Government Commercial Agency

Green salary sacrifice schemes

This article was originally published in GreenFleet.

After just a week of the initial UK-wide lockdown, road usage was around 25% of what it would normally have been at that point in the year. Since then, the number of passenger cars on the road is back to over 90% of what it was in previous years, and unsurprisingly with the boom in online deliveries and home working, the use of light and heavy commercial vehicles is greater than ever.

However, 2020 has taught operational fleets that they need flexibility and as a result, they have been forced to review their fleet profile. In response to declining demand and an increasing desire to get the most out of every pound, some will have decided to reduce their vehicle numbers or switch to a new, blended approach; from operational vehicles assigned to individual drivers to a centrally managed pool of vehicles accessed ad hoc by employees.

However, as lockdown restrictions have eased, we have seen the UK start to return to the road. For employees, the temptation to use their personal car will be high. It will be easily available, and may even feel like the safer option. But an increase in the usage of grey fleet poses several potential risks to the fleet manager.

Grey fleet risks – health and safety

More than one billion miles are incurred each year by the public sector in employee-owned vehicles.

Grey fleet cannot be directly and consistently managed as part of the overall fleet, and often exposes businesses to safety and legal risks. Under health and safety law, employers have the same duty of care obligations when their staff use personal vehicles for business as they do when using a vehicle provided by the organisation.

While fleet vehicles are covered by an organisation’s service and maintenance routines and regular safety checks, grey fleet drivers often admit to not regularly checking things like tyre tread and pressure, oil levels, and vehicle lights, giving rise to safety risks.

Businesses have a continued duty of care to their staff who are driving for business, whether in a fleet vehicle or their own. The scope runs from vehicle condition, adequate insurance provision, driver qualification and suitability, as well as other localised policies.

Failure to exert the appropriate control measures for grey fleet can have widespread damage from reputational, financial and legal responsibilities extending under the Corporate Manslaughter legislation.

Employers need to ensure that their actions, or inactions, do not “cause or permit” offences under the Road Traffic Act and demonstrate they have taken all reasonable steps to ensure that the vehicle is roadworthy and suitable for use. Organisations also need to be able to evidence they have checked that an employee’s vehicle is appropriately insured to cover business usage and that the driver is suitably licensed and skilled to drive for business.

Green risk

At the same time, the average grey fleet vehicle is estimated to be 8 years old. A fair correlation can be drawn between these vehicles being older and having higher CO2 levels, and therefore releasing more harmful pollutants into our environment.

This harmful impact has to be considered within an organisation’s carbon footprint, hampering its ability to become net zero.

Standard internal combustion engines will also incur extra costs for the business through clean air zone charging, which discourages high polluting vehicles in urban areas.

A simple solution

A vehicle salary sacrifice scheme is a tried and tested tool that can be used to tackle the grey fleet dilemma. Employers are realising the many benefits such a scheme can bring to their organisation and their employees.

A salary sacrifice scheme can mitigate many of the risks associated with grey fleet and support environmental policies through the uptake of low emissions vehicles.

When an organisation sets up a vehicle salary sacrifice scheme, employees who choose to join it acquire a brand new leased vehicle.

The lease includes fully comprehensive insurance, vehicle servicing and maintenance, road fund licence and breakdown cover. The cost of the lease is deducted from the employee’s salary before it is paid. If an employee then uses the vehicle for business purposes, the risks associated with a poorly maintained and possibly unroadworthy vehicle are immediately reduced.

To go greener, an organisation can also specify which vehicles are to be available in the scheme. For example, it could be set up so that only Ultra Low Emissions Vehicles (ULEV) are available. For electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, salary sacrifice scheme providers can source home-charging equipment and build the right solutions into the lease package for the individual.

Realising the full benefit of a scheme depends upon careful vehicle selection – so vehicle choice is key. Lower Benefit in Kind (BiK) taxation for ULEVs, which emit less CO2 and are more environmentally friendly than petrol or diesel vehicles, will support both your organisation and your employees to reduce your carbon footprint and your impact on the environment.

Salary sacrifice scheme providers can advise on vehicle choice and achieve optimum results in cost and environmental objectives. They can implement and manage a scheme and support with marketing a scheme if required. Most will provide an online portal where employees can browse the range of vehicles included in the scheme and customer organisations can specify the level of support and service they require from their chosen scheme provider.

