Procurement


Liverpool launches £40m framework procurement 21/01/2022 A £40m highways framework covering the Liverpool Combined Authority region is open to supplier bids.
Transforming public procurement – the road to flexibility? 21/12/2021 Craig Elder, partner at Browne Jacobson, looks at public procurement.
Councils should use procurement to boost local economies, think tank says 07/12/2021 Local authorities should strive to be more ethical and place-sensitive when buying goods and services, think tank says.
County takes action after warning it may have breached procurement law 25/11/2021 Cambridgeshire County Council has made a number of improvements to their procurement processes after an external audit found the local authority might have breached procurement law.
Accelerating local government’s transition to net zero with AI-enabled procurement 22/10/2021 Muhammad Malik explains how local government can harness AI technologies to streamline the cost of procuring renewable energy without impacting daily operations.
Why security should be top priority for the £2bn data procurement framework 29/09/2021 The local government's acknowledgement of the importance of data should be tempered with caution about data security and regulation adherence argues AJ Thompson.
Homes England launches £20bn dynamic purchasing system 07/09/2021 Councils and housing associations will find it easier to build houses thanks to reforms in the way Homes England procures housebuilders and disposes of land.
How key is procurement for reaching climate targets in local government? 02/08/2021 After hosting a first-of-its-kind event, Net Zero Week, Gavin Rimmington shares insight into why procurement is key for enabling the public sector to reach climate targets.
Six ‘must haves’ for Boris’ levelling up vision 21/07/2021 Nigel Wilcock offers six important points to add to the levelling up debate.
Construction Playbook: A roadmap to a better way 19/07/2021 Mark Robinson reviews the impact of the government’s Construction Playbook, after its first six months since publication.
Procurement and the challenges of decarbonising local government fleets 12/07/2021 Gavin Rimmington offers insight into the important role of procurement to decarbonising local government fleets, and the most efficient ways to enable large-scale transitioning.
Cardiff Council to manage procurement services for Monmouthshire 08/07/2021 Cardiff Council will manage Monmouthshire County Council's procurement operations and functions for the next three years.
Councils charged triple the recommended mark-up on IT products 19/05/2021 Councils are paying more than three times the recommended mark-up on technology products, a new study has revealed.
Supporting local authorities to level up economies 19/05/2021 How can the construction industry support the public sector to achieve the government’s ambition of levelling up? Paul Kelly reports.
Birmingham CC spends nearly £200m in local economy 26/04/2021 Birmingham City Council has spent £194,619,328 in its surrounding areas as part of an effort to improve the social value of its commissioning and procurement.
Social value going upstream 26/02/2021 Approaching a decade on since the Social Value Act 2012, there has never been a better time for social value to become more than something considered alongside procurement, argues Tim Pope.
Why green will be the next tick box for procurement 23/02/2021 Richard Lilwall explains how AI can be used to help councils develop their green fleet strategies.
Care workers were left without PPE during first wave of COVID-19, watchdog warns 10/02/2021 Social care providers were left without adequate PPE at the start of the pandemic, the public spending watchdog has warned today.
English councils spent £63bn on third parties last year 28/01/2021 Third party expenditure by local authorities in England has outstriped inflation for the last three years, new figures have revealed.
Trade union calls for higher human rights standards in PPE 26/01/2021 A local government trade union has called for new laws to stop PPE being supplied by companies that exploit workers.
Is the pandemic doing the job of G-Cloud? 01/10/2020 As the pandemic see real changes in public sector IT procurement practices it is now crucial that they remain in place, argues James Cherry.
The pressure of procurement 30/09/2020 Local authorities may be missing out on the chance to extract maximum value for their new-build housing projects, according to Tim Young.
Councils to ‘regularly report’ on efforts to fight modern slavery 22/09/2020 Local authorities and other public bodies which have a budget of £36m or more will be required to regularly report on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their supply chains.
Community Wealth Building: Kick-starting economic recovery on the doorstep 24/08/2020 Sarah Stone explores how CWB can be used to build back better post-Covid and how councils can maximise social value in the procurement process.
£13bn construction procurement frameworks launched 21/07/2020 Two public sector frameworks totalling £13bn have been launched aimed at providing direct support to local economies and the green recovery.
