Join our housing customer forum

Housing customer forum

The aim of the quarterly forum is to bring together organisations from across the housing sector to discuss:

  • sector specific market insight
  • best practices and transfer knowledge
  • tender development
  • industry developments and trends
  • lessons learnt
  • thought leadership
  • questions on how to use our agreements

You can also expect support from suppliers and relevant trade bodies. 

The first forum session will focus on our new Housing Maintenance and Repair Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), which launches at the end of January 2023, and how to get the most out of using it. This will help us to ensure it meets your needs and understand how continuous improvements can be made.

What is the Housing Maintenance and Repair DPS?

This new agreement provides housing maintenance and repair services for both tenanted and void/vacant properties. It offers planned and reactive services, including essential compliance services such as fire safety, electrical testing and asbestos management.

The DPS features a housing portfolio management service to help you manage your housing stock and handle areas such as move ins/outs, disposals and put in place a centralised service to manage and fulfil repair requests.

It can also help tenants save on their energy bills and enables you to achieve carbon net zero goals with publicly available specification (PAS) 2030/35 certified suppliers offering whole home retrofit services.

Find out more and join the forum

The first forum will take place on Thursday 27 April 10:00 to 11:00am. Register for the event. 

To learn more about the new Housing Maintenance and Repair DPS, you can:

Drone technology for the blue light sector

Today, more and more emergency service providers are turning to drones to deliver essential supplies and care in critical situations. The thought of “ambulance drones” and “flying firefighters” was once inconceivable, but is now very much a reality. Drones enhance capability, mitigate risk significantly and are a cost effective way to provide critical services. For example, ambulance drones are much more affordable and require fewer people to operate.

Many emergency service departments across the country have been using drone technology since 2014. Drones come with a variety of benefits, making them a transformative technology for any emergency response team. These include delivering life saving equipment rapidly to remote access areas, essential medicines to homes and blood and tissue to hospitals for use in major traffic accidents. They are also used to manage fires, fight crime and assist with crowd control at major events. 

Adding drones is a great way to modernise your emergency response fleet and make your organisation more resilient, efficient, and flexible.  

Supporting digital transformation

At Crown Commercial Service (CCS) we’re at the forefront of developing cutting-edge commercial technology agreements and solutions for government departments and the wider public sector. We’re experts in delivering procurement solutions across the full remit of blue light requirements. 

Our Space Enabled and Geospatial Dynamic Purchasing System is a new agreement covering the broad scope of the space-enabled technology market, including the geospatial ecosystem. Through it the public sector can access almost any relevant and commercially available product or service in this area. 

The scope of the agreement includes a range of products and services that will specifically benefit the blue light sector. Examples include remote sensing or monitoring services which enable continuous or specific collection of data, and drones or counter drone technology, that operate in the air, on land, or in water to monitor, photograph or transport items.

Let us add power to your procurement

To find out how CCS can help you with your specific requirements take a look at our Space Enabled and Geospatial Dynamic Purchasing System or contact one of our experts.

Crown Commercial Service announces a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with software provider, ServiceNow

Our new agreement offers all eligible public sector customers access to competitive rates, discounts and a wide variety of commercial benefits across ServiceNow’s platform technology, whilst supporting the digital transformation of the UK’s public sector. 

The MoU covers all of ServiceNow’s software offerings including Service Management (ITSM), Operations Management (ITOM), Strategic Portfolio Management, Asset Management (ITAM) and much more. 

The MoU will also help stimulate skills within government, through guaranteeing places on ServiceNow’s degree apprenticeships and a workplace development programme for those working in government. 

The organisation recently announced RiseUp with ServiceNow – a global initiative designed to train 1 million people on the company’s platform by 2024. This supports the UK’s goal to strengthen its position as a global science and tech superpower, and aligns with the work of the new Digital Skills Council and Government Skills Campus. 

Philip Orumwense CBE, Commercial Director and Chief Technology Procurement Officer at Crown Commercial Service (CCS) said: 

This partnership with ServiceNow will create an environment where agility and flexibility are valued and promoted, improving civil servant and colleagues’ engagement and retention. It will allow government and the wider public sector customers access to a range of competitive rates and discounts. It will also ensure the creation of a government-wide community that will foster greater collaboration for all.