Value to employers and employees

The 2021 Budget has reiterated the importance of sustainable solutions for the UK, and confirmed the Government’s commitment to green growth.

Tax changes that were introduced in April 2020 made electric vehicles extremely attractive for both employers and employees, especially when they are leased through a salary sacrifice scheme.

The tipping point was the introduction of zero percent BiK for ULEVs in 2020/21, alongside a new 6% BiK rate for hybrid cars capable of travelling between 40 and 69 miles on a single electric charge.

Low tax rates remained favourable heading into 2021/22 and for several years ahead. Home-based vehicle charging solutions included in a scheme also benefit from these low ‘benefits in kind’ taxation rates.

An added benefit is that, as it’s the organisation who is contracting for the scheme and effectively acting as guarantor, there are no credit checks required for individual employees. Employers can also build in buffers to protect themselves from costs – such as early termination fees and long-term absence of scheme members.

Encouraging the uptake of ULEVs improves an organisation’s green credentials and, when these vehicles are used for business purposes, can support compliance with environmental policy requirements and emissions targets. ULEVs will support your organisation to meet its Carbon Net Zero target whilst continuing to deliver operational requirements.

Let us power your fleet

If you want to enjoy the benefits of a green salary sacrifice scheme, we have a wide range of suppliers who can support your requirements.

They bring a wealth of experience and are able to advise you on setting the right policy, vehicle selection, promoting uptake amongst your staff and can also support with administering a scheme on an ongoing basis.

Find out more

To learn more about salary sacrifice, take a look at our sacrifice scheme agreement page.

For more information on reaching Carbon Net Zero visit our webpage, or if you have any questions, we are here to help – contact the team.

Make way for renewable energy generation

Climate change is here. Shifting weather patterns are causing record high temperatures, days of rainfall in a matter of hours, and raging wildfires worldwide. Only by changing our behaviours can we tackle climate change and global warming.

The UK government is on the move towards carbon net zero. As a global leader, it was the first major economy to commit to a legally binding target of net zero emissions by 2050. In a white paper, the UK outlined its plans on how our energy system will transition to achieve the UK’s net zero goals.

COP26 CEO Peter Hill identified 4 priorities for countries to achieve the stretching targets set for COP26:

accelerate the phase-out of coal
prevent deforestation
speed up the switch to electric vehicles
encourage investment in renewables

The UK has made progress in several areas, including phasing out coal and investing in renewable energy. The UK’s net zero future will be shaped by renewable energy, which will drive the green industrial revolution.

Pivoting from fossil fuels to renewables

The UK is gaining ground in reducing the use of coal for electricity. Last year coal accounted for only 1.8% of the UK’s electricity mix, compared with 40% almost a decade ago. In 2021, the UK went 5,000 hours without coal-fired electricity. Pivoting away from fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas paves the way toward renewable generation.

Renewable energy generation produces electricity where the input fuel comes from a renewable source including wind, solar, hydro, tidal, geothermal, and biomass. Earlier this year the UK broke a new wind power record, generating just over a third of the country’s energy from wind.

Our customers are accelerating plans to meet carbon net-zero by 2030. Many are introducing energy efficiency measures as the first step to reduce the electricity demand. The bulk of the required changes revolve around using LED bulbs, installing energy management systems, and changing how buildings are heated and insulated.

However, these changes alone will not meet the target. How customers source energy is crucial, and more renewable generation forms part of the answer.

Renewable energy is key to electricity demand

In the UK, the volume of renewable energy generation has grown from 6.9% in 2010 to 37% in 2019. In recent years, the upsurge in renewable energy generation has been driven by the dramatically increasing capacity for renewable generators, with UK capacity rising by 6.5% in 2019 to reach 47,163MW.

New renewable generation capacity needs to be built to replace ageing fossil fuel and nuclear power plants and power the additional demand for electric vehicles and heating. According to the National Grid’s Future Energy Scenarios, on average, there is a need to increase renewable capacity from 40GW in 2019 to 88GW in 2030 and 186GW in 2050.