Running on empty 17/07/2020 Mark Robinson discusses the widening gap in public sector funding and the implications for the sector’s built environment partners.
PPN 04/20 – What’s changing and how can we plan for the future? 02/07/2020 Lucy Woods explains what contracting authorities should do to prepare for new PPN 04/20 guidance.
Construction spend must deliver social value, argues report 30/06/2020 Construction spend must deliver more ‘tangible social impact’ to support disadvantaged communities post-Covid, according to a new report.
Councils get new advice to combat procurement fraud 09/06/2020 New advice to help councils in England fight procurement fraud has been published by the Government.
Pan-London partnership for PPE launched 19/05/2020 A new pan-London partnership has been established to provide personal protective equipment or care homes and other frontline services.
IfG: Extend outsourcing reforms to councils 04/03/2020 Government reforms of outsourcing to avoid another Carillion collapse must be extended to local government where commercial skills lag behind Whitehall, a report from the Institute for Government (IfG) think-tank has said.
What local government should ask startups 12/02/2020 Investment in digital solutions to service delivery may help to deliver greater public satisfaction with local government at lower cost. Edd Elliot offers a few tips to buyers seeking to understand whether a small business is offering a solution that matches your problem.
Leisure centre contracts in the era of the climate crisis 07/02/2020 Why contracts for the future operation and maintenance of leisure facilities need to change to accommodate issues like the climate emergency.
Maximising tech spend 09/01/2020 David Beggs calls on local government to take a much broader view of technology to get the most value from it.
Lost in translation: sustainability down the construction supply chain 08/01/2020 Luke Deamer, Erica Russell and Jacquetta Lee explore sustainability down the construction supply chain.
Councils being charged 'shocking' markup on IT products 30/09/2019 Councils are paying almost four times the recommended mark-up on technology products, new analysis has revealed.
Going the extra mile 08/08/2019 Paul Doe explains how local authorities can deliver value to citizens beyond connectivity.
Nottingham Council to supply its own water 26/07/2019 Nottingham City Council is set to become the first council to run its own water services in-house, saving an estimated £64,000 a year.
FORS: supply chain compliance to ensure efficiency 22/07/2019 Rajinder Sharma explains how the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme helps local authorities to drive up best practice and strengthen its supply chain.
Setting the standard 18/07/2019 Terry Coyle explains why it makes sense to work with a company that has its management system and auditor competency processes approved by UKAS.
Council backs campaign for procurement reform 11/07/2019 Oxford City Council has become the first authority to back a fair tax campaign.
Kier to cut 1,200 jobs and ditch housing division 17/06/2019 Kier Group is to cut around 1,200 jobs and make savings of £55m over the next two years, amid a planned sell-off of many of its commercial interests.
Amazon awarded £460m in public sector contracts since 2015 14/06/2019 A contract awarded to Amazon by a local government purchasing organisation is the biggest in the UK public sector, according to new research.
Councils urged to record data on procurement of single-use plastic bottles 07/06/2019 A third of councils are failing to record how many single-use plastic bottles they have procured over the last five years, according to new research.
Councils exposed following Kier profit warning 06/06/2019 Local authorities are heavily exposed to struggling construction giant Kier which faced a huge fall in its share price this week, according to the latest figures.
Reframing the apprenticeship levy deadline for spending 05/06/2019 Lizzy Grayson discusses how the apprenticeship levy has changed post-deadline for spending .
Unchaining social value 31/05/2019 A new report reveals some councils are building social value into their procurement – but that senior council decision makers must take more interest in securing broader benefits when commissioning services.
Top panel formed to study local impact of Social Value Act 23/05/2019 Localis has launched a research project asking if the Government is providing social, economic and environmental benefits through public procurement.
Coming to terms with late payments 02/05/2019 Neil Washington explains how the public sector can strengthen SMEs by ensuring their contractors operate fair payment terms.
A £3m fund launched to improve infrastructure procurement 18/04/2019 A £3m fund has been made available for pilot projects that explore new approaches to procurement in housing and council-led infrastructure construction.
UniCORN Framework 26/02/2019 Why BT UniCORN Framework – Join the partnership to cut costs and create opportunities.
