Changes to our frameworks in May

Welcome to our monthly framework update to help you with your procurement planning. We will publish it online each month and also share it in our newsletters and on our social media channels.

The update provides a brief summary of what has been awarded, extended or expired during the previous month. It also outlines what is due to expire in the next 3 months.

You can also get an overview of all of our live frameworks in our interactive digital brochure.

Frameworks awarded in May 

Frameworks extended in May

Frameworks that expired in May 

Frameworks due to expire in the next 3 months

Further information

If you need further details about any of these frameworks please get in touch. 

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New ways of travelling – top tips for safe business travel

After a few months of working from home and not being able to travel pretty much anywhere, we are so eager for things to return to some sort of normality. For some, it may be commuting to their offices, visiting customers or suppliers locally, while others may be already thinking about more complex longer stays, either within the UK or abroad. If you do not feel ready yet, that is fine too. Whatever the purpose of our travel is, and whether it is tomorrow or in six months’ time, we all need to make sure we plan it well and adapt to the new normal.

Regardless of the mode of transport or service required, it is recommended that you book all your travel through your Travel Management Company (TMC) or a dedicated specialist supplier. They will be able to advise you on border restrictions, in-country legislation and local protocols, as well as other elements of your journey such as transfer options and accommodation. They can also alert you to any changes and provide electronic documentation, such as e-ticketing options to maintain social distancing and minimise your need for physical interaction with staff and technology.

These tips are generic to help and support all travellers, but of course, when travelling on business, it is important to always check and book in accordance with your employer’s travel policy.

Before you go

  • check-in online and save your boarding pass/ticket on your phone (when possible) for a contactless journey through the airport or station
  • take your passport and necessary documents and have them easily accessible – at some airports, you may be able to hold your passport up rather than hand it over to border control to avoid contact
  • pack a few face masks and hand sanitisers as you will need them at every stage of your journey
  • take snacks in case the meal service is not available or is reduced –  you can ask your TMC for more information about your flight / train operator
  • don’t forget your pen, as in some places, you may have to sign something. You will likely get a pen that has been disinfected, but just in case, have your own
  • pack your debit/credit card as you should try to use contactless payments rather than cash, where possible 

Public transport and car journeys

  • use your own car, rental car or book a taxi (your TMC will be able to help you) to get to/from the terminal and station
  • in a taxi, sit in the rear left seat and never in the front (the further from the driver the better). Have windows open, where possible. If travelling in a group, use more than one vehicle
  • if you hire a car, go for a paperless pick-up, where possible. Your supplier should be able to arrange that for you
  • wipe the steering wheel and other surfaces in the car with a disinfectant before you set off. In addition, all cars should be thoroughly cleaned after each drop-off
  • wear a mask and use hand sanitiser (frequently) throughout the journey
  • travel at off-peak times, especially if you have to use public transport. Wear a mask and remember the rules on social distancing
  • reserve your seat on a train, if available. Train operators are able to distance you from other confirmed passengers

Travelling by plane

  • plan some extra time at the airport to familiarise yourself with the new regulations. There may be a new pedestrian traffic flow system in place and a limited number of people allowed in each check-in zone
  • consider checking in your bags, if possible. Some airlines suggest keeping your hand baggage to a minimum
  • change your face mask every 3 to 4 hours if you are travelling long-haul
  • sit back and relax – airlines prioritise your health and safety and are disinfecting all surfaces after each flight. The HEPA filters replace the air in the cabin every 2-3 minutes. That’s probably better than in your office
  • many airports have a disinfectant facility for luggage but you should remember to wash your hands or use hand sanitiser before you leave the airport for the next stage of your journey

Accommodation

  • choose contactless check-in and check-out when available. Your TMC will be able to explain how this is operated
  • wear a mask in all public areas and use hand sanitiser regularly (if you can’t wash your hands). All public areas are frequently cleaned in most hotels and have rooms disinfected after each guest
  • take advantage of room service, if you prefer a contactless stay. In some hotels buffets are not available and restaurants may be still closed. There may be some take away restaurants in the vicinity of a hotel that can deliver so check with the hotel if they accept them
  • ask for an electronic invoice rather than a paper one

Need more information?

Hopefully you have found the tips above useful. If you need any more advice or guidance, please contact our travel team and we will be happy to help you. 