The MoU is not a route to market, however the pricing and discounts are available through any route to market. We recommend using our Back Office Software framework (RM6194) or our Technology Products and Associated Services 2 framework (RM6098) but customers can access the same pricing through competitor frameworks.

Let us bring power to your procurement 

Discover how your organisation can benefit from this new MoU. Register for one of our monthly customer webinars:

You can also speak to one of our technology experts to find out how we can support your specific requirements. Please complete our online form quoting ‘ServiceNow MoU’ and we will be in touch.

Changes to our agreements in December

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.

Agreements awarded in December  

Agreements extended in December

Agreements that expired in December

Agreements due to expire in the next 3 months

Further information

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

You can also find out what new procurements we are working on by exploring our upcoming agreements page.

If you don’t currently receive our monthly customer newsletter why not also subscribe to receive these updates and more directly to your inbox? Just fill in this short form.

Our new Mobile Voice and Data Services agreement goes live

The Mobile Voice and Data Services [RM6261] agreement will offer customers improved mobile options and transparent pricing, enabling greater control and choice over compliant purchasing decisions.

The agreement covers the full spectrum of mobile usage across the public sector from small users such as schools all the way to large government departments.

As mobile phone use continues to mature CCS has created commoditised product offerings to allow customers to select standard requirements that have targeted prices – helping to reduce the time to develop requirements and compare supplier offers whilst minimising overspend and out of bundle charges.

This agreement also offers as standard eSIM advanced technology, enabling seamless change of networks over the air without the need for a physical “SIM swap” to minimise the effort to migrate from one supplier to another. This agreement still retains the ability to define and compete the more complex requirements.

The agreement replaces Network Services 2 – Lot 6 and offers a direct award catalogue and further competition, ensuring that prices are the best the market can offer. 

For the first time, customers will have access to transparent pricing by line item. Supplier pricing will be shown against their competitors, so they are easily comparable. This will be supported by a free mobile standard tariff price comparison tool that calculates each customer’s potential savings.

Ten suppliers have been awarded a place on the agreement, 60% of which are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The new agreement will be live for 2 years with 2 optional extension periods of 1 year, and there is no maximum duration for call off contracts.

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

Mobile voice and data is an integral part of enabling service delivery for the public sector and staff require access to reliable services whether they’re working from home, working remotely at a site or regularly travelling to provide frontline services. The ability to talk and communicate to colleagues and citizens and access and share data quickly and securely has never been more important.

This new agreement uses the buying power that CCS has, to achieve cost effective and soundly procured services for potentially hundreds of thousands of users right across the UK, offering an average of 60% savings on core services.

Lotting structure

The lots will comprise: 

  • lot 1 Mobile Voice and Data Solutions Catalogue
  • lot 2 Mobile Voice and Data Solutions 
  • lot 3 Telecommunications Audit and Health Check
  • lot 4 Professional Support Services

If you have any questions about buying through the Mobile Voice and Data Services agreement please get in touch.

Top tips for buying records information management services

This blog has been written in conjunction with YPO, our partner on the Records Information Management, Digital Solutions and Associated Services framework (RM6175), and Iron Mountain, one of the suppliers available on the framework.

Almost every service and product the public sector needs can be bought through a framework. However, there can be a disconnect between what the framework provider is hoping the public sector will gain from using the framework, and the way frameworks are used in practice.

To help with this we share our best practice for using the Records Information Management, Digital Solutions and Associated Services framework (RM6175) below:

You don’t have to run a further competition

We know that organisations may choose to run a further competition as they feel it’s the best way to use the framework, and some believe that a direct call-off is in some way a ‘less compliant’ procurement approach. 

However, it’s worth emphasising that a direct call-off is a valid procurement route. The framework has been set up to give you flexibility, quick procurement and efficiency, by giving you the option to undertake a direct call off. This can help avoid labour-intensive and complex administration. 

