Public sector procurement amounts to some 50% of total public sector spend. Currently £230bn a year, it is thought that it could reach £300bn by 2015. This expenditure is a huge potential resource for investing in the UK economy, driving innovation and helping to boost economic growth. Its size makes it key to delivering quality public services and to ensuring that taxpayers' money is used most effectively and efficiently.

Despite much investment in initiatives going back almost 30 years, public sector procurement is still not managed as well as it could be. This is partly because of the diverse nature of the sector. For example, there remains inadequate knowledge of how much is spent overall, on what and with whom. The growing focus on spend data and analysis, prompted by the government's commitment to transparency and accountability, is delivering significant benefits.