Double the number of providers handing back care contracts to councils 12/02/2019 The number of social care providers handing back contracts to councils has more than doubled in 2018, new research has revealed.
Local government outsourcing fell by more than £80m in 2018 06/02/2019 The total value of outsourcing contracts agreed by councils in 2018 fell by more than £80m in 2018, according to the Arvato UK Outsourcing Index.
London ICT Framework 04/02/2019 There are hundreds of frameworks to choose from, helping your organisation to procure anything from office supplies to cloud services. But if you’re based in the capital, you might want to consider the BT London ICT Framework.
Union warns outsourcing 'rockets' after Carillion collapse 15/01/2019 Councils are still awarding outsourcing contracts to companies that have recently issued profit warnings, new research has revealed.
Local government buying: the smart way forward 14/01/2019 Mark Whitehead looks at how 'best value' is overtaking 'best price' when it comes to local government procurement.
The top ten things for local government to be aware of in 2019 11/01/2019 2019 looks set to be a year of interesting challenges and opportunities for local government. Tiffany Cloynes and Clare Hardy offer their predictions for the year ahead.
Exclusive: Councils increase number of deals with SMEs and social enterprises 08/01/2019 Councils are increasingly forging deals with smaller companies rather than big outsourcing contractors, according to the latest figures.
Social value revolution 19/12/2018 Andy Preston explores how local government procurement has changed this year and how councils can meet updated procurement policy.
Allied Healthcare to sell off all council contracts within three weeks 23/11/2018 Local authorities have three weeks to find alternative providers for thousands of elderly and vulnerable people after a major care services company pulled out of the market.
Care provider winds up its local authority contracts 22/11/2018 A major care services provider is winding up all its contracts with local authorities after regulators warned it was about to go bust.
Technology deal to transform care services, say analysts 08/11/2018 A huge procurement deal to promote the latest technology is being hailed as a way to transform the delivery of social services and bring their spiralling costs under control.
Fair payment champions 26/10/2018 Victoria Brambini explains how local authorities can empower their supply chains through fair payment.
Virgin Care awarded contract to deliver Lancashire health services 18/10/2018 Virgin Care has been identified as the preferred bidder for the delivery of 0-19 public health services in Lancashire after a legal challenge forced a reevaluation of the bid.
Procurement problems 16/10/2018 The latest Highways/FiTZ INDEX survey has revealed deep concerns within the highways sector about the nature of procurement. Dominic Browne reports on the findings.
Councils have 'dangerous dependence' on a handful of suppliers 21/09/2018 Councils are concentrating more than half their total spend with their top five suppliers, new research has revealed.
Council agrees to re-evaluate health service procurement process 15/08/2018 Lancashire County Council has agreed to re-evaluate its tendering process for public health services after a court ordered the council to set aside its agreement with Virgin Care.
Councils urged to protect SMEs in their supply chains 26/07/2018 Local authorities have been urged to protect supply chain retention monies belonging to small and medium enterprises in their supply chains.
DPS – A flexible way to procure 10/07/2018 Paul Smith urges councils to consider Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPSs) as a pioneering approach to procurement and outlines the five top reasons for considering the use of a DPS.
Innovation: time to match words with action 10/07/2018 Stephen Smith calls on local authorities to challenge businesses to innovate, rather than buying products based purely on cost and availability.
Managing utilities in-house 29/06/2018 Tiffany Cloynes looks at some of the key areas for local authorities to consider before becoming involved in the provision of utility services.
Councils save over £800m by sharing services 28/06/2018 Councils have saved £840m through shared service arrangements, new research has revealed today.
Government pledges to 'rebuild trust' in outsourcing after Carillion 26/06/2018 The Government has announced a package of measures aimed at rebuilding trust after the collapse of outsourcing construction company Carillion earlier this year.
Blackpool first council to be awarded self-supply water licence 20/06/2018 Blackpool Council has been granted a self-supply licence to manage and monitor its own water usage across its 120 sites.
Councils double number of fire safety tenders in wake of Grenfell 19/06/2018 The number of councils tendering for fire safety work has shot up in the year since the Grenfell disaster, according to the latest figures.