By switching to renewable energy sources, our customers can help the development of new renewable capacity in two ways:

directly, by investing in new to earth projects through our Heat Networks and Electricity Generation Assets (HELGA) DPS
indirectly, by purchasing one of our green options through our Supply of Energy framework

For example, many customers have or are starting to install on-site generation on top of car ports at hospitals and fallow land next to a depot.

Wind: the UK’s largest renewable electricity source

By the beginning of September 2021, the UK had 10,973 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of over 24.2GW, the sixth-largest capacity of any country in 2019. The UK Government has committed to a significant expansion of offshore capacity by 2030.

The UK recently announced its intent to increase its installed capacity for offshore wind generation to 40GW by 2030, increasing overall wind capacity to over 50GW, in line with its commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Other renewable energy sources

Bioenergy now represents a sixth of UK generation capacity, with an 11.5% share of generation in 2019. Solar generators produced 1.4% more electricity in 2019 than in the previous year. Most UK solar farms are in England, where generation increased by 1.1%. In Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, solar generation rose by 9.1%, 5.7% and 1.2%, respectively.

The vast majority of the UK’s hydro generation assets are in Scotland, where generation increased 7.4% on the previous year. This was in line with a 5.5% increase in UK rainfall, weighted by the location of UK hydro resources, as hydro capacity remained unchanged.

Lean into renewable energy

As the nation’s largest public sector procurement organisation, we are working hard to develop innovative solutions to help the public sector achieve its net zero carbon goals. As a result, many natural synergies exist between the solutions CCS is developing for the public sector and the priorities set by the Government for COP26.

Our energy team is here to help develop the necessary processes and products for our customers. The team works collaboratively, exploring the ways new and existing developments can be maximised and by reaching out to our suppliers to create innovative solutions.

Using our frameworks can help the UK speed up its investment in renewable energy generation and phase out the use of coal. First, our supply of energy framework offers green tariffs to ensure energy is linked to a renewable energy asset. Our HELGA framework covers renewable energy generation, demand management, and sustainability.

We are here to help

Whether you are just starting or already underway with your net zero carbon journey, we have several solutions that can help. So get in touch, visit our carbon net zero webpage, or download the 3 step energy guide.

Is data the golden thread to decarbonisation?

The COP26 climate summit is a make or break moment in the fight to reduce global warming. Our Prime Minister Boris Johnson went so far as to call it a ‘turning point for humanity’.

Climate crisis and opportunity

The primary difference between COP26 and its predecessors is the broader acceptance that the world is facing a climate crisis. The frequency and severity of wildfires, floods, storms, and droughts are visible signs indicating action is needed now, and that the next 10 years will be crucial.

If global climate pledges are not met, it could lead to a rise in greenhouse gas emissions of nearly a fifth by 2030. The world’s nations must increase their ambitions. Only a 45% reduction in emissions by that date, and a further move to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, can stabilise temperatures at the necessary level.

But, out of every crisis comes opportunity. Reshaping the global energy markets in a more renewable and sustainable direction represents the biggest opportunity for change. Additional green opportunities include electric vehicles, choosing better packaging, reducing the use of single-use plastics, buying locally, minimising the impact of transport on the environment, reducing flights, and improving energy efficiency across our built environment.

The golden thread running through all these areas is data.

Data and technology: the golden thread

Data is the golden thread fueling the advanced technology needed to monitor, predict and reduce emissions. Aggregating and analysing data supports evidence-based decision making. For example, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) can help you set and achieve emissions targets that yield concrete results.

The power of artificial intelligence

AI and machine learning can help reveal deep insights into your carbon footprint. With greater visibility and understanding it is easier to identify cost-saving ways to accelerate sustainable transformation.

From baselining current emissions to tracking progress, right through to carbon accounting and supply chain transparency, AI-powered data analytics provide insights and predictions about how to improve processes and become more fuel-efficient.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can also help reduce waste in the food industry by forecasting consumer demand more accurately or performing quality control. AI technologies can also be used to help optimize energy management. For instance, using sensors can prevent energy wastage by ensuring lighting is only used when needed.

Efficient fuel consumption

Within our National Fuels agreement, suppliers provide data on fuel volumes on a monthly basis, which will help fleet managers plan as you work towards your carbon net zero goals.

Consumption volumes will vary with seasonal demand. The data you receive from suppliers will help you manage demand and reduce fuel consumption. You can also choose biofuel to help work towards carbon net zero goals.

