Public procurement can sometimes feel full of unfamiliar terms. To make things simpler, we’ve created this index to help suppliers, especially those new to working with the public sector, navigate the acronyms of public sector procurement with confidence.
AI
Artificial intelligence, or any machine learning tool including large language models.
AIPB
Area Integrated Partnership Board
AIS
Accessible Information Standards
COCH
Countess of Chester Hospital
CCS
Crown Commercial Services
CCST
Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust
CLCHT
Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust 
CNWLFT
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
CNZ
Carbon Net Zero
CPFT
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
CRP
Carbon Reduction Plan
CUH
DA
Direct Award
DESNZ
Department of Energy Security & Net Zero
DHSC
Department of Health and Social Care
DPA
This refers to the Data Protection Act 2018.
DPS
Dynamic Purchasing System
EEAST
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
EEM
Efficiency East Midlands
EIR
Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
ELFT
East London NHS Foundation Trust
EMAS
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
EME
Early Market Engagement
ENHERTS
East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust
EoE
East of England
EOECPH
East of England NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub
EOE PC
East of England Provider Collaborative
EPUT
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
ESPO
Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation
ESNEFT
GP
General Practitioner
GCF
Government Commercial Function
GCO
Government Commercial Organisation
G
Greenhouse Gas
ICB
Integrated Care Board
ICP
Integrated Care Partnership
ICS
Integrated Care System
IES
Ipswich and East Suffolk
IESHWBA
Ipswich and East Suffolk Health and Wellbeing Alliance
IOW
ITT pack
This refers to an Invitation to Tender pack, a set of documents provided by the Authority to suppliers when inviting them to bid for a contract. It usually includes a specification of requirements, instructions for submitting a bid, terms and conditions, and any supporting information they may need to prepare a complete tender.
MAT
Most Advantageous Tender
MEAT
Most Economically Advantageous Tender (used under PCR 2015) – replaced by MAT
MI
Management Information
MKUFT
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
MKUH
Milton Keynes University Hospital
MSEFT
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
MSECC
Mid and South Essex Community Collaborative, bringing together NHS community services in mid and south Essex.
NAPC
National Association of Primary Care
NCHA
National Clinical Homecare Association
NCH&C
Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust
NEAS
North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
NEE
North East Essex
NEEHWBA
North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance
NELFT
North East London NHS Foundation Trust
NHFM
Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management
NHMC
National Homecare Medicines Committee
NHFT
Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust
NHS
National Health Service
NHS CS
NHS Commercial Solutions
NHS SBS
NHS Shared Business Services
NHS SC
NHS Supply Chain
NHSE
NIAS
Northern Ireland Ambulance Service
NMBCPC
North Midlands and Black Country Procurement Collaborative
NNUH
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
NOE CPC
North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative
NSFT
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
NWAFT
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust
NWAS
PA2023
This refers to the Procurement Act 2023.
PAH
Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust
PCN
Primary Care Network
PCR2015
Public Contracts Regulations 2015
PHE
Public Health England (now replaced by UK Health Security Agency and Office for Health Improvement and Disparities)
PHEN
Pharmacy and Healthcare Network
PiP
Procurement in Partnership
PME
Preliminary Market Engagement
PPN
Procurement Policy Note
PSQ
Procurement specific questionnaire: A set of questions that a supplier must complete as part of a public procurement process. It collects information about the supplier’s financial standing, experience, capability and compliance with legal or regulatory requirements. Authorities use PSQs to assess whether a supplier is suitable and eligible to bid for a contract before evaluating their actual tender.
PPP
PSR
Provider Selection Regime
RFI
Request for Information
RFP
Request for Proposal
RPHFT
SAS
SCAS
South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
SCC
Suffolk County Council
SECA
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
SECR
Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting
SFT
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
SGPF
SME
Small and Medium-sized Enterprise
SNEE ICB
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board
SNEE ICP
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Partnership
SNEE ICS
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System
SSV
Sustainability and Social Value
SV
Social Value
SWAST
T&D
Training and Development
TPP
Transforming Public Procurement programme
TUPE
Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations is a UK law that protects employees when the business or service they work for is transferred from one employer to another. In public procurement, TUPE often applies when a contract is awarded to a new supplier, ensuring that employees involved in the service transfer to the new supplier with their existing terms and conditions intact.
VCSE
Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise
WA
WAS
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
WHTHT
West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 
WMAS
West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust
WPS
Wider Public Sector
WSFT
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
WSHWBA
West Suffolk Health and Wellbeing Alliance