UK government urged to prioritise domestic textile manufacturing through public procurement

Fashion Roundtable has published an open letter to the UK’s new prime minister Andy Burnham urging the government to use public procurement as a tool to rebuild the region’s fashion and textile manufacturing sector.

Addressed to Burnham ahead of the finalisation of the proposed ‘Number 10 North’ initiative, the letter calls for public contracts for textile goods, beginning with NHS and defence uniforms, to prioritise suppliers that manufacture in the UK.

The organisation argues that public procurement is one of the fastest and most practical ways to support domestic manufacturing, create regional jobs and deliver on the government’s commitments to decentralisation and reindustrialisation.

What is public procurement and why does it matter?

Public procurement refers to the way government departments and public bodies purchase goods and services using public funds. This includes everything from hospital equipment and school meals to military uniforms and NHS workwear.

Fashion Roundtable said it believes procurement is an underused industrial policy tool that could provide long-term, stable demand for UK manufacturers. Instead of relying on short-term grants, consistent government orders could help factories invest, retain skilled workers and strengthen regional supply chains.

In the letter, Fashion Roundtable pointed to its April 2026 report, ‘Policy Fragmentation and Place-Based Opportunity in the UK Fashion and Textiles’, produced with the University of Birmingham’s Local Policy Innovation Partnership Hub. The report suggested that awarding public textile contracts to UK manufacturers represents the sector’s biggest opportunity to support skills retention, regional resilience and inclusive economic growth.

The organisation also argues that the UK’s manufacturing challenge does not lie in a lack of capability, but fragmented policymaking, with fashion sitting between the creative industries and manufacturing, leaving the sector without coordinated support.

What is Fashion Roundtable proposing?

Fashion Roundtable is calling on the government to introduce two key measures. First, the organisation wants onshoring requirements for public textile contracts, starting with defence and NHS uniforms, so that suppliers manufacture those products within the UK.

It is further requesting a dedicated manufacturing and textiles task force to oversee policy across multiple government departments, including the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Defra, the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Cabinet Office.

The organisation has also requested a meeting with Burnham before details of the Number 10 North programme are finalised. The initiative, operating out of Heron House in Manchester, was launched by the prime minister in July with the goal of decentralising political power from London, drive local economic growth, and push for nationwide devolution.

Beyond this, the letter also references the July 2026 Covid Inquiry, which found that around 10 billion pounds of public money was wasted on unsuitable or excess overseas PPE during the pandemic. Fashion Roundtable argues this demonstrated the risks of relying on offshore manufacturing while overlooking domestic production opportunities.

Procurement rises up political agenda

Fashion Roundtable’s proposal comes as public procurement is becoming an increasingly prominent topic. According to Made in Britain, UK manufacturing was referenced 103 times in Parliament and the House of Lords during the second quarter of 2026, up from 79 mentions in the previous quarter. Public procurement, defence, supply chains and support for SMEs were among the most frequently discussed issues.

During a Commons debate in June, parliamentary secretary for the Cabinet Office Chris Ward said the government wants procurement to do more to support small and medium-sized businesses. He confirmed departments have been set targets to spend more with SMEs, totalling more than seven billion pounds annually by 2028, while procurement reforms are intended to simplify access to government contracts and strengthen social value considerations.

Meanwhile, in a House of Lords debate in July, Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent said the government had already introduced procurement reforms designed to "boost growth and build a fairer economy". She noted that departments are increasingly being encouraged to consider where goods are made, while government spending of around 400 billion pounds annually should deliver stronger outcomes for British businesses and local communities.

The wider policy direction is also reflected in the Cabinet Office's ‘Public Procurement: Growing British Industry, Jobs and Skills’ document, published in March. The government said procurement reforms are intended to strengthen UK supply chains, support SMEs, improve social value and ensure public spending contributes more directly to economic growth while remaining consistent with international trade commitments.

What happens next?

Fashion Roundtable is now seeking broader industry support for its open letter while awaiting a response from the prime minister. If adopted, its proposals would place UK-made uniforms at the centre of government procurement, positioning public contracts as a catalyst for rebuilding domestic textile manufacturing.

With procurement reform already high on the political agenda and the government continuing to review how public spending can better support British industry, the organisation believes the opportunity now exists to turn political ambition into long-term demand for UK fashion and textile manufacturers.