Made in Britain extends the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) invitation to respond to the open survey on Government Buying Standards.
All government departments and their related organisations must make sure that they meet the minimum mandatory Government Buying Standards (GBS) standards when buying goods and services.
The UK government wants to gather views on how the GBS should be updated to account for environmental issues taking account factors such as value for money, market availability, economic resilience, and domestic competitiveness.
The survey covers 11 categories of procurement spend, these are: Artificial Intelligence, Appliances, Buildings, Cloud and Data Centre Services, Fleet, Furniture, Horticulture, ICT Hardware, Paper, Software and Applications, and Textiles. The survey does not cover public procurement of food which is being addressed separately.
If you are responding to more than one category, please submit separate surveys for each. Responses to this survey will be collected and analysed across government, and will inform the next iteration of drafts which will be tested again internally before the standards are ultimately published.
How to respond
Deadline: 5 September 2025
Complete the DEFRA GBS survey and find details on the webinars here.
Direct queries on accessing the webinars or survey to: Government_Buying_Standards@defra.gov.uk
Made in Britain also encourages members to contact us to share their experience or collaborate on a collective response. Your insights will help ensure the voice of British manufacturers is heard.
Get in touch: trade@madeinbritain.org
Environmental & Social Value (ESV) Certification
The proposals in this survey closely align with the objectives of Made in Britain’s Environmental & Social Value (ESV) Certification.
The ESV Certification is designed to inform, engage and empower UK companies, particularly SMEs, by drawing out and promoting your company’s existing contributions and commitments to people, planet and place. It helps your company communicate that value and positive impact clearly to stakeholders, whether they are consumers, buyers, government bodies, or investors.
The ESV Certification also supports tracking your company’s impact over time and staying aligned with evolving policy, helped by our close, ongoing relationship with the Cabinet Office and other government departments.
Whether you work in marketing, sustainability, procurement or bids, the ESV Certification helps you gain a commercial edge in a competitive UK market, using language aligned with public sector procurement priorities.
It’s also a practical tool:
• Takes 10–15 minutes to complete
• Priced at £390 (excluding VAT)
• Valid for 12 months
• Includes a bespoke ESV Certificate and a tailored ESV Pack
To learn more read here or to register interest contact: esv@madeinbritain.org
By Made in Britain 2 days ago | Government & Supply Chains