New Digital Steel Catalogue becomes core tool in Government’s overhaul of procurement guidance

26 June 2025

UK Steel, the trade association representing Britain’s steel producers, launched its Digital Steel Catalogue today. This major new digital platform is designed to help contractors easily search for UK-made steel products and gain a clearer understanding of the construction steel offered by UK steelmakers, and will answer the needs of the Government’s ambitious new Industrial and Infrastructure Strategies.

The Digital Catalogue is at the heart of the Government’s revised procurement guidance for steel (launched today), which includes a formal requirement for steel buyers to consult the Catalogue during purchasing decisions, as well as a requirement to consider national security considerations. National security and resilience are also at the heart of a consultation on reforms to the Procurement Act launched alongside the guidance.  

The Catalogue is a key outcome of the Government-backed Steel Procurement Taskforce and is now embedded and linked in the revised guidance. The guidance and launch of the Catalogue is the product of months of collaboration between the steel industry and the Government to increase procurement from UK businesses, ensure that economic value is retained in the UK, and strengthen the increasingly important national security agenda.

With the roll-out of the Industrial Strategy, National Infrastructure Strategy and the forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, Britain’s steel sector stands on the cusp of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to supply billions of pounds worth of projects in the public pipeline. The new Digital Catalogue will serve as a vital gateway to ensure that procurement leads and industry can work together to supply into this demand.

UK Steel Director-General, Gareth Stace, said:

“The Digital Steel Catalogue represents a step change for UK steel procurement. By broadening the scope of the revised guidance, the Government is embedding domestic sourcing deeper into the public procurement process.

“Our digital steel catalogue is a one-stop-shop that will take away any uncertainty around what we do and do not make here in the UK. With our construction steel products listed clearly, UK steelmakers can help the Government achieve its mission to grow and develop the UK’s economy, homes and infrastructure all with the use of steel.

“With national security concerns front and centre, we urge all public and private sector buyers to make full use of the catalogue to help ensure that economic value, jobs and supply chains are built up right here in the UK and not lost abroad. We are especially grateful to Procurement Minister Georgia Gould and Industry Minister Sarah Jones for their leadership and recognition of the strategic importance of steel to our economy and infrastructure.”

Contact details Louise Young, Campaigns and Engagement Manager, UK Steel  07388 370176 | Lyoung@makeuk.org

The revised Government Procurement Policy Note for Steel will require: 

• Central government departments will be told to consider UK-made steel for all projects, and use exemptions for buying rules wherever possible to support steel makers, in new guidance issued today.
  • Consult the UK Steel’s Digital Catalogue prior to design and procurement decisions being made. Include a contract clause which extends this obligation to Tier 1 contractors and their subcontractors (where relevant).
  • Consider if the national security exemption in paragraph 25 of Schedule 2 to the Procurement Act 2023 is relevant to the procurement and apply as appropriate.
• Steel Procurement Taskforce final report, 2022: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/steel-procurement-taskforce-final-report

 Government is also bolstering British industry and business: 

• British industries such as energy, steel and cyber are set to get more of the £400bn spent on Government procurement each year under new plans being considered to protect UK national security. A consultation launching today will consider new rules to give the government greater power to back our national security through government buying and ensure the country retains a strong, homegrown industrial base.
• New rules would also ensure the public sector excludes companies that have failed to pay small businesses on time.

 About the Digital Steel Catalogue: 

• UK Steel’s digital catalogue can be viewed here: catalogue.uksteel.org
• The Digital Steel Catalogue is a comprehensive, searchable directory of UK-manufactured steel products, including supplier details and contact information. The catalogue showcases more than 10,000 steel products, all made here in the UK. It enables procurement officials, contractors, and private sector buyers to quickly identify and source British steel, strengthening domestic supply chains and boosting local industry.
• The UK steel industry has developed this tool to help our stakeholders better understand exactly what we do and do not supply to the domestic market. UK steelmaking is a key part of the UK’s economy and has a proud tradition in our country, and we want to ensure that we continue to supply as many of our products as possible to our nation.
• This UK steel digital catalogue serves as a centralised resource for Government officials, industry professionals, construction, engineers, architects and more to find the steel they need and who to buy it from. The site offers easy access to product specifications and the different options you can choose from.
  • The new tool is a key outcome of the Government-backed Steel Procurement Taskforce in 2019, and has now been embedded within the revised PPN.
  • Under the updated policy, public sector officials and their contractors are required to consult the Catalogue before making steel procurement decisions - a core recommendation from UK Steel’s Procurement Report, published in December 2024.
  • With this reform, there is now no reason for UK steel to be overlooked. The necessary information is readily available and easily accessible to all buyers.
  • This catalogue is designed for businesses and individuals looking to browse steel products without the distraction of pricing, making it ideal for research and decision-making. Users can filter and search through products based on type, grade, and supplier, streamlining the process of finding the right materials for any project.

About UK Steel: UK Steel is the trade association for the UK steel industry. It represents all the country’s steelmakers and most downstream steel processors.  

The UK steel sector: 

• Produced 4Mt of crude steel in 2024 and supplied 35% of the UK’s annual demand of 8.1Mt
• Employs 36,800 people directly in the UK and supports a further 46,000 in supply chains
• The median steel sector salary is £39,245, 24% higher than the UK national median and 33% higher than the regional median in Wales, Yorkshire, and Humberside, where its jobs are concentrated
• Directly contributes £1.7 billion to UK GVA and supports a further £2.2 billion
• Directly contributes £3.1 billion to the UK’s balance of trade
• 96% of steel used in construction and infrastructure in the UK is recovered and recycled to be used again and again.
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For further information about the steel industry, please see the 2025 press pack, Why the UK needs a strong steel sector or the 2025 UK Steel Key Statistics report.