Councils must do more to protect workers’ rights globally, union says 18/06/2018 A public sector union has criticised local authorities for ‘not doing enough’ to protect workers’ rights globally.
Homes England to launch £150m procurement framework 21/05/2018 Homes England will launch the procurement of a new framework this month which will provide councils with access to a broader range of services to help the delivery of new homes.
Councils should give ALEOs ‘careful consideration’ before use, watchdog warns 17/05/2018 The local authority spending watchdog in Scotland has acknowledged the benefits of arms-length external organisations (ALEOs) but warned they require ‘careful consideration’ before adoption.
Leading the charge 25/04/2018 Paul Heath explains how Scotland could encourage collaborative IT purchasing in local government.
Cheshire councillor investigating misconduct suspended 13/04/2018 The Cheshire East Council councillor investigating two senior officers over concerns about the way contracts were awarded has been asked to ‘step down’.
The end of public-private partnerships? 11/04/2018 Rather than abandoning all public-private partnerships in the wake of Carillion's collapse, Richard Tinham urges councils to explore other partnership models.
Council criticised for procurement ‘maladministration’ 11/04/2018 A council in Northern Ireland has been criticised for ‘maladministration’ in its procurement of stewarding services.
Brexit and public procurement - a lost opportunity 09/04/2018 Andrew Millross explains how just small changes to the EU's current procurement directives could make a huge difference to the way local authorities assess contractors before signing public contracts with them.
Purchasing professional services 27/03/2018 Rob Levene explains how local authorities are reaping the benefits of an alternative approach to buying professional services.
Councillors pledge to eradicate modern slavery from their supply chains 23/03/2018 Labour and Co-operative councillors have pledged to ensure none of the money they spend on procuring goods and services inadvertently ends up supporting exploitation or trafficking.
Managing local authority contracts 23/03/2018 Tiffany Cloynes outlines the key issues councils should address to get the most out of their outsourced contracts.
List reveals top 15 suppliers to local government in 2017 12/03/2018 A new ranking of local government suppliers has revealed over half of the top 15 regular suppliers were construction firms.
Manchester CC ‘dramatically’ increases spend in local economy 07/03/2018 Manchester City Council has increased the amount it spends in the city’s economy by around 20% in the last 10 years, new figures reveal.
The PFI model 01/02/2018 The Carillion debacle: more procurement expertise required
Procurement considerations following on from Carillion's liquidation 30/01/2018 Why are many local authorities being left with ineffective checks on the financial position of contractors? Richard Brooks explains.
Blackpool set to become first council to manage its own water supply 30/01/2018 Blackpool Council has applied to Ofwat for a water and sewerage licence, making it the first local authority to move towards managing its own water supply.
The key to sustainable contracting 30/01/2018 Angelica Hymers outlines her top tips on how public bodies can avoid granting contracts to potentially unstable contractors.
SEND/HNL provision in FE colleges: are we paying too much? 29/01/2018 Ray Hart asks whether local authorities are paying too much for SEND and HNL provision in Further Education, and shares his advice on how to tackle overcharging.
Carillion collapse: What next for public services? 16/01/2018 Jos Creese argues it may be time to reassess the boundaries and expectations for public/private partnerships in the wake of the demise of Carillion.
Some councils paying ‘excessive’ costs for paper, research reveals 03/01/2018 Some councils are paying up to seven times more for paper than other authorities, an investigation by the MP for South Thanet has revealed.
Councils could face up to £1bn in late payment penalties, report warns 07/12/2017 Councils could face up to £1bn in late payment penalties, according to new report into local government payment practices.
Councils should not take on 'large procurement projects' 06/11/2017 Former convenor of Edinburgh council’s transport committee has said councils should not take on large public procurement projects like the city’s tram network.
Procurement framework launches with £1bn pipeline of public sector projects 31/10/2017 The Scape National Construction framework has nearly £1bn of public sector projects in the pipeline since its launch six months ago.
Public procurement in Wales needs ‘improvement’, auditors say 17/10/2017 There is ‘clear scope for improvement’ in procurement arrangements at the local level in Wales, auditors find.
Procurement is key to creating local wealth argues report 12/10/2017 Public procurement focused on local spending is key to creating wealth in communities after Brexit, according to a new report.

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