The King's Speech: 6 Opportunities for Public Sector Suppliers

A version of this blog post was originally published in Tussell's biweekly LinkedIn newsletter. Subscribe for fortnightly insights on how to do more business with government.

Skip ahead to read about:

• Cyber Security and Resilience Bill

• NHS Modernisation Bill
• Social Housing Renewal Bill
• Railways and Passenger Benefits Bill / Great British Railways
• Digital Access to Services Bill / Digital ID
• Energy Independence Bill
• Conclusion

🔒 Cyber Security Resiliency Bill

The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is set to put tougher expectations on public bodies and critical infrastructure operators to prove they can prevent, withstand and respond to cyber threats. 

For suppliers handling sensitive data, the Bill underscores the necessity of a robust cyber policy. 

Cyber Essentials is already a common requirement for many Central Government, Local Government and NHS procurements - and is increasingly a prerequisite for relevant technology frameworks. If you haven't yet explored certification, now could be the time.

The Bill also signals an expansion of the public sector cyber market, which was already worth almost £900m last financial year (up from ~£600m four years prior). Analysis from Tussell's market intelligence platform shows Local Government to be the fastest-growing public sector cyber market for firms looking to scale.

Use the data to identify which authorities have invested heavily in cyber security in recent years, and which still appear exposed. Those lagging behind may be ready for support - making now the right time to build relationships and position yourself as a trusted cyber security partner.

Source: Cyber Security Market Debrief (2026)

🏥 NHS Modernisation Bill

The NHS Modernisation Bill signals major reforms to NHS structures, data sharing, and patient services, creating demand for renewed digital health systems and digital transformation.

Tussell's 2025 Tech Titans Report found the NHS is already a key driver in public sector technology spending growth, as local authorities have slowed investment into tech and transformation. This Bill is likely to accelerate this trend even further.

To capitalise, tech suppliers should prepare for growing pressure on NHS bodies to become more digitally enabled. The opportunity is to show how you can guide NHS accounts through this complexity and position yourself as their default technology partner.

🏠 Social Housing Renewal Bill

The Social Housing Renewal Bill signals long-term investment in housing supply, safety and renewal, creating demand for construction, retrofit, repairs, asset management and building compliance. 

The public sector's largest hard FM, retrofit and HVAC suppliers already derive more than 80% of their revenue from local government - and this new investment could see that figure increase even further.

Suppliers should be aware that local authorities are increasingly turning to procurement frameworks in this market. Make sure you're on the right frameworks now - otherwise you won't have visibility of opportunities when they emerge.

🚝 Railways and Passenger Benefits Bill / Great British Railways

The Railways and Passenger Benefits Bill will introduce major structural reform to the UK rail sector, including the creation of Great British Railways.

As part of the reforms, 14 separate train operator websites and apps are expected to be consolidated into a single GBR platform, developed by a private supplier.

The Bill also points to further opportunities for suppliers, including accessibility training for station staff and simpler ticketing, both of which are likely to require private sector support.

Regional Mayors will also gain new transport powers, creating important new stakeholders for suppliers targeting the sector.

For businesses able to support this transition, now is the time to engage contacts at the Department for Transport, its ALBs and relevant regional authorities.

🗂️ Digital Access to Services Bill / Digital ID

The Digital Access to Services Bill signals a push to modernise how citizens access public services through Digital ID, authentication and joined-up digital systems.

This will likely require significant private sector collaboration across citizen-facing service design, analytics and fraud prevention, data infrastructure, identity verification, and systems integration. Proactive suppliers should seek to shape Central Government procurement criteria now - before procurement processes officially begin.

⚡ Energy Independence Bill

Green energy is already a huge public sector market - with Tussell predicting the public sector EV charging market alone to be worth £3.3bn by 2030.

The Energy Independence Bill is set to further accelerate government demand, signalling future opportunities across local authority heat, retrofit and decarbonisation projects, grid upgrades, energy infrastructure construction, renewable energy generation, and more.

In addition to the new Bill, DESNZ - the department responsible for net zero and energy security - has recently set an ambitious SME spending target. 

The target would see DESNZ increase direct procurement spending with SMEs from 6% to 29% of total procurement spend within just three years.

For small and medium-sized firms, this creates a clear opportunity to enter or expand in the energy and net zero market - provided they can demonstrate the capacity, compliance credentials and specialist expertise needed to deliver.

🏅 Conclusion: the importance of finding opportunities first

The King's Speech is packed with clues for where future procurement demand may emerge.

But it's not just major speeches like this that hide early buying signals. Every day, future opportunities are buried in council meeting minutes, NHS strategy documents and hundreds of other fragmented public-sector sources - long before procurement formally begins.

Suppliers that spot these signals early are better placed to shape the conversation, build relationships, and influence requirements while competitors are still waiting for the tender notice.

Tussell Early Opportunities enables capture & bid teams find these early signals sooner, so they can build pipeline before the market becomes crowded.

Talk to our sales team to learn how our Early Opportunities Finder can help.