If you have any questions or want guidance on when to use a  further competition, we can support.

Your further competition doesn’t need to evaluate everything

If you decide to run a further competition, be sure to avoid duplicating effort. As part of the main framework award, suppliers have already been evaluated on: 

  • their ability to provide the services
  • meet stringent minimum standards 
  • relevant accreditations

This means that you don’t need to include these in your further competition. The risk in over-complicating a competition is that suppliers, like procurement teams, have limited resources. If they are presented with lengthy procurement exercises  under a framework that they have already competed for a place on, they may not have the capacity to respond, and you are unlikely to get the best responses for your requirement. 

Our  specialist team are always ready to help you run through your specifications, and will enable you to filter unnecessary questions so that you get the best and most meaningful responses from potential suppliers.

Engage with suppliers before going out to market

Many organisations are wary of engaging with suppliers and may complete a full go-to-market exercise, or call off from a framework without speaking to any suppliers, or only communicating with  their existing supplier, creating a potential imbalance. 

We recommend engaging with suppliers up until a formal procurement process is underway. This will  help you to refine your requirements and enable you to either complete a fully informed direct call-off, or run a more effective further competition. 

 It is important to remember that there are procurements which fail and have to be re-run as a result of coming to the market with requirements that are not fit for purpose, delaying results and savings. Therefore, it is to your and your end users’ advantage to engage with suppliers before your procurement process is underway.

Make sure your timelines are proportionate

If you are running a further competition rather than completing a direct award, make sure you make your timelines reasonable and avoid unnecessary short timescales. You will achieve much better results if you offer suppliers a realistic response window and timeframe for implementation, rather than encouraging ‘promise-all’ responses which then run into difficulties post award.

Make best use of the clarification stage

It is advisable that you do not rush clarifications for your procurement.  It is beneficial both to you and to suppliers to have a dialogue as long as it is conducted in a manner which is transparent and equal for all suppliers. This can help to ensure a successful procurement process with better outcomes.

Make the most of the support CCS can provide

Should you do a further competition or a direct award? Are there other organisations who have bought something similar that could advise you? CCS, in conjunction with YPO, can provide advice, guidance and practical help with using the framework. Contact the team by completing the online form below to discuss your requirements.

Find out more

If you would like any further information about records management, please get in touch:

Kellie Drummond | Commercial Agreement Manager

Aggregation – the simple way to make savings

What is aggregation?

Aggregation is collective buying. At CCS, our dedicated aggregation team works across the whole of the public sector to identify similar buying requirements and bring them together. By doing this, we are able to drive savings for customers by increasing the total volume and value to leverage a better commercial outcome for the group.  

Why should you join a CCS aggregation?

We are focused on putting the customer first, providing a service that ensures the right outcome and value for money, no matter how large or small your requirement. We are the biggest public procurement organisation in the UK and have helped 139 public sector organisations save a combined total of £12.1 million in 2022 alone; with more savings to be recorded before the end of the year.

Not only can you achieve commercial benefits from joining an aggregation, it is a free service and the team will manage all aspects of the procurement on your behalf, so that you can focus your time and resources on other priorities. 

The team will keep you fully informed and updated every step of the way whilst ensuring we are  always on hand to provide the information you require or answer any questions you may have. 

Real results

The team couldn’t achieve this level of success without you, our public sector colleagues. Many of whom return to participate in future aggregations for other goods and services across their estate.  

One smaller public sector organisation has participated in 7 of our aggregated procurements over the past 3 years and have saved in the region of £167,000 against their IT hardware and mobile, voice and data requirements. 

It is clear that the savings achieved from aggregating common goods and services, together with the quality service received from the team, helped this organisation and this is reflected in their continued and repeated participation.

Next steps

Visit our webpage for details of upcoming aggregation opportunities that are available for you to join.

If you have any questions or wish to speak to someone, please get in touch by completing our contact form and quoting ‘Aggregation’.

We are always looking for new and exciting opportunities to leverage demand. If you have a requirement for common goods and services which we have not featured, but could benefit from a collective purchasing approach, please get in touch to discuss further.

