Procurement | LocalGov

Councils lack adequate support on AI, research finds

30/09/2024

Local authorities are being left without adequate support to procure AI in the public interest, according to new research.

£27m flood protection scheme gets the go-ahead

06/09/2024

Balfour Beatty has been awarded a £27m contract to deliver a flood protection scheme in Scotland on behalf of Perth and Kinross Council.

Council may have broken law over £4m contracts

25/07/2024

Middlesbrough Council may have broken procurement law when it awarded four contracts worth more than £4m, an external audit has found.

Council incurs £3.7m overspend on IT system

01/05/2024

Vale of Glamorgan Council took more than a year longer than planned to install a new IT system, leading to a £3.7m overspend.

Cardo Group provides insight into how valuable Frameworx is as a procurement solution

12/02/2024

Frameworx impresses with its intuitive, easy-to-use procurement approaches which are seeing high value contracts being mobilised in the social housing sector.

Public Procurement Quarterly Update: 2023 Q4

29/01/2024

Public procurement experts and LocalGov partners, Tussell, have analysed the local government procurement market for the fourth quarter of 2023.

Local government spends £2.8bn with 39 ‘strategic suppliers’

11/12/2023

Public procurement experts Tussell have analysed the local government procurement market for the financial year 22/23.

Matrix launches refreshed Milestone offering to Pave the Way for Public Procurement Reform in the UK

13/11/2023

Workforce management solutions company Matrix has announced the launch of their enhanced Matrix Milestone solution, a procurement and supply management service line, with new technology and four new people appointments to their business development department, in readiness for the new procurement reform bill being launched in 2024.

Let’s talk about incontinence: how effective procurement can benefit us all

01/11/2023

Tracy Evans, clinical team leader for the continence service at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, discusses the benefits of effectively procuring incontinence products.

Public Procurement Quarterly Update: 2023 Q3

13/10/2023

Public procurement experts and LocalGov partners, Tussell, have analysed the local government procurement market for the third quarter of this year.

Boycott Bill faces Scottish opposition

16/08/2023

The UK Government’s planned ban on council boycotts is facing opposition from Holyrood.

Third of council procurement spending goes to SMEs

31/07/2023

Just over one-third of English local councils’ procurement spending went directly to SMEs in 2022, new analysis shows.

Government to 'reset’ local audit

18/07/2023

Local government minister Lee Rowley said statutory deadlines would be announced in the autumn in a bid to tackle the audit backlog.

Public Procurement Quarterly Update: 2023 Q2

12/07/2023

Public procurement experts and LocalGov partners, Tussell, have analysed the local government procurement market for the second quarter of this year.

Tory MPs oppose boycotts ban

04/07/2023

Government moves to ban councils from imposing their own boycotts has faced opposition from Conservative benches.

Gove to pursue council boycott ban

19/06/2023

Legislation aimed at preventing councils from launching their own boycotts has been introduced to Parliament.

Audit body in respect call amid tensions

18/05/2023

The organisation responsible for appointing local government auditors has urged ‘everyone to act with appropriate professional respect’ amid tensions.

Decision to pull £50m flood scheme ‘disappointing’

15/05/2023

The Government’s decision not to go ahead with a £50m flood prevention scheme has been described as ‘disappointing’ by council leaders.

Public Procurement Quarterly Update: 2023 Q1

10/05/2023

Public procurement experts Tussell sat down with LocalGov to analyse the local government procurement market for the first quarter of this year.

Seven senior public sector figures given seats at framework provider’s top table

24/04/2023

The non-executive directors appointed to not-for-profit construction framework provider LHC Procurement Group hail from housing associations across Britain.

‘Significant concerns' over regional care cooperatives

23/03/2023

Regional care cooperatives (RCCs) will not resolve the issues around child care placements, councils have said.

Tussell Local Gov Quarterly Update: 2022 Q4

08/02/2023

Tussell provides analysis on the local government procurement market for the fourth quarter 2022, with a focus on cost of living and fuel poverty.

Builder insolvency poses an imminent problem for housing associations

18/11/2022

While housing association landlords could be facing numerous housebuilder insolvencies this year, Louise Stewart says the problem can be addressed.

Tussell Local Gov Quarterly Update: 2022 Q3

11/11/2022

Tussell provides analysis on the local government procurement market for the second quarter of this year, with a special focus on cost of living and fuel poverty.

Local government spending more with SMEs than Whitehall, report finds

13/10/2022

Local government spends more of its procurement budget with SMEs than central government or the NHS, new research has revealed.

Tussell LocalGov Quarterly Update: Q2 2022

11/10/2022

Tussell provides analysis on the local government procurement market for the second quarter of this year, with a special focus on health and social services.

Levelling up education

04/10/2022

James Lowe, director of Grolife, argues that local authorities should level up the procurement process and put pupils, not price, first.

Warning of £75m audit fee increase

03/10/2022

Experts have warned councils could be hit by a £75m increase to their audit fees as details of the next five-year procurement were announced.

Balfour Beatty appointed as sole contractor to £4bn framework

28/09/2022

International infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has been appointed as the sole contractor to two SCAPE civil engineering frameworks worth a total of £4bn.

Labour pledges 'biggest wave of insourcing for a generation'

26/09/2022

A Labour Government would oversee the ‘biggest wave of insourcing for a generation,’ deputy leader Angela Rayner has said.

Local government has a central role to play in delivering on net zero

02/09/2022

Nathan Goode calls on local authorities to take a fresh look at social value in procurement.

Social Value: From short-changed to life-changing

17/08/2022

Peter Masonbrook explains what three things local authorities can do to ensure suppliers deliver social value.

How local authorities can look for social value in their SME tech suppliers

12/08/2022

Alex Jackson explains how councils can look for social value in their tech suppliers and how this will benefit local citizens.

Delivering social change through early payment

09/08/2022

Anthony Persse, CEO, Optimum Finance & Saltare, looks at how local authorities can help deliver societal change through the early payment of suppliers.

Committee ‘concerned’ about £10bn of GLA contracts

26/07/2022

A committee investigating the procurement practices of the GLA Group has warned that it is ‘concerned’ about billions of pounds’ worth of contracts.

Councils spending £9bn a year more on local suppliers, research finds

22/07/2022

Councils are spending 46% of their procurement budgets with local suppliers, new research has revealed.

Council third party spend reaches £70bn

04/07/2022

Local authority spend with third parties has continued to increase significantly and has almost reached the £70bn mark, new research reveals.

New anti-Putin powers given to councils

26/05/2022

Councils have been handed powers to terminate commercial relationships with firms that have ‘strong links’ to Vladimir Putin’s ‘murderous regime’.

Call for clarity on local government's use of Hikvision surveillance cameras

26/04/2022

Local government minister, Michael Gove, has been urged to clarify his position on buying surveillance cameras from tech company Hikvision.

Local authorities’ pivotal role in levelling up through collaborative, value-led procurement

20/04/2022

Exploring the link between true levelling up and procurement, Elaine Elkington addresses how and why local authorities and public sector organisations play a key role in unlocking equity for ‘left behind’ areas.

Liverpool City Region adopts new social value tool

14/04/2022

The Liverpool City Region has adopted a new social value tool to help tackle the city region’s social, economic and environmental challenges.

Delay to EPR will create 'vacuum of uncertainty' for councils

04/03/2022

Councils will be forced to award waste management contracts in a 'vacuum of uncertainty' following the delay to the introduction of extended producer responsibility (EPR), the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC) has warned.

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.

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