Add telemetry to your tank

You can also add telemetry to your tanks to access data, manage fuel orders, and appoint a supplier to check infrastructure to see what changes can be made to reduce or change current fuel products to alternative greener fuels.

The RM6177 National Fuels 2 framework enables you to access the latest range of greener fuel alternatives that support your organisation’s CNZ contributions and energy efficiency. Alternative fuels can help you achieve this by sending out fewer emissions in powering vehicles or heating buildings.

The products available through this framework include but are not limited to:

HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil)
blended biofuels, which consist of ratios of combined fossil and biofuel, such as B10 and B20
AdBlue on diesel vehicles to reduce exhaust emissions
biomass such as wood pellets or chips to heat buildings
bio LPG, which is propane produced from renewable feedstocks such as plant and vegetable waste material
E10 Petrol to help reduce carbon emissions

Telematics on vehicle data

Simple telematics devices provide a wealth of data, not just on journeys made but also on driver style. For instance, data on fuel consumption, vehicle tracking and driver behaviour can be used to identify safety improvements and cost reductions based on the whole life cost of vehicles in your fleet.

Analysed data can support evidence-based decision making on your vehicles’ profile and policies. Data insight can also lead to better driving habits, rooting out behaviour that negatively impacts your footprint. As an example, harsh acceleration and braking not only wastes fuel, it also releases more pollutants into the atmosphere from the tailpipe and tyre particles.

Through the Vehicle Telematics agreement suppliers can offer products and services to enable you to capture and analyse vehicle data that can improve your fleet operations, inform your fleet policy and identify opportunities to transition to a cleaner, greener fleet.

A greener journey profile

Analysing your journey and trip profiles, amalgamating journeys through overnight stays, substituting for more sustainable transport types or even eliminating the need to travel can help you to reach your carbon net zero goals.

Our Public Sector Travel and Venue Solutions agreement provides you with online and offline booking services for all your travel, venue hire and accommodation needs which can facilitate your transition to a more sustainable travel plan.

This agreement gives you access to travel management solutions covering a range of transport methods so that you can find a solution that’s right for you.

Deploy innovative technology

Traffic management equipment is a crucial enabler to establish and maintain clean air zones. It includes number plate recognition, vehicle charging infrastructure, and traffic monitoring CCTV systems.

Roadside furniture such as signs, traffic lights, and street lighting can extend your green impact through environmental monitoring of air quality, sustainable street lighting, and back office systems.

Decarbonise the built environment using data

Crunching data enables predictive forecasting in other ways too. City planners and building owners can use the data collected from multiple sources to create digital simulations of physical assets, systems, buildings, or even an entire city.

These virtual computer models, also known as digital twins, are emerging as a powerful tool to cut emissions. For example, by aggregating and analysing data from sources such as heating, air-conditioning, employee schedules, traffic flow patterns, a digital twin enables users to monitor and distribute energy resources better.

You can further enhance your transition to digitisation and communicate with your customers and staff via SMS, email or other digital channels while removing energy-inefficient printers and mailing equipment from your estate and reducing road transport. Our Hybrid Mail, Digital and Transformational Communications section of our agreement can help you improve efficiency and lower your carbon emissions.

Data’s role cannot be underestimated

The question at the start was, is data the golden thread? The answer is yes.

In business, data is everything. It influences how you market or sell, and to whom; it can inform how you manage and work. It is the same in the world of decarbonisation.

Making clear, data-driven decisions on plans to decarbonise specific areas is dependent on having the quality data you can trust. Whether you are weighing up options to change a road layout to increase traffic flow and avoid idling vehicles or working out optimum heating patterns, the impact of the actions you are planning will only work if the data can corroborate the results.

Data is not just a set of numbers on a spreadsheet. It is the lifeblood of a decision. It is how fundamental long term changes can come about and help all of us hit the targets we have for making this a better, cleaner planet.

Take the next step

Many of our frameworks and agreements allow you to use data and technology across a range of areas. Take a look at our agreements to discover the full range of possibilities and help lower your emissions today.

Our carbon net zero cityscape interactive guide is designed to help you reduce your carbon footprint and navigate your way to carbon net zero. You can download the guide here.