Buying data and analytics services – playbooks, policy and strategy simplified

Staying abreast of government policies, strategies and playbooks can sometimes be a little daunting. These official publications are often the result of detailed consultations, lessons learned and ministerial direction – to be used as a useful reference when buying services for your organisation. Whether you’re an experienced professional or new to running procurements, we want to help you understand some of the key concepts.

National Data Strategy

The National Data Strategy (NDS) sets out how best to unlock the power of data across the UK. It includes 5 missions, with its third being ‘Transforming government’s use of data to drive efficiency and improve public services’. The NDS has been a strong driver for the creation of our new Big Data and Analytics agreement. The agreement offers a vital route to market for the IT platforms and solutions needed for enhanced data use – all of which will improve public services.

Digital, Data and Technology Playbook

The Digital, Data and Technology Playbook provides government guidance on sourcing and contracting for digital, data and technology projects and programmes. We have ensured our Big Data and Analytics agreement includes specific provisions to align with the playbook. For example, Lot 1 –  Design, Build and Run Professional Services, includes all 3 of the playbook delivery models for buying from the market, making it easier for you to achieve best practice.

Data Protection and Digital Information Bill

The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill  was introduced following publication of the Government’s response to the ‘Data: a new direction’ consultation. It proposes reforms to the UK’s data protection regime including provisions to deliver a data protection framework that is pro-innovation and pro-growth while maintaining high standards of data protection. It’s important to keep informed on this to understand what, if any, implications it may have on your data procurement plans.

Updated guidance on data protection legislation

Last week, the Cabinet Office published updated guidance on data protection legislation within Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 03/22. The action note replaces PPN 02/18 and contains streamlined guidance, and updated legal clauses to take into account our exit from the EU. It also includes guidance on international transfers of personal data. In scope organisations with contracts involving processing personal data should review this PPN.

Roadmap for digital and data

In June this year; the government also published ‘Transforming for a digital future: 2022 to 2025 roadmap for digital and data. The roadmap sets out ambitions to transform digital public services, deliver world-class digital technology and systems, and attract and retain the best in digital talent. All while driving value for money to the taxpayer. It includes 5 missions, with the third being ‘Better data to power decision making’ –  explicitly focusing on the role data has to play.

Government’s 10 tech priorities

Unlocking the power of data is 1 of the government’s 10 tech priorities. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has identified 10 ways it intends to deploy digital tech to build back better, safer and stronger from COVID-19, and shape a new golden age for tech in the UK.

Collectively, all of the above clearly signal the importance of data and analytics for public sector organisations, as well as the opportunity it presents to improve efficiencies and enable economic growth.It also provides the foundation for the delivery of a range of vital public services and societal goals, from tackling climate change to enhancing critical citizen services.

How we can support you to achieve policy compliance

As with any procurement, policy compliance is essential. Our Big Data and Analytics agreement enables you to procure a range of  specialised services and software. The agreement comes with assurance of compliance with the latest appropriate procurement policy notes, including:

  • social value – suppliers have already been evaluated against social value requirements and the agreement’s terms enable you to further evaluate this as part of each call-off
  • carbon net zero – suppliers have already confirmed their commitment to reaching carbon net zero by 2050 and to report on progress towards achieving that
  • throughout the agreement’s term, we will be monitoring and managing the ongoing compliance of all suppliers against the range of requirements set at the agreement level, for example, adherence with the relevant procurement policy notes and Cyber Essential Plus accreditation

Learn more about the Big Data and Analytics agreement

Our agreement offers a simple 2 lot structure which covers a wide range of capabilities across a strong group of suppliers. Of the agreement’s 50 awarded suppliers, 46% are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and all suppliers are also able to sub-contract.

Its premise is to offer you choice – enabling bespoke call-offs that ensure the best commercial outcomes for each requirement. This includes the choice of:

  • call-off term (up to a maximum of 5 years)
  • pricing mechanisms
  • buying options

An optional down-select mechanism has been introduced within lot 1 for Design, Build and Run Professional Services. It offers you the ability to create a shortlist of suppliers by 1 or more of the 6 pre-evaluated capability areas. You can also choose to use an expression of interest to down-select on lot 2. Plus, compliant direct awards are available across both lots.

