UK universities to become exempt from restrictive EU procurement rules

European Union (EU) public procurement rules are set to no longer apply to most UK universities, David Willetts recently told UK Conservative Party conference.

The UK Minister for Universities and Science said the reduction in universities’ income for teaching from the state would free its purchasers from the constraints of EU procurement rules.          
Universities get 60 per cent of their income from the state; in the future they will get 40 per cent of it in this way. If a state body receives less than 50 per cent funding from the state they are exempt from EU procurement rules.

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