The Cabinet Office has published guidance that offers frameworks for implementing generative AI (GenAI) tools across organisations. The guidance introduces two frameworks: ‘The People Factor’ and ‘The Mitigating Hidden AI Risks Toolkit,’ which emphasise cultural and organisational aspects essential for successful AI adoption. Designed for teams involved in developing, delivering, procuring, or governing GenAI tools, the guidance provides strategies for engagement planning, AI training, risk management and implementation monitoring. It addresses the challenges of integrating AI into daily workflows to ensure sustained, high-quality use. Informed by the rollout of Assist, the guidance demonstrates the necessity of a social transition alongside technical innovation and underscores the importance of creating environments where AI tools are used safely and effectively.

The Cabinet Office has published Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 025: Protecting the UK’s national security through public procurement. Applicable with immediate effect, PPN 025 provides guidance to in-scope authorities on the use of the national security exemption under Schedule 2 to the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023) to support national security and supply chain resilience in critical sectors: shipbuilding, steel, energy infrastructure and AI. PPN 025 applies only to central government departments, their executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies, for ‘relevant procurements’ as outlined for each critical sector in Annex A of the accompanying guidance to the PPN. Private utilities are also strongly urged to consider applying the PPN and accompanying guidance. The government has appointed dedicated sector leads across Whitehall to oversee and advise ministers on appropriate application of the exemption. The national security exemption must be used in accordance with PA 2023 and in a manner consistent with the UK's international trade agreements relating to procurement.

The Cabinet Office has published a joint UK-EU statement following the Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework meeting on 7 May 2026 in Brussels. The meeting, co-chaired by officials from the UK government and the European Commission, reviewed progress since December 2025 and reaffirmed both parties’ commitment to the full, timely and proper implementation of the Windsor Framework. The co-chairs welcomed progress in several areas, including the satisfactory operation of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) inspection facilities, labelling requirements and SPS certification processes, while noting that further work remained necessary on certificate compliance, box-level labelling and ensuring that flexibilities apply only to compliant goods. They also noted ongoing preparatory work on the interaction between the Framework’s SPS provisions and a future EU-UK SPS Agreement, following commitments made at the May 2025 EU-UK Summit. In the customs area, the co-chairs welcomed the completion of arrangements granting EU representatives access to relevant UK IT systems and noted ongoing technical discussions on customs duties for business-to-consumer parcels, while stressing the need for continued implementation work in customs and trade. The statement also welcomed technical flexibilities in the Duty Reimbursement Scheme for Northern Ireland operators while maintaining protections for the EU Single Market, reviewed the work of the Joint Consultative Working Group and engagement with Northern Ireland stakeholders, and confirmed the conclusion of discussions under Article 13(4) of the Windsor Framework on the implications of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act and EU Cyber Resilience Act, with findings to be reported to the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee.

The Cabinet Office has published a joint statement from the UK government and the European Commission following the Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework meeting held on 2 October 2025. The co-chairs acknowledged progress in some areas of the Windsor Framework's implementation since the previous meeting on 10 June 2025, while recognising that significant work remains to deliver the safeguards underpinning flexibilities for goods movement between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Cabinet Office and European Commission have issued a joint statement following the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee meeting in London on 29 April 2025. The statement notes work undertaken to date in the implementation of the Windsor Framework, including on agri-foods, trade, VAT and excise, and stakeholder engagement. It also highlights legislative steps taken by the UK government to provide legal clarity for EU citizens under the EU Settlement Scheme, implementation of human medicines arrangements which took effect from 1 January 2025, and new customs facilitations for parcels and freight taking effect on 1 May 2025. The Committee adopted three further decisions amending the Windsor Framework and also adopted the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee Annual Report 2024. Co-chairs Nick Thomas Symonds and Maroš Šefčovič reiterated their commitment to further cooperation on citizens' rights issues and full implementation of the Windsor Framework, as well as to strengthening bilaterial relations ahead of the UK-EU Summit on 19 May 2025.