You can also find out more about each of our travel frameworks, and our suppliers, by following the links below:

  • RM6016 – Public Sector Travel and Venue Solutions 
  • RM6164 – Public Sector Global Travel and Venue Solutions
  • RM6121 – Public Sector Passenger Transport Services – taxi, mini bus & coaches

All things to all people: exploring social value approaches in public procurement

This article was originally published in Public Finance.

A different kind of squeeze is coming to public sector finances, after a year of unprecedented and unforeseen spending. 

For the coming decade, ensuring that the public sector is getting every ounce of value that it can possibly get from its procurements is going to be the name of the game. And different ideas of value will be added to, and magnify, traditional concerns of pounds and pence.

In September 2020, the Cabinet Office published Public Procurement Note 06/20 – taking account of social value in the award of central government contracts.

The guidance note requires all central government departments to explicitly evaluate social value in their new procurements, where the requirements are relevant and proportionate to the subject matter of the contract.

The PPN also includes a new social value model, which contains a menu of priority social value themes and policy outcomes that can be applied in new procurements and contracts.

And social value is certainly not restricted to central government bodies. If anything, local government has led the way in considering how to make sure its local citizens’ money is being used to boost local economies and tackle social inequalities. 

We know that suppliers are having to review their offer to the public sector to catch up with often developed and preconceived notions of what they should be able to offer.

For many companies, it will be a step into the unknown.

A complex environment

Thousands of suppliers of all sizes are currently signed up to supply goods and services through Crown Commercial Service frameworks, across a dizzying array of categories and specialisms.

When we also consider that CCS works with 18,000 customers across the length and breadth of the UK, the opportunity for social value to be generated through our procurement solutions is clear. What is also clear however is that a one-size fits all approach to delivering that value is not going to work.

Self-evidently, a large central government body is not going to look at social value in the same way as a rural local authority or large hospital trust. That poses a challenge for suppliers – how should they structure their bids to meet the needs of a complex customer market?

At CCS we’ve been starting to see the first generation of framework agreements awarded since the new PPN came into effect, and the many and various ways suppliers are trying to meet the new requirements to set out their social value offer.

Supplier approaches

CCS supports the public sector to procure goods and services. The distinction between those two different kinds of product is an important one when considering social value.

For service-led sectors, people obviously sit at the heart of potential opportunities. For suppliers who are connecting the public sector with human resources and expertise, focusing on how those people are recruited and engaged offers one route to delivering social value. 

CCS may ask suppliers bidding to join our agreements to demonstrate how they work to ensure fair, inclusive and ethical employment practices. This could include evidence that they’ve advertised vacancies in a wide range of locations, are using name-blind recruitment practices, or that they’ve engaged with VCSE organisations about the possibility of offering apprenticeships. 

Many suppliers of products on the other hand are looking at the impact their manufacturing processes have on the environment, and on the UK’s carbon net zero targets.

Suppliers on CCS’s furniture agreement are asked to support the Greening Government Commitment to ensure that all packaging of products is reusable or readily recyclable. They report on their greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of waste they send to landfill, and are obliged to demonstrate sustainable sourcing practices for the timber they use.

The commonality here is the importance of considering how social value can be maximised at every stage of the procurement process, whether you’re buying in physical goods or human expertise.

Find out more

You can find a full list of our commercial agreements and details of how to build policy considerations into your procurement in our interactive digital brochure.

Visit our social value webpage or get in touch with our expert team to find out more about social value and how it’s embedded into our agreements.

 

Helping the education sector avoid cyber attacks

Since late February 2021, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has identified an increase in cyber attacks within the education sector.

These attacks are predominantly ransomware attacks. This is where cyber criminals use a malicious software to block access to computer systems, and threaten to release the organisation’s sensitive data unless the ransom is paid.

Due to the nature and amount of sensitive information that schools, colleges and universities hold, these attacks can have a devastating impact. 

How can my organisation be attacked?

Ransomware attackers can gain access to your computer systems in many ways:

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) 

This is an attack designed to cause widespread damage and disruption to the network, causing a massive impact on productivity. Attacks against online educational resources are over 3 times more prevalent in 2020 than they were last year, due to the lack of security protection when working from home.

Spear phishing 

This is an attack through email or electronic communications, in an attempt to scam the individual and to lead them into a bogus website full of Malware, giving the hacker access to a wealth of information. 

