and can prepare bids. The report noted that Local Government Reorganisation, which will create new unitary councils across Norfolk, may offer a chance to streamline procurement practices in future.

The Director of Procurement and Sustainability was given authority to decide on tendering strategy, shortlist bidders, make provisional award decisions, and negotiate where permitted — all in consultation with the relevant chief officer and cabinet member.

A separate process under the Provider Selection Regime, which governs how health and care contracts are awarded, was also delegated to the same director.

Cabinet members noted that much of the council's contracted spending covers statutory services that cannot be reduced or redirected, leaving limited flexibility in how the remaining budget is managed.