Transitioning to Zero Emission Buses with the ZEBRA scheme

We are working closely with the Department for Transport to support the delivery of their Zero Emission Buses Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, providing funding to Local Authorities and Transport Bodies to kick-start their zero emission bus transition.

We can provide a full end to end solution, encompassing fleet, financing arrangements, charging infrastructure and energy supply to deliver a quicker and easier route to market. Our dedicated team is waiting to work with you to find the best solution for your needs and drive the change towards achieving carbon net zero.

Find out how we can help you by downloading our interactive guide.

Accessing zero emission buses

The UK market for zero emissions buses is developing quickly, with several new suppliers entering the market or expanding their capabilities to encompass the new technologies. The changing supplier base will be supported through the future CCS agreements, in line with the Government’s Build Back Better strategy.

By accessing our agreements, you can be assured that suppliers have been appropriately evaluated on their compliance and capability to deliver and that our agreements provide competitive pricing.

There are options to purchase new EV or hydrogen buses outright, or you can explore the options of converting some of your existing fleet to become EV capable – extending the lifespan of your existing assets.

Financing your investment

Whilst the ZEBRA scheme provides significant funding to support the transition to zero emission buses, there may also be a requirement for your organisation to seek additional funding to invest in buses and other infrastructure developments required to achieve a zero emission transport system.

Our Leasing and Loans Dynamic Purchasing System offers Hire Purchase, both Finance and Operating Leases, Sale and Leaseback as well as Asset Secured Loans to give you access to a full range of funding options to finance your zero emission bus scheme.

If you are unsure of which financing option is best for your objectives, we also offer Leasing Advisory Services including financing options appraisals that give your organisation an analysis of the funding options available. This also includes the option to run an end-to-end vehicle procurement on your behalf which will ensure expert procurement resources are at your disposal and the most efficient delivery route.

Charging

Getting your zero emission bus is just the first step on the journey, you also need to ensure your city/town has the right charging infrastructure to support its operation. This will need to consider where charging needs to take place, the geographic range of your buses and ensuring there is a suitable connection to the grid to source the power.

Our agreements include a range of charging technologies and funding options that we will be happy to explore with you to determine the best outcome. They also provide a route for feasibility studies to help determine your charging infrastructure strategy.

Renewable Energy Supply

To create a truly sustainable zero emission bus network, it is also important to ensure that the energy supply for your charging network is sourced from renewable power.

Our agreements have a range of options, starting from Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) backed power supply, access to renewable technologies (e.g. solar carports) or even sourcing Power Purchase Agreements. You may also want to consider whether battery storage technologies will play a role in your strategy.

Get in Touch

We are here to support your transition to a zero emission bus network in your town and city. We will mobilise an internal project team to encompass all the elements involved in setting up your zero emission bus programme and will guide you through the process.

If you would like to work with us, please contact info@crowncommercial.gov.uk quoting ‘zero emission buses’ and we will be in touch to set up a meeting.

5 ways to improve energy efficiency in municipal buildings

The UK has cut carbon emissions by more than 40% since 1990. We are the first major economy to pass laws committing to net zero by 2050.

The built environment is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact and, through its provision of buildings for millions of citizens accessing public services, the public sector will continue to play a significant role in the country’s journey towards net zero.

Energy efficiency and management in the heating and cooling of public buildings is going to be crucial and there is huge potential for the changes the public sector makes to its estate to be a force for good – enabling the UK to build back better and greener.

The challenges of energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation for local government

In the government’s Net Zero Strategy launched in October, local authorities are identified as ‘integral’ in the battle for net zero, with the government estimating that 82% of all UK emissions are within the scope of influence of local authorities. During the COP26 summit in Glasgow there was a dedicated local and regional government day. The focus of the day was on cities, regions and the built environment, with the LGA taking forward its key messages on the ‘unique and powerful’ role of councils in climate change.

Local government is already at the forefront of the fight against climate change but it can be challenging to stay on top of the emerging obligations and opportunities. For some local authorities decarbonisation is not happening fast enough. Many have not yet finalised plans on how they meet their own targets as well as the UK wide goals set by the government.

Barriers include a lack of inter-departmental and stakeholder coordination, lack of access to affordable and readily available energy efficiency technologies, and limited capacity and experience, which prevents many local authorities from gathering sufficient information about their energy performance.