Other areas of access include:

  • phishing
  • vulnerable software or hardware
  • remote access
  • remote desktop protocol
  • virtual private network (VPN) vulnerabilities

Why is it important to protect your data?

Data is valuable. In the education system it is important that the safety of students, and all of the information that you store is not compromised. In the unfortunate event of an attack, data can be used in many ways: 

Financial gain

Data can be used as a bargaining tool to extort money. As universities and colleges are handling large amounts of money in student fees, they are a prime target for cyber criminals.

Fraud

Data is extremely valuable and can be used to steal someone’s identity or to gain access to their online accounts for malicious purposes.

Espionage

Universities are usually centres for research and hold intellectual property. This can be used for personal, economic, political or military advantage. This also poses a large threat to a large volume of personal data and the misuse of information.

How can these attacks be prevented?

Useful guidance

Familiarise yourself with the NCSC alert for the UK education sector. The NCSC are the UK’s National Technical Authority for cyber incidents and have a wide range of guidance on their webpage

Cyber training

Managing risk isn’t just about having the right technology – people are an important part of risk management too. Raising awareness of cyber security within your organisation can play a vital role in countering cyber threats. Cyber awareness training will ensure that your staff understand the potential threats, the impact they have on the organisation, and the steps they need to take to prevent these threats infiltrating their workspace.

Back-ups

In the event of a cyber incident, having access to recent, tested offline backups will ensure that your organisation is able to recover quickly and to restore data. 

Penetration testing

This can be used to audit and test your IT systems, identifying potential vulnerabilities and recommending effective security countermeasures.

To mitigate malware and ransomware attacks please seek NCSC guidance.

Please report any incidents to the NCSC and seek expert advice. 

How can CCS help?

We have a dedicated cyber security team that can help you protect against the increasing complexity of cyber attacks. The Cyber Security Services 3 dynamic purchasing system (DPS) is the only route to market for NCSC-assured services and covers a wide range of cyber services. 

To learn more, visit our Cyber Security Services page or contact the team.  

Don’t forget, you can find a full list of all the commercial agreements we offer, alongside details of how we can help you build policy considerations into your procurement, in our interactive digital brochure.

West Lothian College complete building extension against the clock thanks to Construction framework

The requirement

West Lothian College (WLC) wanted to procure the construction of a mezzanine level and associated services. This was for one of their existing buildings, for the purposes of extending the workshop within the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment.

WLC had a limited budget and strict timeframe in which to procure this, with a requirement for construction to be completed within 6 months.

The procurement team at WLC researched a number of available routes and, following discussions with Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC), a decision was made to procure the works through the CCS ‘Construction Works and Associated Services’ framework. 

This would allow WLC to run a compliant procurement process over a shorter timescale, while ensuring that suitably qualified organisations would be tendering for the work, reducing the risks associated with its completion.

The solution

WLC registered their interest in using the framework and CCS provided significant support and advice, which continued throughout the process. 

WLC opted to use ‘Lot 1.1.4 Building Works and Minor Associated Civil Engineering Works and Services – Scotland’. They put out information through an Expression of Interest form to all suppliers on the Lot and received replies from 8 of the 9 suppliers.

The result

By using the framework, WLC were able to reduce their timescales, receiving 4 high quality bids, from Scottish suppliers with significant local presence, after just 3 weeks out to tender. Following a very competitive process, the winning tender submission was by Maxi Construction.

The split of the framework to target more localised SME suppliers also meant that WLC were able to operate the site visits at relatively short notice while remaining compliant with COVID-19 restrictions.

WLC achieved approximately 12% savings, among other benefits:

  • all permanent and agency staff (97%) paid in excess of Real Living Wage except trainees who are paid National Living Wage
  • site walk-arounds offered on weekly basis for staff and students
  • potential work placement during works
  • local supplier, meaning this project would provide local employment during a very difficult economic situation

The framework provided a fast and simple route to market while also providing a good range of suitable, locally-based suppliers. The support of CCS allowed the project to start on time.

The project was finished (subject to usual snagging works) only a week over the original scheduled end date, which considering how tight a project it was excellent.  We were very impressed with Maxi Construction.

Chris Naismith, Procurement Coordinator at West Lothian College.

Let us add power to your procurement

Our Construction Works and Associated Services framework provides a wide range of major and minor building and civil engineering projects.  

