The Buyers That Stole Christmas…Again

It’s that most wonderful time of the year again, but some buyers can’t help but play the role of Grinch with tender deadlines that steal time away from holiday festivities.

We’re returning with an annual updated naughty list of those spreading holiday misery in the procurement world.

You may recall our 2022 blog, which highlighted a depressing 82% increase in Christmas closing dates over 2020, with the Ministry of Defence leading the way with 24 holiday deadlines. In 2023, there has been progress, with total offenders actually decreasing to 501, that’s still Scrooge-like but at least headed in the right direction with a 34% drop from last year.

While overall numbers trended down, some prominent organisations still feel the need to spoil bidder’s turkey dinners.

NHS England tops the 2023 naughty list with 23 holiday deadline tenders – perhaps all that eggnog left them feeling less generous.

Sharing the second spot with 18 holiday deadlines each are Staffordshire County Council and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.

And our usual top grinches, the Ministry of Defence and Bristol City Council, continue their curmudgeon ways, tying for third with 17 each.

As always, we mix our playful holiday humour with sincerity about the real supplier impact of such poor timing. Fewer bids, rushed proposals and lost family time lead to poor procurements.

Here’s hoping our lighthearted shaming might slowly help turn the tide, though some buyers seem determined to make the naughty list an annual tradition.

Rest assured, we’ll be here to call them out when they do.

Spend Network holds government procurement data for more than 150 countries and 700 sources globally. We work hard to collect, organise and analyse procurement data at scale for export agencies and businesses. Subscribe to our newsletter and stay informed about the latest news in the industry and how our data can help you.