Budget constraints can also make meeting the high up-front costs of energy efficiency upgrade projects difficult and grant funding, such as the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, can be oversubscribed.

However, the returns of improving energy efficiency can be substantially high. Often energy efficiency technologies repay their initial capital cost within the first few years.

Positive steps towards carbon net zero

Energy efficiency projects represent an investment opportunity for local authorities but knowing where to start can be challenging.

The vast majority of buildings local authorities will need in 2050 have already been built; therefore, the principal question is how can they alter their municipally-owned buildings and building stock to make them more energy efficient? One tact is to begin by retrofitting and decarbonising the buildings most likely to be in use for decades, such as council offices, town halls, libraries and leisure centres.

A ‘whole building’ approach needs to be taken to heat decarbonisation, through combining low carbon heating system upgrades with energy efficiency measures. The solutions are all interlinked.

Start by understanding your data. Do you know where your primary energy consumption is coming from? Only once you understand where you are wasting energy can you then start to implement change.

It may not be obvious which improvements and changes will make the biggest impact on energy use in your municipal building. An energy audit can help you understand the most effective options for energy efficiency improvements. An audit can be carried out professionally or you may choose to carry out your own.

Based on the data you collect or from the results of the audit, you can identify potential areas for improvement and changes that you can make, prioritising your options based on the resources available to you.

Write an action plan based on your priorities and use it to allocate resources and timings to implement improvements to the building. You can then identify short, medium and long term actions including:

Switching to LED lighting

Lighting accounts for nearly 5% of global CO2 emissions. A global switch to energy efficient light emitting diode (LED) technology could save over 1,400 million tons of CO2 and avoid the construction of 1,250 power stations.

With savings of up to 50-70%, LED lighting has been recognised as one of the most actionable and ready-to-implement technologies for cities to transition to a low carbon economy and peak emissions in the next decade.

Air source heat pumps and heat networks

In terms of carbon reduction, installing heat pumps is probably the single most important thing you can do. From the point of view of running costs you can save money on your heating bills immediately by replacing older, less efficient boilers. It is important to note that this will likely increase your electricity demand which is something that you will need to consider within your business case and financial forecast.

Heat pumps are critical but local authorities should also consider heat networks. A heat network – sometimes called district heating – is a distribution system of insulated pipes that takes heat from a central source and delivers it to a number of domestic or non-domestic buildings. They provide a unique opportunity to exploit larger scale – and often lower cost – renewable and recovered heat sources that otherwise cannot be used.

There may be a private heat network already established that you can connect to or you might look to create your own.

Choosing renewable energy sources

Local governments can dramatically reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing or directly generating electricity from clean, renewable sources.

Options include generating renewable energy on-site e.g through solar panels on a municipal building and purchasing green power through power purchasing agreements – a long-term supply contract of renewable power at a fixed price, giving you certainty on both your cost of power and its origin.

Scaling up smart building technology

Central and local government organisations are integrating advanced technology solutions into operations, ecosystems, and maintenance regimes.

Introducing IoT solutions based on sensors and data is a cost-effective way to tackle energy inefficiencies from heating to lighting. Designing and deploying automation into systems, buildings management, operations, and ecosystems at scale can deliver enhanced capacity while also helping building managers focus on more complex operational processes.

Automating operational processes saves money, time, and resource allocation.

Investing in retrofits

Energy efficiency retrofitting presents an opportunity to upgrade the energy performance of public sector buildings for their ongoing life. Energy-efficiency retrofits can reduce the operational costs, particularly in older buildings for example by improving insulation, water efficiency and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

It can be a big process however, involving upgrading the fabric of the whole building, which can be intrusive and disruptive, but the long-term cost saving can be worth the upheaval.

How Government Commercial Agency can help

At GCA we offer a suite of ‘end to end’ energy saving solutions that will help to deliver decarbonisation for the public sector.

Our CNZ experts will help you look at your needs in a different way and encourage suppliers to innovate on your behalf. Whether you have a single requirement or need an integrated solution, let’s work together to make the UK a cleaner, greener country.

We have created a series of 3 step guides to help you on your journey to carbon net zero, whether you’re just starting or already well underway.

Visit our webpage to find out more.

