2026 Procurement Trends: Agility and Resilience in the Public Sector

In 2026, public sector procurement leaders will face heightened demands on their agility and strategic influence as economic pressures intensify the call to ‘do more with less’. Key priorities will centre on strengthening supply chain resilience, harnessing digital capabilities for greater value, and advancing sustainability, ESG, and cybersecurity in response to escalating risks and regulatory requirements. Coupled with legislative reform, a devolved landscape and market structure changes, these factors are pushing procurement professionals to look at innovative ways of delivering value.

"Digital solutions will continue to be the linchpin for public sector procurement success in 2026, enabling meaningful data insights, automation of heavily administrative tasks, and effective collaboration across teams.

“At NEPO, we're empowering our procurement professionals through our newly launched and ever-evolving eProcurement platform, Open. Open provides an intuitive solution that services and unlocks efficiencies across the cradle-to-grave procurement lifecycle. Embracing the automation available will help procurers combat ever increasing demands and enable a strategic edge that turns constraints into competitive advantage for supply chains."

- Adam Smith, Head of Digital and eProcurement at NEPO.

Economic Pressures and Budget Constraints

Shrinking budgets and fiscal uncertainty will demand innovative approaches to procurement efficiency. Leaders must streamline processes to deliver cost savings without compromising quality, leveraging collaborative frameworks for shared resources across organisations. Regional supply chain diversification will emerge as a key tactic to mitigate global disruptions.

Resilience and Supply Chain Strategies

Supply chain resilience tops the agenda, with public sector teams focusing on risk scanning and flexible sourcing models. Expect emphasis on nearshoring and multi-supplier strategies to counter geopolitical volatility. These efforts align with broader goals of long-term stability in volatile environments, enabled by legislation changes to unlock local and SME spending.

Sustainability and ESG Priorities

Sustainability remains central, as regulations enforce ESG transparency in procurement decisions. Buyers will integrate ethical sourcing criteria, balancing compliance with value-for-money through verified supplier assessments. This trend supports proactive risk management in environmental and social governance.

Cybersecurity and Digital Transformation

Heightened cyber threats and mandates will require embedding security in supplier evaluations and contracts. Digital tools, including AI for spend analysis and predictive risk modelling, will drive pragmatic automation, avoiding vendor lock-in pitfalls. Public sector adoption of eTendering platforms will accelerate compliant, efficient purchasing.

Actionable Steps for Procurement Leaders

• Assess current supply chains for vulnerabilities and diversify regionally.
• Embed ESG and cyber checks into RFPs for regulatory alignment.
• Pilot AI-driven analytics to optimise spend and forecasting.
• Prepare now by exploring upcoming opportunity pipelines and Procurement Act updates to enhance strategic influence.