To find out how we can help you make smart buying decisions for your construction needs:

Crown Commercial Service launches new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Workday to help accelerate public sector innovation

The newly launched MoU offers public sector customers access to a wide range of discounts on Workday’s cloud-based products, which will help accelerate and streamline business operations and encourage innovation. 

Workday offers a suite of applications for financial management, human resources, planning, spend management and analytics. Public sector organisations already using Workday include the Cabinet Office, Department for Education and UK Research and Innovation.

MoUs are a preferential pricing agreement negotiated by ourselves at CCS on behalf of our customers, and are available to all eligible public sector customers through any route to market used for technology procurement. Customers can access the Workday discounted pricing by going through our Data and Application Solutions and Back Office Software  frameworks. 

Philip Orumwense, Commercial Director and Chief Technology Procurement Officer, Crown Commercial Service said: 

This Memorandum of Understanding with Workday will allow the public sector to access a range of discounts on cloud products, supporting the digital transformation of the UK public sector as we build back better.

Let us bring power to your procurement 

To find out more about our Workday MoU or benefit from software support from our team of technology experts, please complete our online form quoting ‘Workday MoU’ and we will be in touch. 

Alternatively, you can call us on: 0345 410 2222.

5 things businesses need to do to supply to the public sector

Whether your business specialises in goods or services, transport infrastructure or expert advice on the adoption of new technologies, there’s a good chance that a customer exists in the public sector who wants to buy what you’re selling. 

The difficult part can be finding routes to help you market your goods or services to those customers. 

Introducing Crown Commercial Service

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) is an executive agency of the UK government’s Cabinet Office, and the UK’s largest public procurement body. 

We work with 18,000 public sector customers to get the best deal for them on their procurements. Last year, customers spent £18 billion through CCS agreements. Around 7,000 suppliers are signed up to supply goods and services to the public sector through our commercial agreements, helping to ensure a robust and reliable supply chain to support the delivery of public services. 

Right now we’re working to make sure that social value, modern slavery, carbon net zero, and sustainability in general are built into our agreements. We know that our customers want to use procurement to improve the lives of citizens across the UK, and we’re working with suppliers to make sure they’re tuned in to what customers want.

5 things businesses need to do to supply to the public sector

  • Know what a framework is and how to join one

Procurement frameworks make it easier for the public sector to find and contract with suppliers of the particular good or service they want to buy. To find out how to join one of our frameworks, read our guide, and keep an eye on our upcoming deals webpage to see what we’re currently working on. 

  • Understand the local landscape

It’s more important than ever that companies that want to work with the public sector can demonstrate that they’re engaged with and share the values of the communities they’re going to serve. Tailor your offer to the needs of your customers – which leads nicely on to…

  • Make sure you’re building social value, sustainability and other policy considerations into your offer

CCS frameworks require that you are able to demonstrate that you’ve considered some of the key policy considerations that public sector bodies are interested in supporting. You may need to show how you’re committed to tackling modern slavery in your supply chain, how you can help to promote apprenticeships in your industry, or your sustainability credentials. Public sector organisations want to work with suppliers who care about their local areas – so make sure this is part of your bid.

  • Got a place on a framework? Now promote the goods and services you offer

Once you’re on a framework, you’ll get the chance to compete for public sector contracts. Make sure your potential customers know that you’ve won a place – you can use the ‘CCS Supplier’ logo on your website and send out press releases promoting your framework place.

  • Keep up to date with new frameworks and policies that could impact your business – and celebrate your successes

Follow CCS on LinkedIn and Twitter and bookmark our ‘Upcoming Deals’ webpage to keep up to date with all of our new frameworks and when you can bid to join them. We’re keen to show public sector customers the benefits that their peers have generated from using our frameworks – so think about how you can develop case studies and testimonials to celebrate your successes.

Artificial intelligence and automation for the public sector

As Category Manager for the Artificial Intelligence and Automation Marketplace Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS) at Crown Commercial Service, my role is to lead procurement operations and support a variety of customers from across the public sector with their AI and automation requirements. 

From helping to lead this category for just over a year, I have realised that many people are still unaware of what AI and automation are, and how they can work together to drive real change across an organisation.

What is AI? 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is technology with the ability to perform tasks that would otherwise require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, and language translation.

It involves machines using statistics to find patterns in large amounts of data, so that tasks can be performed without the need for constant human guidance.

