Glossary

Plain-English definitions of key terms used across our guides, templates, and tools.

A

AI (Artificial Intelligence): Computer systems that can perform tasks normally requiring human thinking, such as reading text, answering questions, or generating content. In the workplace, this usually refers to tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini.
AI Hallucination: When an AI tool generates confident-sounding information that is factually incorrect. This happens because AI predicts plausible text rather than checking facts.

C

Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP): A document setting out an organisation's greenhouse gas emissions and their plan to reach net zero by 2050. Required under PPN 06/21 for central government contracts above £5 million.
Central Digital Platform: The new UK government platform where all public procurement notices must be published under the Procurement Act 2023. Replaces Find a Tender and Contracts Finder.
Competitive Flexible Procedure: The main procurement procedure under the Procurement Act 2023. Replaces the prescribed procedures from PCR 2015 and gives contracting authorities more flexibility to design their own process.
Contracting Authority: A public sector body that buys goods, services, or works using public money. Includes central government, local authorities, NHS trusts, schools, and arm's-length bodies.
Cyber Essentials: A UK government-backed cybersecurity certification scheme covering five basic technical controls. Required for certain government contracts involving personal data or IT services.

D

Debarment Register: The Cabinet Office register of suppliers found responsible for serious misconduct (e.g. modern slavery, fraud, poor performance) under the Procurement Act 2023. Listed suppliers are ineligible for public contracts for a defined period.
DPIA (Data Protection Impact Assessment): A structured assessment of the data protection risks of a project or system. Required under UK GDPR where processing is likely to result in high risk to individuals' rights.
DTAC (Digital Technology Assessment Criteria): NHS England's supplier-assessment framework for digital health technology. Covers clinical safety, data protection, technical assurance, interoperability, and usability. Standard gate for NHS AI vendor procurement.

E

EU AI Act: The European Union's comprehensive AI regulation, adopted in 2024. Classifies AI systems by risk level and imposes requirements on high-risk systems. Relevant to UK organisations operating in or supplying the EU. Prohibitions in force from 2 Feb 2025; GPAI obligations from 2 Aug 2025; high-risk system obligations from 2 Aug 2026.

F

Framework Agreement: A pre-competed agreement between a public body and one or more suppliers. Allows goods and services to be purchased without running a full procurement each time, within agreed terms.

G

G-Cloud: A UK government framework for buying cloud computing services. AI tools available on G-Cloud can be purchased more quickly by public sector bodies.
Generative AI: AI systems that can create new content — text, images, code, or audio — based on prompts. ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and Claude are examples of generative AI.

I

ICB (Integrated Care Board): The statutory NHS bodies that plan and buy health services for a defined geographic area in England. Replaced Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in July 2022 under the Health and Care Act 2022. Part of the wider Integrated Care System (ICS).
ICS (Integrated Care System): The partnership of NHS organisations, local authorities, and other bodies (including ICBs, provider trusts, and voluntary sector organisations) that jointly plan and deliver health and care in a defined area of England.
ITT (Invitation to Tender): A formal document inviting suppliers to submit bids for a contract. Contains the specification, evaluation criteria, terms, and submission instructions.

L

LLM (Large Language Model): The type of AI model that powers tools like ChatGPT. Trained on large amounts of text data to predict and generate human-like language.

P

PCR 2015: The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 — the previous UK procurement legislation, now replaced by the Procurement Act 2023 (in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland).
PPN (Procurement Policy Note): Guidance issued by the Cabinet Office that applies to central government procurement. PPNs set requirements that departments must follow. Renumbered to a year/number scheme in 2025 (e.g. PPN 002, PPN 003).
PPN 002: The current Procurement Policy Note governing social value in central-government contracts. Published 5 March 2025, mandatory from 1 October 2025. Replaces PPN 06/20 and introduces the eight-theme Social Value Model.
PPN 003: The current Procurement Policy Note on the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012. Published 17 February 2025 under the new PPN numbering.
PPN 06/20 (superseded): The former Procurement Policy Note on social value in central government procurement, in force from January 2021 until superseded by PPN 002 on 5 March 2025 (mandatory 1 October 2025). Its five-theme Social Value Model (COVID-19 recovery, tackling economic inequality, fighting climate change, equal opportunity, wellbeing) has been retired.
PPN 06/21: The Procurement Policy Note requiring suppliers bidding for central government contracts above £5 million to have a published Carbon Reduction Plan.
Procurement Act 2023: The UK's current procurement legislation, in force from 24 February 2025. Covers all public procurement in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Prompt: The text you type into an AI tool to tell it what you want. Better prompts produce better outputs. Also known as a query or instruction.

S

Scope 1 / 2 / 3 Emissions: Categories of greenhouse gas emissions. Scope 1: direct (fuel, vehicles). Scope 2: indirect from energy (electricity). Scope 3: all other indirect emissions (supply chain, travel, waste).
Social Value: The wider economic, social, and environmental benefits that a public contract can deliver beyond its commercial purpose. Evaluated as part of procurement under PPN 002 (the current Social Value Model, mandatory since October 2025).
Social Value Model: The government framework for evaluating social value. Under PPN 002 (mandatory from 1 October 2025) the model has eight themes: fair work; skills for growth; resilient, innovative and flexible supply chains; sustainable procurement practices; support the reduction in crime; employment and training for those who face barriers to employment; creating a pipeline of opportunities for the contract workforce; increasing productivity through physical and mental wellbeing. Replaces the earlier five-theme model under PPN 06/20.
Special Category Data: Under UK GDPR, data that requires extra protection: racial/ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data, health data, sex life, or sexual orientation.

U

UK GDPR: The UK's data protection regulation, retained from EU GDPR after Brexit. Governs how organisations collect, use, store, and share personal data. Enforced by the ICO.