Crown Commercial Service recognised as great place to work for carers

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has been recognised as a Carer Confident Level 1 Active employer – the benchmarking certification offered by Employers for Carers.

CCS also received special recognition for achieving the maximum points for every Carer Confident employer standard within the Level 1 Active category.

Carer Confident is a benchmarking scheme offered by Employers for Carers. It helps employers to support their staff who are also carers. The Carer Confident certificate is given to UK employers who have an inclusive workplace where carers are recognised, respected and supported.

CCS exceeded all the Carer Confident standards by offering a wide range of policies and processes to help staff balance work and caring. The support includes our Carers Network, mental health first-aiders, a listener scheme and other policies that help staff to balance both work and caring.

Richard Denney, Director, Corporate Pillar, and Inclusion and Diversity Champion said:

I’m delighted that CCS has been recognised as a Carer Confident employer. It is so important that we have an inclusive workplace where we can all be ourselves.

We have staff who are carers and we want them to know that we recognise and support them. At CCS our colleagues can engage in both work and caring, and they can be brilliant at both.

Our network for carers

CCS offers a supportive workplace so that staff can be carers while also feeling engaged and productive in their work.

Our Carers Network is fundamental to this support. The network sets out in one place all the policies and support available to staff who are also carers. It helps managers understand how they can effectively support carers in the workplace.

Adina Barnett, a member of our Carers Network explained:

When my caring responsibilities started, my manager and colleagues supported me in so many ways by checking in, providing the option to change my work pattern and offering their support and kindness at any time. They reassured me that I was doing a good job when I genuinely felt like I was letting everybody down.

Policies supporting carers at work

Support for carers who work at CCS also includes

Carers’ charter: The carers’ charter sets out the policies and support available for staff who have caring responsibilities – available both internally and externally.

Carers’ passports: Each carer has a passport. This is an ongoing record of discussions between the carer and line manager – noting any flexible arrangements needed. It is a document that the carer can take with them if, or when, they move to new roles across CCS or within the wider civil service.

Carers’ community chat: Carers’ community chat is a platform with a discussion forum so that carers can share experiences, information and support.

Employers for carers – digital platform: Our staff can also access a wide range of free digital tools and resources provided by the charity, Carers UK.

CCS delivers value to the NHS for Vehicle Purchase and Vehicle Telematics

The requirement

NHS Trusts are tasked with delivering critical medical services and require vehicles that are fit for purpose in meeting their operational requirements.

The solution

In order to meet its operational fleet requirements, the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust ordered 51 RAV4 fully converted and fitted with Telematics to replace its diesel fleet with vehicles that are more environmentally efficient, yet equally capable of carrying crews and equipment. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid was selected for its qualities to serve as a new rapid response vehicle for NHS paramedic teams. The Trust chose to use Crown Commercial Service to source the vehicles using the vehicle purchase framework agreement (RM6060) as well as the vehicle telematics solutions that they required.

The vehicle purchase framework agreement provides access to a full range of motor vehicles including vehicles that are both currently available and those that will be developed and brought to market during the term of the framework. These include cars, light commercial vehicles, motorbikes, heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), buses and coaches. Customers can also obtain bespoke conversions which manufacturers are able to provide as part of a turnkey solution.

The results

The new SUVs are being supplied by Toyota and will be covering up to 40,000 miles a year, working the length and breadth of Wales. Toyota is also providing additional support, organising training for NHS vehicle technicians so they can service and maintain the vehicles to manufacturer’s standards, minimising the time they have to be off the road.

Following a comprehensive technical evaluation and a detailed procurement process via CCS, Ortus Telematics were selected to provide its Datapoint product to be installed into the vehicles. The Trust were seeking to implement a vehicle telematics solution to enable the them to adopt a more proactive approach towards driver training and also provide data relating to driver identification and assist with more effective and efficient utilisation of vehicles:

The Trust is taking delivery of RAV4 Hybrid Design models, equipped with Toyota’s AWD-i intelligent all-wheel drive so they are better equipped to access remote locations and deal with hazardous driving conditions such as ice and snow. The standard provision of Toyota Safety Sense active safety and driver assistance systems ensures the crews have the best possible protection while on the road.

