Purchasing With A StartUp Mindset: Tackling The Challenge of Today’s Procurement Landscape

Thanks to renewed interest and investment in public sector procurement, there haven’t been many times when the spotlight has shone so brightly on how public bodies buy professional services. Our latest blog looks at how leaders in central and local government, blue light organisations, the NHS, housing and education should respond to today’s unique opportunities. You won’t be surprised to hear it involves a change in outlook. 

Aligning With The UK National Public Procurement Strategy To Deliver Real Impact 

As you would expect, the new UK National Public Procurement Strategy (NPPS) has set the tone for public procurement in 2025 and beyond, challenging all organisations asked to buy professional services in line with the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) framework to support the twin goals of economic growth and social value. It asks buyers to be more entrepreneurial in spirit, look for real value, and embrace digitalisation's benefits. A transformation of public procurement is underway based on quicker decision-making and the effective use of rapidly evolving technology. In this environment, looking at the attitudes and practices of startups and growing businesses is a good place to start.

What is a Start-up Mindset?

For those navigating the complexities of public sector reform, it’s important to note that adopting a start-up mindset isn’t about mimicking the excesses of tech culture. It is simply about rethinking how change happens in your organisation. A startup mindset values effectiveness over bureaucracy, experimentation over perfection, and outcomes over internal processes. Applying this thinking to procurement encourages buyers to think quickly, test their assumptions, and focus on delivering better outcomes. 

In the context of the government’s £3.25bn Transformation Fund and growing investment in AI in particular, the public sector has the best opportunity to break with traditional models we’ve seen in modern times. The time to act is now. Start-ups don’t wait for ideal conditions. They start, iterate, and then course-correct as required. The same principle applies here: with the right proactive professional service contracts in place, public bodies can improve performance now, not in five years’ time.

The good news is that fostering a start-up mindset doesn’t mean abandoning structure and discipline. It means creating the right conditions for speed, innovation, and learning. Sourcing professional service partners who can deliver on those terms will only become more critical as the pace of change accelerates. 

A Proven Tool That Works

From central government to blue-light organisations, Bloom is helping buyers think differently, act entrepreneurially and get things done. By providing access to high-quality suppliers, often innovative SMEs and niche specialists, Bloom can cut procurement time from weeks and months to mere days. 

We bridge the gap between public sector ambition and real-world implementation. Our fully managed NEPRO³ framework reduces risk by pre-vetting suppliers and offering ongoing performance monitoring. We can also facilitate competitive pricing to achieve better value for money for our clients. 

Our current network includes 6000 suppliers, many of whom are small, agile businesses with deep sector knowledge and technical expertise. These suppliers bring the start-up mindset to life, operating with pace, flexibility, and a focus on impact.

Crucially, Bloom handles the complexity so public bodies can focus on outcomes. We oversee onboarding, contracting, risk management, and performance tracking. Through working with us, choosing innovative suppliers needn’t present more risk than partnering with more traditional professional service providers. This has already proved a game-changer for many buyers, which is why the total value of projects delivered through our platform has reached  £1+ billion.

In a procurement environment characterised by caution and delay, we offer a clear route to speedier progress. In the face of complexity, we deliver simplicity, enabling smarter services through smarter procurement.

Case Study: Transforming The UK Home Office

The UK Home Office turned to Bloom's procurement network to find a professional service partner capable of delivering a digital transformation of critical national infrastructure. The project was inherently innovative and required the kind of flexible approach and speed of implementation associated with a modern startup. 

Through Bloom’s platform, our client was able to undertake a compliant competitive tender process in record time and ultimately contract with Marlowe Consulting, a specialist professional services business. Marlowe Consulting’s work included a full business change review and provision of support to the Home Office senior leadership team. Marlowe then worked with the business change team to implement their recommendations.

“Our experienced project delivery teams were able to work with our client to deliver a best-in-class digital transformation. By sharing our extensive industry knowledge, transferring essential skills and developing capability, we could ensure that the customer had the required skills for a sustainable continuation of best practice.” Deborah Feakins, Director, Marlowe Consulting

Support Where You Need It

Recent research shows that more public sector investment than ever is heading towards high-tech digital services. 74% of buyers say they will spend on AI in the future, for example. 72% report planning to invest in service improvement and automation. These areas are precisely where Bloom suppliers excel.  Whether it’s AI integration, digital redesign, or agile service development, our network brings deep technical expertise and the agility to adapt to fast-changing needs.

Over 70% of our suppliers are small businesses. Traditional procurement often favours large incumbent suppliers with the resources to successfully bid for work they may not be ideally placed to deliver. Bloom was created to change this by streamlining access and making it easier for high-performing SMEs to engage with potential buyers. We ensure everyone can compete on a level playing field. 

How To Procure With A Startup Mindset

The UK’s National Public Procurement Strategy sets a bold and necessary agenda: to deliver better public services by unlocking economic growth, driving social value, and harnessing the benefits of digital transformation. But turning strategy into action requires more than policy; it demands a new mindset, a startup mindset.

Adopting a start-up mindset in procurement isn’t about adopting the tactics of big tech; there is no need to move fast and break things,  but there is a need to think differently. A startup mindset means valuing agility, seeking innovation, and building purpose-built delivery partnerships for rapid, intelligent change. Crucially, it empowers buyers to move from setting an intention to delivering implementation without procurement causing unnecessary delay.

The pace of change will only increase, and the expectations placed on public services will continue to grow. The need for flexible, forward-thinking procurement has never been greater. Traditional models, while familiar, often lack the responsiveness required to support dynamic, evolving priorities. That’s why the public sector needs more than policy frameworks; it needs practical tools to unlock innovation at scale.

Join Bloom & Rethink Procurement

Bloom’s platform enables public sector leaders to access the right professional service suppliers quickly and in compliance with legislation. We are aligned with the UK National Public Procurement Strategy goals and the CCS Framework, and we are already playing a key role in projects made possible by the government’s £3.25bn digital transformation fund.  

Whether it’s piloting AI adoption, enabling fuller digitisation, or delivering professional services aligned to reform goals, Bloom can help you act now, not later. Just as we helped the UK Home Office find the right partner to deliver digital transformation, we can help your organisation meet its objectives through smarter, more flexible procurement.

Public sector buyers are now faced with a unique alignment of policy direction, funding, and opportunity. But the window of opportunity won’t stay open forever. The organisations that succeed will be those willing to think differently and act decisively. To help, why not work with an organisation that understands the complexity of modern procurement, but doesn’t let it stand in the way? 

At Bloom, we are ready to help you meet that challenge head-on. If you're a public sector buyer looking to deliver faster, better outcomes, now is the time to start thinking like a startup and freeing yourself from legacy systems, overly bureaucratic processes and inflexible incumbent suppliers.  

Visit bloom.services and take the first step towards stronger procurement, smarter buying, and greater public impact.