Help local businesses maintain jobs and achieve social value through your procurement activities

Updated: August 2023

Smaller suppliers serve your community and drive local economies across the UK. They need fair and easy access to government and public sector business. There are a number of ways that CCS can help you support your local supply chain. These include: 

We encourage all our customers to talk with their local supply chain and show them the range of opportunities now available to them through CCS.

By registering on a suitable DPS, your suppliers may win new contracts, further boosting your local economy and helping to strengthen supply chains across the UK.

And don’t forget, guidance on public procurement regulations and responding to the coronavirus outbreak, including paying contingent workers, supplier relief and model interim payment terms, is available in procurement policy note 02/20: Supplier relief due to COVID-19.

Tackling modern slavery in our supply chains

Stamping out modern slavery in supply chains is one of the UK government’s top priorities. We have a key national role to play in order to help public and third sector organisations play their part. Watch our webinar to find out more. You can also view questions and answers from the session.

Learn more about social value

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.

More: You can now find all of our Procurement Essentials articles in one place on our website.

Decontaminating your organisation – response to coronavirus

As we now move to the recovery stage of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we understand that your organisation will have additional cleaning needs to ensure your workplace is COVID-secure. In line with recently published guidance from BEIs, our new Building Cleaning Services dynamic purchasing system (DPS) provides easy access to a range of internal, external and ad hoc deep cleaning services to ensure that your organisation is safe for reopening and thereafter.

The DPS has been designed to provide flexibility for both customers and suppliers and is available for use by all public sector organisations, including central government, wider public sector, charities and third sector.

The advantage of using the DPS and working with CCS means customers have the opportunity to benefit from:

  • a simpler, quicker process for suppliers means CCS maximise the opportunity for local suppliers to bid for public sector business
  • a quick and easy automated selection process matches a list of qualifying suppliers that meet the customers’ requirements
  • as suppliers can join at any time, customers benefit from a constantly updated supplier list
    creating their own specifications, in a way that suits their needs, giving flexibility based on the customers individual requirements.
  • pre-agreed core terms established in line with best commercial practice to provide legal protection for customers and suppliers
  • access to category expertise and a range of support functions for the life of any contract awarded under the DPS

To find out how you can access the DPS, visit our agreement page or get in touch via info@crowncommercial.gov.uk.

We’d also encourage you to get your current suppliers, across the UK, onboard the Building Cleaning Services Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS).

The importance of maintaining good procurement practice

We know that one of the challenges for our customers is ensuring that you continue to buy compliantly, in line with current procurement regulations. When buying common goods and services we would always recommend that you use our existing commercial agreements. This will ensure your procurement is compliant and that you benefit from our supplier management and pre-agreed terms, while continuing to achieve great commercial outcomes. We can support you with this through our offer of commercial support.

We’re also working with key suppliers to provide clarity on their business resilience plans, and we would encourage you to make sure you are as well to ensure resilience in your supply chain.

We also understand that your COVID-19 related requirements may be urgent, and there are thousands of suppliers who want to help – that’s why we’ve created the catalogue of supplier offers. 

Whatever your procurement needs, take the time to prepare and plan accordingly. Don’t lose sight of your existing good procurement practice as it will protect you now and in the future.

Take a look at a list of our existing commercial agreements and a summary of those that have been extended or paused in response to COVID-19 to help you with this.

Managing your health workforce: the importance of staying on framework

To support NHS England and NHS Improvement’s recent publication expecting NHS trusts to continue using approved frameworks to ensure they are staying on framework, the NHS Workforce Alliance has summarised the advantages of using framework agencies during the current response to coronavirus (COVID-19) response. This includes an open invitation from the alliance to further support you. 

Why use framework agencies? 

Framework agencies are proven to fill shifts in a time of national response

The NHS Workforce Alliance recently supported one of the NHS Nightingale hospitals to source 50 clinical staff. They needed to be fully compliant and available for induction training on specific dates. Alliance team members worked over the Easter weekend to support this effort by:

  • identifying suitable agencies using framework management information 
  • using established supplier relationships to liaise with senior representatives from the agencies 
  • managing all clarification queries 
  • ensuring that rate caps were adhered to
  • issuing confirmation of induction invitations to the agencies for their accepted workers
  • liaising with agencies regarding the compliance checklist
  • collating evidence relating to worker compliance, as required
  • managing post induction queries 

Framework owners provide assurance that workers placed at your trust have been checked against NHS employment standards   

All agencies are required to carry out checks on their candidates to ensure that they have a right to work in the UK and have the correct qualifications and experience to work in NHS clinical environments. 

