On 3 November 2026, Jefford J handed down judgment in Verity Healthcare Ltd v Cambridgeshire County Council [2026] EWHC 2830 (TCC). Stephen Kosmin acted for the successful contracting authority, Cambridgeshire County Council.
This judgment will be of great significance to all procurement practitioners. It is only the second judgment on s.102 of the Procurement Act 2023. In the first judgment – Parkingeye Ltd v Velindre University NHS Trust [2026] EWHC 1019 (TCC) – Stephen Kosmin (leading Oliver Jackson) had successfully acted for the claimant and secured the suspension of the award of a contract to trial.
This claim concerned a procurement being conducted by Cambridgeshire County Council for the provision of regulated homecare services to adults across Cambridgeshire. The total value of the framework is estimated as £928,080,000. Verity was excluded from the procurement for failing to meet a condition of participation. Verity brought an application under s.102 of the Procurement Act 2023 seeking, amongst other interim relief, the suspension of the procurement. In response, Cambridgeshire County Council brought a strike out/summary judgment application on the basis that the claim was not commenced within the statutory limitation period in s.106 of the Procurement Act 2023. Jefford J entered summary judgment in favour of Cambridgeshire County Council.
Stephen Kosmin was instructed by George McLellan, Sam Hart and Oliver Dickie at Sharpe Pritchard LLP.
A copy of the judgment can be found here.