The Cabinet Office has published a speech given by Alex Burghart at Procurex National 2024, a leading public sector procurement event held on 16 May 2024. Burghart spoke on the benefits of the Procurement Act 2023.

The Cabinet Office has published a new National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS), replacing the NPPS published in June 2021, setting out strategic priorities for public procurement. The new NPPS is presented to Parliament pursuant to section 13(3)(c) of the Procurement Act 2023 and will come into effect on 28 October 2024. The new NPPS is streamlined to reflect that many of the principles included in the previous NPPS are now statutory and included in the Procurement Act 2023, leaving this NPPS to focus primarily on the procurement objectives. A section on value for money has been added, highlighting that ‘contracting authorities must place value for money at the forefront of all procurement activities’. The NPPS contains information on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and notes the importance of opening up opportunities and ‘levelling the playing field’ for SMEs.

The Cabinet Office has published new guidance on the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023) in relation to the Plan phase, on the definition of 'covered procurement'. In relation to the Define phase it has also updated guidance on Dynamic Markets (to clarify position in relation to applicability of the statutory requirement to have regard to the NPPS) and on Frameworks (to clarify the applicability of the statutory requirement to have regard to the NPPS). In relation to the Procure phase it has updated the Remedies guidance (to highlight provisions in the TCC protocol in respect of service of procurement claims) and the Procurement Oversight guidance (to reflect changes in publication timing of further information relating to the PRU). Finally, the government has also published Prompt payment policy guidance.

The Cabinet Office and Government Legal Department have published a new document collection gathering together existing contract templates and associated guidance for use by government departments when procuring goods and services under the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023). The collection pulls together templates and guidance which already exist in separate places, including the Model Services Contract, Mid-Tier Contract and Short Form Contract. Adoption of these standard form contracts where possible aligns with guidance provided in the Sourcing Playbook and is advised for in-scope authorities in Procurement Policy Note 013: Using standard contracts (PPN 013), which is also included in the collection. The contracts can be used for the open procedure, competitive flexible procedure and dynamic markets under PA 2023, as well as direct awards (subject to certain amendments). They cannot be used for framework agreements, but the collection includes links to the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Public Sector Contract, which is a standard framework contract template for common goods and services. The Cabinet Office and CCS aim to work together to ensure that the standard contracts contained in the collection are updated and aligned where appropriate.

The Cabinet Office has published guidance documents in relation to the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023). Three new guidance documents for the Procure phase have been published and two new guidance documents for the Define phase. These documents should be read in conjunction with PA 2023 and its associated regulations. Each document will typically include the legal framework, what has changed, key points and policy intent, linked notices or guidance and where to find further information.

The Cabinet Office has published new security guidance for elections, titled ‘Online disinformation and AI threat guidance for electoral candidates and officials’. The new guidance provides advice to those working within political parties, local authorities, central government and devolved administrations on how to reduce the likelihood of an attack and what to do if you are affected by online disinformation or generative AI content. The new guidance should be read in conjunction with the National Cyber Security Centre’s ‘Defending Democracy’ guidance. An additional point has also been added to the guidance, titled ‘Social Media Security Information for Candidates’.

The Cabinet Office has published the outcome report for its consultation on strengthening partnership requirements between Category 1 responders and voluntary, community and faith organisations under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. The consultation sought views on proposed amendments to Regulation 23 of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (Contingency Planning) Regulations 2005, which would require general Category 1 responders to establish and maintain partnerships with voluntary, community and faith organisations in areas where they are responsible for emergency preparedness and response. The proposed changes respond to recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry to strengthen partnership working requirements between statutory emergency responders and voluntary sector organisations. Category 1 responders include emergency services, local authorities and NHS bodies, who are subject to the full set of civil protection duties under the Act. The consultation ran from 8 July 2025 to 16 September 2025.