Approved framework owners, such as the NHS Workforce Alliance, independently audit their agencies, checking candidate files to assure themselves these checks are taking place. If agencies fail the on-site audit they can be suspended from the framework until remedial actions have taken place.

The NHS Workforce Alliance provides this assurance saving NHS trusts time independently verifying this.

Approved framework terms protect your trust against excess charges and hidden costs

Operating under approved framework terms protects your trust against excess transfer fees, extended hire periods and other hidden charges typically found in standard terms of business. It also ensures that all workers are engaged on consistent terms and conditions and key performance indicators, making it easier to manage supplier performance. 

Approved frameworks support NHS Improvement agency rules, helping trusts to adhere to price caps and control expenditure

Approved framework owners support trusts to reduce agency spend and improve price transparency. All framework pricing is fully transparent and aligns to national pay scales, to enable trusts to immediately identify how much of the total charge rate goes to the worker, National Insurance, Working Time Regulations or agency commission. This is useful for managing market behaviours around inappropriate escalation. 

Approved frameworks facilitate overrides where necessary for patient safety

Under NHS Workforce Alliance frameworks there is no financial incentive for agencies to escalate rates as commission rates remain constant, with only the worker rate being escalated. Any additional money goes straight to the worker.

Further support 

If you would like further information on framework agency capacity in your region, or if your trust would like some support during this time, please contact any of the alliance partners:

CCS aggregation helps 5 customers make big savings of almost £497,000 on IT Hardware

The requirement

Many organisations routinely purchase the same commodity goods such as laptops, desktops, servers and peripherals, as and when they need them. However, some customers experience issues pulling together their specifications to ensure their technical requirements are fully met.

A group of 5 fire and rescue service customers were seeking to replace their in-vehicle Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) devices as support contracts were near end of life.

All of the services had a requirement for MDT devices with comprehensive warranty cover. In addition to this, some of the customers also required installation of the MDT devices into their emergency vehicle fleet and various device accessories.

We wanted to help the fire and rescue services achieve greater savings by standardising their requirements and aggregating volume, which would in turn increase buying power as larger volumes would be taken to market.

The solution

One of our national further competitions, which are based on a standardised specification, was created  for this group of customers, as the aggregated value of this requirement was expected to attract more interest from suppliers.

Using the Crown Commercial Service Technology Products 2 framework agreement (RM3733) lot 1, a further competition was run and the most economically advantageous offer in the market was found by taking into consideration both price and non-price factors. The further competition was concluded with sealed bids.

The customers worked together to agree a common, agnostic, technical specification which met each of their requirements. Emergency services required a reliable, robust device with upgraded technology to operate flexibly and efficiently in a range of differing environments and to effectively handle any emergency incident.

The results

The competition, which happened in July 2019, brought together a common technical specification for 428 MDT devices on behalf of 5 fire and rescue services. It achieved on average an indicative 30% saving compared to a blend of current market prices where available and average bid price. This is the equivalent of a total saving of £497,868 for the customers who took part. These results clearly demonstrate that with aggregated volumes and the adoption of a common technical specification for a product or service, significant cost savings can quickly be realised.

For further information

National aggregated further competitions are a tried and tested approach which has delivered significant savings to the public sector.

This is a fully managed service provided and funded by us. We will draft all documents, build the specification and run the procurement.

Customers only need to complete a form to express their interest, provide the final volume of services required before we go to market, and sign a contract with the successful supplier.

We would like to hear from customers who are interested in securing savings by aggregating their requirements with other customers for commodity goods and services.

You have until September 2019 to take part in our latest IT Hardware aggregation. To express an interest or speak to a member of our team, please get in touch quoting ‘NFC114 IT hardware aggregation’ in the comments box.

