The YPO has signed a deal with Amazon Business to supply goods and services to public sector bodies including local authorities, multi-academy trusts and universities.

The Amazon Business online marketplace provides access to hundreds of millions of products, including from smaller independent suppliers in the UK.

The company says the four-year contract, worth up to £400m, will offer public sector customers a 'compliant' purchasing route.

Customers of YPO, one of the UK’s largest public sector buying organisations, will be directed to Amazon Business where they can set up their account and use a framework to buy products.

It will ensure that products have been compliantly sourced and a percentage of profits will be returned to the public sector.

YPO managing director Simon Hill said: 'The demand for innovative ways to buy better is one of the highest priorities for public sector organisations and our new framework agreement represents a forward-thinking approach to public sector purchasing.

'It offers brand new benefits in a first for a public sector buying organisation in the UK.

‘Our recent customer survey showed that 80% of our customers already use Amazon so this will give them an opportunity to complete their list of requirements through YPO, without fragmenting their spend and threatening the "one-stop-shop" proposition.'