Our new report on global public sector purchasing, based on data from Forrester’s Buyers’ Journey Survey, 2025, reveals a market full of opportunity but also increasing complexity. One of the most striking findings is just how large and distributed public sector buying groups have become. Typical purchase decisions now involve, on average, 14 internal stakeholders (rising to 18 in APAC). When the broader buying network (e.g., partners, consultants, systems integrators, embassies, other government peers, quangos, unions, universities) is factored in, public sector purchases involve, on average, more than 10 external influencers. This creates a wider sphere of influence than we see in private sector purchasing, demanding far greater visibility, brand reach, and message coherence from providers.

Another standout theme from the research is the true shape of public sector demand. Despite the perception that government buying is dominated by enormous, multiyear mega-contracts, the data shows the opposite: 80% of all public sector purchases analyzed were under $1 million, with an average deal size of around $970,000 and only $600,000 at the local government level. This creates a long tail of attractive, lower-risk opportunities for suppliers — but winning them requires deep fluency in each jurisdiction’s procurement structure. Public sector buying remains heavily process-driven, shaped by transparent tender portals and regulatory constraints, which creates both opportunity and friction for providers targeting these buyers. For many organizations, the barrier isn’t demand but navigating the complexity, competition, and compliance burden embedded into government procurement.

Additional important themes uncovered by the research include:

  • Despite tenders being advertised openly, the process is often opaque, even to those within it. This is amplified by the preference to separate the financial and technical committees in many jurisdictions.
  • Deals stall for very different reasons than in the private sector. Stalls are no more frequent, however.
  • Government buyers are less likely to advocate for their chosen providers. And when they do, they prefer to do so privately rather than publicly.

For detail into all these insights and many more, Forrester clients can access the full report here, including actionable guidance for selling into government.