# Public Procurement 2026: Shaping New Law into Solution-Focused Answers for Your Clients

> Court-proven, Solution-focused Answers to 8 Thorny Questions: Directly from Top-rated KCs, Judges and Solicitors

- Format: Hybrid
- Date: Friday, 20 November 2026, 9:30AM to 5:00PM (registration from 9:00AM)
- On-demand: 30 November 2026 until 9 April 2027
- Venue: The Landmark, 222 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 6JQ
- 6 hours CPD
- Rates: Live Attendance £399.00 + VAT per person; On-Demand Single £299.00 + VAT per person
- Status: Live attendance is fully booked; join the waiting list at https://whitepaper.co.uk/wl/EVWY0Zj15xyR4NL; on-demand is open for booking
- Book: https://whitepaper.co.uk/conferences/procurement26

## Programme

- 09:00 Registration and coffee
- 09:30 Chair's introduction: Public Procurement Law: Shaping new developments into solution-focused answers for your clients
  - Chaired by Ciara Kennedy-Loest, Hogan Lovells
- Panel: Professor Albert Sanchez Graells; Dr Totis Kotsonis
- 09:45 Modification: How has the National Lottery litigation changed existing thinking on how far you can push a modification before it becomes “substantial” — same old, same old, or important new thinking?
  - Answered by Sarah Hannaford KC
- 10:25 Morning Coffee
- 10:50 Duty to Clarify: What counts and will sway the court over the “Duty to Clarify” following Optima v DWP [2025]? When does it arise, where are its limits, and how will it impact practice going forward?
  - Answered by Azeem Suterwalla KC
- 11:30 Exclusion: How do you control the risks of excluding bidders, including meeting evidential thresholds and dealing with grounds that emerge only after final evaluation?
  - Answered by Fionnuala McCredie KC
- 12:10 Frameworks: At what point do neutral-vendor and single-supplier frameworks become “procurement by the back door” — and how can you safely support awards without further competition?
  - Answered by Dr Steven Brunning, Addleshaw Goddard
- 12:50 Lunch
- 14:15 Buy British: How far can you push “Buy British” using growth and social value criteria and national security considerations without breaching procurement law or the UK’s international trade obligations?
  - Answered by Joanne Clement KC
- 14:55 Automatic Suspension: Which way is the wind blowing on Automatic Suspension following Parkingeye [2026]— in favour of suppliers or contracting authorities — and will the new approach survive appeal?
  - Answered by Joseph Barrett KC
- 15:35 Afternoon tea
- 15:55 Transparency: Where are the limits of transparency obligations for award criteria and scoring indicators? How much can you hold back before your process invites a challenge?
  - Answered by Anneli Howard KC
- 16:35 Judicial Perspectives: What will likely require clarification from the Courts under the Procurement Act at this stage?
  - Answered by Lord Justice Coulson
- 17:00 Close of conference
- 17:05 Champagne Reception

## How to book

Choose a rate on the [conference page](https://whitepaper.co.uk/conferences/procurement26) and press Book Now. Checkout asks for the booking contact and company address, then each delegate's name and email, then payment: Credit/Debit Card, or Bank Transfer/Cheque to be sent an invoice. Bookings are subject to the [booking policy](https://whitepaper.co.uk/booking-policy).