Better together: How MTVH and OneAdvanced created the housing sector's first PA23-ready procurement platform

The challenge

The introduction of the Procurement Act 2023 represented the most significant change to public procurement regulation in decades. For MTVH, the legislation brought both increased scrutiny and a substantial rise in workload. 

New transparency requirements, additional notices, greater auditability expectations and more complex compliance obligations were projected to increase procurement activity by around 50%. Existing systems were not designed to support these requirements, and fragmented processes risked creating inefficiencies and compliance challenges. 

MTVH also recognised that housing procurement differs significantly from other parts of the public sector. Supplier markets, governance structures, asset investment programmes and operational priorities require a specialised approach that generic procurement systems often struggle to support. 

Rather than applying incremental fixes, MTVH decided to take a leadership role and help create a new standard for digital procurement within the housing sector. 

What made the difference

MTVH selected OneAdvanced because of its combination of public sector procurement expertise, strong presence within housing and collaborative development approach. 

A number of factors proved critical to the success of the programme: 

• A proven Source to Contract platform already used across UK public services. 
• Deep experience working with more than 300 housing associations. 
• A secure UK sovereign cloud platform backed by significant investment. 
• Close collaboration with MTVH through an extensive co-development programme. 
• Engagement with the Housing Procurement Pioneer Group, involving the Cabinet Office, CIPFA and sector representatives. 

Together, MTVH and OneAdvanced designed and built the first procurement solution developed specifically for housing providers operating under PA23. 

The platform includes housing-specific workflows, PA23-compliant notice templates, automated audit trails and AI-assisted capabilities designed to support compliance and improve efficiency throughout the procurement lifecycle. 

What changed

The implementation transformed procurement operations by consolidating previously fragmented processes into a single, integrated platform. 

Compliance and governance 

When PA23 went live, MTVH achieved full compliance from day one. Required notices, workflows and audit requirements were already embedded within the platform, providing greater transparency and reducing compliance risk. 

Efficiency and capacity 

The organisation doubled the number of tenders it could process without increasing procurement headcount. Automated workflows and standardised processes reduced administrative effort and improved productivity. 

Visibility and control 

Moving from three legacy systems to one platform created a single source of truth for procurement activity. Teams gained better oversight of suppliers, contracts and ongoing compliance obligations. 

Strategic value 

Active supplier and contract management expanded from £10 million to £100 million, giving MTVH greater control over procurement spend and stronger foundations for long-term supplier relationships.