Communications Services and Campaign Solutions are extended

We’re extending the Campaign Solutions and Communication Services frameworks for up to 12 months.

This decision is in response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and follows careful consideration and engagement with stakeholders.

Government communications and campaigns have a vital role to play in tackling coronavirus, and this must be our primary focus.

The extensions will ensure campaign continuity for this vital period while ensuring we are able to get the best outcomes from the future procurements.

We’re updating the website with information about rescheduled engagement activity for both framework replacements soon.

Sign up to our newsletter

We have launched a weekly coronavirus (COVID-19) email newsletter for customers to share the latest updates from CCS in response to the virus. If you don’t already receive newsletters from us and would like to, complete our form.

Microsoft and Java support cost increase – how CCS can help

What is happening?

In 2019 and 2020 the cost to support Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, and Java SE 8 are significantly increasing. CCS has identified that public sector organisations may still have a substantial dependency on some of these software products and we are looking to work with Microsoft and Oracle (Java) to mitigate their commercial exposure.

How does this affect me?

Using Windows Server 2008 as an example, Extended Support ends in January 2020 and customers are being moved to Extended Security Updates (ESU). This will involve significant increases in costs for patching (around 75% of the license cost plus Software Assurance (roughly 25% of the license cost)). Windows Server 2008 is the most widely used Windows instance and a significant portion of business-critical applications depend directly or indirectly on the Windows Server 2008 operating system. There is estimated to be a significant security incident related to this by 2022 if systems are left unpatched.

What can you do about it?

Please complete the below surveys so that CCS can understand the public sectors consumption of these software products. CCS is looking to negotiate with software vendors to reduce the likelihood of public sector estates running unpatched. Our customers input and cooperation is essential in undertaking these tasks.

Microsoft survey
Java survey

In the meantime

The options for actions you can take vary by product and customers are advised to draw up mitigation plans. Using Windows Server 2008 as an example, the options are as follows:

  • upgrade – upgrade the operating system/applications to a supported version of Windows (on-premises or in Azure) or refactor to leverage containers
  • move workloads onto Azure – move Windows Server 2008 workload Virtual Machines to Azure and receive 36 months of ‘free’ extended security updates
    • for this option you must have Software Assurance in place and existing licenses can be leveraged through Microsoft Azure Hybrid Benefit to reduce costs
  • pay for ESU – purchase up to 36 months of extended security updates for applications that cannot quickly be moved to a supported version of Windows
    • note: this will incur significant cost to your organisation and to qualify for extended security updates, Microsoft will require a migration plan
  • isolate/retire — retire or isolate and protect applications

Complete the survey

The CCS software category team are on hand to assist public sector customers with end of support concerns however we would ask that in the first instance you complete the short Microsoft survey and / or Java survey as applicable to allow us to understand your circumstances.

Visit the Microsoft website for a full list of products reaching end of support.

Transport & Technology | CCS & ITS UK in new partnership

CCS and Intelligent Transport Society United Kingdom announce partnership

ITS (UK) is a not-for-profit membership association working to bring the benefits that Intelligent Transport Systems can offer to the UK while expanding the market. Some of the benefits  include economic efficiency, transport safety, and environmental benefits.

Intelligent Transport Systems are a combination of information technology and telecommunications, allowing the provision of online information in all areas of public and private administration. For example, they can improve the efficiency of transport through the use of electronic systems to improve traffic control and enforcement of traffic regulations or through electronic ticketing (for example Smartcards) to enable faster, easier travel by public transport.

The work that ITS (UK) does aligns with CCS’ Traffic Management Technology 2 framework and work currently being undertaken to develop its replacement.

ITS (UK) Secretary General Jennie Martin said,

By working with CCS, ITS (UK) can further support our remit to help private and public sector transport technology-related members facilitate excellent networking, knowledge sharing and PR opportunities. Transport Technology can be difficult to understand and therefore people shy away from it. CCS’s assistance will mean public sector organisations can have greater confidence when using ITS solutions, and they will discover that using our members’ technology delivers results quicker, cheaper and more effectively than traditional infrastructure projects alone.

Look out for content from CCS and ITS (UK) over the coming months to find out how you can get involved.