You will recognise AI in everyday life, like when Netflix software recommends what you might like to watch based on your viewing history, or when Siri and Alexa use natural language to respond to you

There are so many ways in which AI can support public sector organisations, such as helping to manage and use data better, improve diagnostics in healthcare and help you communicate better with customers through the likes of online chatbots, which allow customers to ask questions and chat through an online messaging application. 

We can offer you access to these cutting edge technologies through our Artificial Intelligence Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) which has been created in collaboration with the Office for Artificial Intelligence, to make it easier for you to buy this new technology and take advantage of what it has to offer.

What is Automation?

Automation uses sophisticated technologies to deliver processes and services with minimal human interaction, including high-volume, repeatable tasks such as queries, calculations and maintenance of records and transactions.

There are different types of automation technologies such as desktop, cognitive, RPA and AI.

Desktop automation, for example, uses simple tools such as ‘macros’ to record and repeat tasks and can help with tactical automation – ‘doing the same thing but faster’. 

Cognitive automation software uses pattern recognition and machine learning, along with natural language processing and human interface, like Alexa.

And robotic process automation (RPA) operates existing applications and systems. It can be attended; sits on a desktop, covers part of the process and is for the front office, like a bot that creates a dashboard pulling data from multiple systems to assist a customer call centre. Or it can be unattended; typically for back office end to end processes located in a server room, the bot categorises and prioritises incoming correspondence onto a system for humans to respond to.

Automation has the potential to transform how you can deliver public services by reducing operational running costs of public-facing services by up to a third. This can result in better service delivery, improved data, cost reduction, counter-fraud and increased efficiency.

We can offer you access to Automation services with our Automation Marketplace DPS, which has been designed to offer customers a simple, efficient route to a wide range of automation services in an emerging market. 

How do AI and Automation differ?

Automation is focused on people and processes, rather than technology. Although technology investment is also important, we should remember that technology based on a bad process will just make the bad process faster. Processes can be improved with existing IT and automating tools for process optimisation.

Some of the things automation software can do:

  • simple tools to record and repeat tasks
  • create a dashboard, pulling data from multiple systems to reduce call time and clicks for customer service agents
  • categorise and prioritise incoming correspondence onto a system for humans to respond to

AI thinks for itself, can train robots, analyse text and speech to transform structured data into natural language and automate process documentation. 

Some of the things AI software can do:

  • use machine learning techniques to improve solar forecasting accuracy
  • use data taken from earth observation satellites to generate 3D models and predict flood risk 
  • anomaly detection of goods arriving at the border
  • natural language processing

How can AI and Automation be used together?

Both AI and automation rely on lots of data to provide analytics and insights and we will benefit most from using a mixed economy of technologies.

As an example, AI in automation technologies, can be used to train a computer or system to recognise data with automated redirection to category classification. AI can extract information, such as a case reference number, email address, intended recipient and phone number, to categorise an enquiry as ‘general’ or ’freedom of information request’ and help maintain quality and deadlines.

So, by implementing both AI and automation technologies together, you could ensure your organisation is working efficiently and effectively, with little room for error.

Let us bring power to your procurement

If you would like to learn more, please visit our artificial intelligence and automation pages on our website. 

Or, if you would like to get in touch, please complete our online form quoting “AI and Automation’ and I will be sure to get back to you.

Alternatively, you can call us on: 0345 410 2222

Interpreting and translation services for the world we live in today

The pandemic has forced organisations to adapt the way they work to ensure critical frontline services can still be provided to those most in need. As this often includes citizens whose primary language is not English, it has led to a move away from traditional face-to-face translation services to options such as telephone and video interpreting. 

Changing needs

In January 2020 our customers were using in the region of 450,000 minutes of telephone and video interpreting. By February 2021 this had increased to over 1.2 million minutes, reflecting the need to change how services are provided in response to COVID-19. In the same time period, face-to-face services reduced from around 5,000 appointments to 1,500.

Our new Language Services framework (RM6141) gives you access to a range of remote solutions – from telephone and video services to speech-to-text software and machine translation. It replaces RM1092, which expired on 21 April 2021.

As well as helping you respond to new ways of working brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, these options can also save you time, resources and costs. As the Home Office Legacy Common Goods and Services Team commented:

CCS was able to provide expert advice, guidance and direction on how best to use the framework. This support enabled the Home Office to concentrate on developing our requirements, whilst knowing we had an expert in language services at our disposal when needed.