The Trust’s fleet manager David Holmes, said: “Our vehicles have to meet strict reliability and carrying capacity criteria as they perform a vital function helping the people of Wales. Not only does the RAV4 Hybrid meet our requirements, it is also helping us reduce the environmental impact of our fleet.”

Toyota are appointed to Lots 1 and 2 of the RM6060 Vehicle Purchase framework agreement to provide cars and light commercial vehicles. Ortus are a supplier on Lot 1 of the new RM6143 Vehicle Telematics framework supplying vehicle telematics hardware, software and associated products.

Get involved

Visit our website to find further information on the Crown Commercial Service fleet framework agreements. If you would like to find out how you could benefit from using these agreements, please contact us at info@crowncommercial.gov.uk.

14 NHS trusts save £4 million on mobile voice and data services

The requirement

Purchasing mobile voice and data services is often a routine purchase for many NHS trusts, regularly resulting in varied contract end dates. This can create a barrier to switching suppliers to gain better value, as potential savings may be reduced or lost due to early termination charges.

At CCS, through our regular bulk buying opportunities, our aggregation team helps health customers by combining their mobile voice and data requirements with other organisations. This collective buying power helps CCS achieve competitive pricing and favourable terms from suppliers, which increases savings for our customers.

The contracts were delivered through further competitions run via Lot 6 of our Network Services 2 framework.

The solution

In the last 12 months, 14 NHS customers have taken part in our mobile voice and data aggregations, which are run 3 to 4 times per year.

Before each aggregation, we engage with the public sector to gauge interest in upcoming opportunities. Based upon approximate volumes, we identify minimum indicative savings and ceiling prices. These are guaranteed minimum savings that customers can expect to receive.

Customers can then confirm their volume commitment, tariff requirements, any other customer-specific requirements by signing a Call-Off Order Form and Letter of Intent. This confirms the customers’ commitment to buy.

From this point, CCS runs the aggregation, identifies the supplier who can offer the best quality and price for the requirements, and presents each customer with a standalone contract. The process from the customer confirming their requirements to award takes around 6 weeks.

The results

Through the last 4 mobile voice and data aggregations, 14 NHS customers saved £3.9 million – an average saving of 70%.

By bringing together health customers with similar needs, our aggregations mean organisations can harness bulk buying power to unlock greater savings. Customer requirements ranged from 14 to 7,000 connections, and the savings delivered were 23% above the benchmarked rate.

Of these customers, 2 had joined a previous aggregation, and despite the large savings achieved through their initial aggregation, were still able to save another 68%.

Add power to your procurement with CSS

Taking part in an aggregation means many of the usual further competition procurement steps are handled by CCS, saving you precious time and resources. We will draft all documentation, build the specification and run the procurement.

This is a fully managed service, provided and funded by CCS, and is a tried and tested approach that has delivered significant savings to the public sector.

Our next Mobile Voice and Data Services aggregation (NFC142) is now open for expressions of interest from customers. You have until mid-January 2022 to submit your requirements, with a formal contract award set to take place in March 2022.

If you would like to take part, please complete our online form quoting ‘NFC142 mobile voice and data aggregation’ in the comment box and a member of our team will be in touch.
Learn more about Network Services 2 via the webpage.
To find out more about aggregation, visit our website or watch our webinar

Customer newsletters for September

Welcome to our CCS customer newsletters for September. 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 one of our CCS customer newsletters, 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.

Crown Commercial Service and UKCloud launch new MoU for multi-cloud services

The new MoU will enable the delivery of flexible and secure multi-cloud services, underpinned by preferential commercial terms to ensure public sector organisations achieve maximum value for money.

This MoU ensures that you continue to have the benefit of choice and options of multi-cloud alongside the more proprietary options available from the cloud providers. Multi-cloud extends the typical sole focus of newly developed cloud-native applications to also support the modernisation of existing and legacy IT. This represents a significant opportunity for organisations to save cost, increase resilience and become more agile while transforming essential services for UK citizens.

UKCloud offers additional benefits that align with the One Government Cloud Strategy, including social value and a commitment to carbon negativity.

Establishing new routes to market and supporting the digital ambitions of organisations across the entire public sector has been a strategic deliverable for CCS and this MoU marks a great milestone in delivering value and operational choice.

For further information please contact Andy Bright from UKCloud at abright@ukcloud.com. To speak to a member of our team, please complete this form.