How can modular help address the housing crisis?

With a shortage of labour and rise in cost of materials, modular housing is not only cheaper to build, but can take up to half the time of traditional construction methods. And with the shift in trend moving towards the use of greener materials in construction, modular buildings help minimise waste whilst using recycled and sustainable materials.

Modular is by no means a new form of construction

After the second world war, modular construction emerged in the 1950s as a quick way to build homes. With many houses either damaged or destroyed, modular construction provided a quick alternative to solve the housing crisis. Although this was planned as a temporary measure, many of these houses are still lived in today.

So for many, when we hear the term modular, this often conjures up images of pre-fabricated homes, erected to address the post second world war housing shortage.

Building a more affordable future – the next generation of housing

Today’s modular homes use construction methods which are more sustainable than traditional methods. Not only are they cheaper, greener and easier to build, but with eco features such as solar panels and ground source heating, they have added environmentally friendly benefits and are cheaper to run.

Tackling the UK housing shortage

As the UK faces challenges of housing shortages, modular will play a crucial role with the potential to ease the housing crisis; providing new builds which are quick to build and more importantly, affordable.

The housing sector is set to change. With huge demands on housing, traditional building methods will not be enough to meet demand. The uptake of modern construction methods are rising with the main benefits being high quality, reliable, energy efficiency and affordability.

And with many councils investing in modular, this form of construction could provide the solution to the growing social housing waiting list. From the first pop-up village in London, created to house homeless families, to regeneration schemes in Manchester, modular is set to be the home of the future.

Our Modular Building Solutions framework is now live, developed to provide the housing sector with a low cost solution to their building requirements.

Next steps

For more information, please visit the web page or use our contact form to get in touch with our modular experts quoting “Modular” in the comments box.

Vehicle lease, fleet management and flexible rental solutions launches to support public sector fleets

You can continue to support social value and localism through your fleet management, contract hire and flexible rental solutions by working with the suppliers in a way that suits you. You can opt for supply and after sales services from your suitable local dealership or build in added value features into your call off contract.

There is a wide range of vehicles available from cars, 4x4s and motorcycles to vans, light and heavy commercial vehicles, minibuses and coaches. Availability of electric, alternatively fuelled and other ultra-low emission vehicles too. The framework includes everything from standard production vehicles and their options, to specialist modified or fully converted vehicles.

Opt for standard contract hire and lease management, or choose more enhanced fleet management services in a “sole supply” arrangement. Vehicles can be accessed for either operational purposes or as part of an employee benefits scheme, with convenient financial options to suit every need.

This new framework offers you the ability to lease a range of vehicles for 2 years or more, access to fleet management services and options for vehicles hired for 28 days or more, known as flexible rental

What is flexible rental?

Flexible rental describes a way in which you can acquire vehicles and use them within a fleet. In essence, it is the hiring of a vehicle with more flexible terms

Flexible rental offers solutions from 28 days and more, all the way up to 2 years plus. This solution can be used to bridge the gap between vehicles taken onto the fleet for longer periods of time, and those spot hired for short periods.

What are the benefits of using the new framework?

  • competitive discounts – using an average market rate comparator, CCS discounts are currently 11.3% better than the average of the top 10 leasing companies in the market
  • direct award – customers can make a direct award for standard cars and light commercial vehicles via the Fleet Portal
  • online fleet portal – obtain real-time quotations and a full breakdown of costs allowing you to compare options and whole life costs
  • local dealer options – option to use a local dealership for delivery, supporting SMEs
  • environmental and social value – access vehicles of all fuel trains to make available ultra-low emission vehicles, helping you achieve air quality targets.

Total fleet solutions

Our fleet solutions cover the purchase, lease and hire of a wide range of vehicles in fuel trains of all types. This is supported by a range of additional services including vehicle conversions, fleet management and maintenance, tyres and telematics. This helps fleet managers cover the whole vehicle life cycle from vehicle hire to fuel cards and insurance to traffic management technology solutions – we have got all of your fleet needs covered, however big or small.

If you would like to find out more about any of the CCS fleet solutions and how they can support you please get in touch and quote ‘flexible rental’.

Register for access to the CCS fleet portal.