Social value

Social value is firmly at the heart of the new framework. All suppliers have been assessed on their ability to help you achieve social value, with a particular focus on equality and diversity, fair working practices and support for local communities.  

Every successful supplier was evaluated on areas such as: 

  • the social or economic initiatives they will adopt throughout the life of the framework to support the community they serve 
  • fair working practices for all personnel providing services under the framework
  • ensuring equality and diversity in the workplace, including how they will improve in this area 

By working in partnership with our suppliers on these important issues, we are confident of a better outcome for you as our customer, for your end users, and the wider language services community. 

Your particular social value needs may be unique to your organisation, and bespoke social value requirements can be included in your procurement whether you’re a central government department, NHS trust, local authority, housing association, or charity.  

What else is new?

We have added several other new features to the framework to ensure you have access to the solutions you need. This includes: 

  • regional managed service lots: if you have a regional or overseas focus you can buy multiple services through a single supplier, giving you greater clarity about pricing 
  • more opportunities for SME suppliers as they don’t need to be able to offer their services on a national scale: 13 of the 15 suppliers on the new framework are SMEs
  • a quality assurance service option: you can get an independent quality assurance specialist to carry out checks on your supplier(s) and/or the linguists carrying out assignments for you
  • services available through the framework have been rationalised to avoid confusion: all non-spoken services, such as Braille and British Sign Language are now included under a single non-spoken services option (lot 4), helping you achieve compliance with the accessibility regulations that have recently come into effect

Add power to your procurement decisions with CCS

If you would like to learn more about the framework and the innovative new options it offers, we will be hosting webinars throughout the summer.

We’ll share further details about the webinars shortly. In the meantime, let us know if you are interested in joining us by completing this short online form and mentioning ‘Language Services webinar’ in the comments box. 

You can also:

Don’t forget, you can find a full list of all the commercial agreements we offer, alongside details of how we can help you build policy considerations into your procurement, in our interactive digital brochure.

Supply Teachers deal leads to increased savings, quality and compliance for 17 academies

Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT) is a multi-academy trust with 17 academies across the Bradford area. 

Historically, when BDAT needed to recruit temporary staff, the academies used several agencies on varying terms and conditions. 

This made agency management difficult for BDAT, while the individual academies were not always getting the best value for money. 

At an Executive Educators event in early 2020, a discussion with our category experts led Peter Thompson, the trust’s Chief Operating Officer, to reconsider how BDAT used agencies for their staffing needs.  As Peter explained:

I wanted to reduce the number of agencies we used as a trust, to drive value and promote quality and compliance. After discussions with the executive team, we agreed that we wanted to work with the agencies on Crown Commercial Service’s framework. This would allow us to enjoy cost savings, better compliance and quality, and terms and conditions written in our favour.

Making agencies work for you

To make the vision a reality, BDAT first needed to gain a comprehensive understanding of how each of the 17 academies used agencies. 

Peter added:

With the support of CCS, I reviewed our agency spend and usage. For each academy we worked out, year on year, what they spent on agencies. We also identified which agencies our schools were using and what we were using them for.

From here, the CCS Supply Teachers team got rate cards from the framework agencies BDAT were interested in using and, following vetting, drew up short order forms for those selected for a preferred supplier list.  

Peter explained the benefits of working with agencies on a preferred supplier list:

We know from the outset what the cost will be and the margin the agency is making. This has given an element of control over spend as the rate cards set out the maximum rate an agency can charge, inflation-proofing the rates and guaranteeing that academies would not be charged a premium for in-demand supply in shortage categories. 

Other benefits the trust is enjoying include the savings potential, increased compliance and quality, standard and consistent terms and conditions, and the ability to make temporary staff permanent after 12 weeks with 4 weeks notice with no fees being charged by the agency. 

Looking to the future, BDAT will have the ongoing support of the CCS team throughout the life of the contract, to consistently review and optimise performance

Can we help you?

To find out more about how we can help your school or trust with your temporary recruitment needs, why not get in touch with our expert team?

Simply email the team at supplyteachers@crowncommercial.gov.uk providing the following information:

  • school name
  • your name
  • email address
  • telephone number

You can also find out more about the framework by:

  • visiting our web page
  • emailing info@crowncommercial.gov.uk
  • calling 0345 410 2222