Further reading and how we can help you

Read our blog by category experts to find out how we’re supporting the public sector to improve data use, drive efficiency and improve services. You can also find out more about what our experts have to say about democratising data and analytics for the public sector.

We’re here to help you select the most suitable products and services for your individual  data and analytics needs. You can:

Hampshire County Council launches 19 community pantries

Updated: September 2023

Hampshire County Council provides public services to 1.3 million residents across Hampshire (excluding Portsmouth and Southampton).

In response to the rising cost of living, they have launched 19 community pantries using CCS’ Voucher Scheme framework (RM6255) across the region, providing residents with access to affordable food. In addition, there are another 8 locations across the New Forest that are served by mobile larders with start-up funding from Hampshire County Council.

About community pantries

Since December 2020, the Department for Work and Pensions has been running grant schemes to provide essential support to those most in need across England. This includes support with the cost of food, energy, water and other essentials. Each funding cycle runs for 6 months. One of the challenges facing Hampshire County Council was providing essential support to as many people as they could, as quickly as possible.

The community pantry scheme provides access to groceries at a lower cost than supermarkets or shops, as well as dealing with food waste. For a small weekly contribution, community pantry members can access significant savings on their weekly food shop. For example, a £5 voucher equates to £15 in groceries. The range of food available changes on a weekly basis.

Anyone can access a community pantry, they just need to sign up to become a member. Membership is managed as part of Hampshire County Council’s Connect4Communities programme, under Hampshire Children’s Services. 

The outcome

Implementation

In the first phase of support, Hampshire County Council appointed Wonde Ltd to provide retail vouchers to eligible families through their school network through our Voucher Scheme framework (RM6255). The vouchers could then be redeemed in supermarkets and community pantries. Currently, over 100 Hampshire schools already use Evouchers (Evouchers is part of Wonde Ltd) in the provision of retail vouchers to their free school meal eligible families.

Assistant Director of Access, Resources and Business Development at Hampshire County Council, Suzanne Smith says: 

A large number of our schools already had connections with Wonde so the data management solution was in place, familiar and popular with our schools and families. The level of support from the Evouchers account management and reporting was excellent. The delivery from the team was responsive and swift.

Expanding the offering

In December 2021, Hampshire County Council evaluated their offer and updated the list of retailers to include their community pantries. This provided both more choice and significant value for money for eligible families. Utility vouchers were also added to the offer.

Suzanne added:

Because of Evoucher’s enhanced technology, we were able to move quickly and brought 16 pantries online over the 2 week Christmas period.

Broadening the retail choice really helped to increase awareness of the community pantries among residents. We have had anecdotal reports of increased footfall, higher levels of income, greater reach and, with the added option of support through utility vouchers, pantries have been able to provide well rounded support for their customers.

The future: continuing to help residents with the cost of living 

With the rising cost of living, the next focus for Hampshire County Council is to provide support to stabilise the everyday lives of residents. The council works with a number of partners including fire, police and children’s services to share knowledge and work on solutions to provide help for those that are struggling in the current climate. 

Hampshire County Council plans to analyse the use of its community pantries and continue to encourage and promote its use. Suzanne commented: 

For the pantries to truly be part of our community and help those who need it most, education is key. We need to make people aware of the impact of minimising food waste by shopping in pantries, whilst reducing the negative connotations sometimes associated with them.

The council plans to introduce the next phase for provision soon. This includes building wraparound support services within the pantries, with the aim of developing them into community hubs to further support residents.  The collaboration with CCS enabled Hampshire to achieve social value.

Add power to your procurement with CCS

To find out more about the services available to you:

You can also 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 digital brochure.

Customer newsletters for December

Welcome to our monthly newsletters. You can read the latest news most relevant to the sector you work in by selecting the appropriate link below:

If you don’t currently receive our monthly customer newsletter, you can sign up by completing this short form. Each month, we’ll send you the newsletter most relevant to you, based on your organisation.

You will also 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.