Light Touch Regime

The old distinction between ‘Part A' and ‘Part B' services has been replaced in the new regulations by a Light Touch Regime (LTR) for ‘certain social and other specific services' above a €750,000 threshold.


What is this about?

The old distinction between ‘Part A' and ‘Part B' services has been replaced in the new regulations by a Light Touch Regime (LTR) for ‘certain social and other specific services' above a €750,000 threshold.



As the name suggests, the rules for LTR services are light and leave room for councils to design procurement procedures suitable for these services provided they comply with general principles such as transparency.

What is new?

The LTR applies to health care, social care, education, cultural and certain other services defined in the regulations by CPV codes. One thing the LTR services have in common is that they are services provided directly to individuals or groups of people.

Health commissioners in England are temporarily exempt from the LTR for the procurement of clinical services until April 2016 (in the meantime they have to follow the old Part B rules as well as NHS procurement regulations). However, this is not the case in Wales.

LTR procurements must be advertised. A contract notice or a special type of PIN plus invitation to confirm interest must be used. Contract award notices must also be published (see notices).

The council can design its own procedure for LTR procurements provided that it -

  • complies with the principles of equal treatment and transparency.
  • carries out the procedure in conformity with information included in the notice (except in specified circumstances).
  • sets time limits that are reasonable and proportionate.

The council has the option to use one of the main procurement routes for LTR services but is not obliged to. 



Any relevant considerations can be taken into account when awarding contracts under this regime. The regulations give examples including -

  •  the need to ensure quality, continuity, accessibility, affordability, availability and comprehensiveness of the services.
  •  the specific needs of different categories of users, including disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.
  •  the involvement and empowerment of users.
  •  innovation.

No rules on contract award criteria are laid down for LTR services so the council is free to decide its own approach which could be the best price-quality ratio (in a modified form).

Note that the ‘Lord Young' rules also apply to LTR services (but those rules do not apply to Wales). The UK Government takes the view that there is no requirement for advertising of most below-threshold LTR contracts as it has been agreed that there is no cross-border interest in them. 

The English Lord Young rules which abolish the pre-qualification stage in below-threshold procurements also apply to LTR services but to procurements below a lower threshold of €207,000 (i.e. not the main LTR threshold of €750,000).