Customer newsletter for October

Welcome to our monthly newsletter.

Read the October issue of our customer newsletter.

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 our latest news stories and case studies, as well as information on upcoming aggregation opportunities, events, webinars and much more.

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.

Our new ‘sustainable’ technology products and services agreement launched

Technology Products and Associated Services 2 [RM6098] builds and expands on the success of the previous iteration of the agreement, which is due to expire in December 2023. 

The scope has been enhanced to incorporate new and future technologies alongside key elements such as sustainability options, sector specific lots for health and education, an off-the-shelf catalogue, and standalone services for supporting technology.

The agreement is a consolidation of three CCS frameworks (Technology Products and Associated Services, Education Technology and Technology Online Purchasing Content). This means that, for the first time, public sector organisations can procure their technology devices and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software in one place from CCS. It will continue to deliver value and provide public sector customers with a flexible, quick and compliant way to buy all their technology product and services requirements, including end user devices, technology infrastructure, network and security devices, peripherals as well as their software needs. 

There will be a much stronger focus on sustainability under this agreement, including the introduction of a dedicated Lot for recycling, data wiping and secure disposal. It also includes suppliers focussing on extending product life cycles, giving public sector access to refurbished and remanufactured products and services specialising in upgrading existing equipment to extend the usable life. 

Significant improvements have also been made to customers’ buying options, providing alternate ways to buy and specific guidance on leasing, utility, and “as a service” models. This gives buyers opportunities to fund and simplify the procurement process, for example they will have the option to pay only for what they use or spread the payments, saving on initial outlay costs. 

172 suppliers have been awarded a place on Technology Products and Associated Services 2. The agreement is expected to go live on 31 October 2023 and run for an initial term of 30 months with the option to extend by a further 18 months. 

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

This agreement offers public sector customers a new sustainable solution to their IT requirements through refurbished hardware combined with additional services. Moving towards circular IT and reducing the environmental impact plays a crucial role in the path towards carbon net zero.

The new agreement also aims to build on the progress made by CCS on making it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to become suppliers, levelling the playing field and supporting the government’s agenda.

Innovations

  • expanded scope to encompass the full market offering to further improve upon our “one stop shop” framework strategy
  • the new structure reduces the need for customers to separate their technology requirements across multiple agreements. Three technology agreements have been consolidated and reduced down to one
  • all suppliers are automatically added to Lot 8 (catalogue), making it quicker and easier for them to upload products and for customers to purchase low value items
  • the new agreement aims to build on the progress made in making it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to become suppliers. It includes 172 suppliers, these are made up of sector specific suppliers, value adding resellers, OEMs, market leaders and SMEs

Lotting structure

The lots will comprise of (all of which include services):

Lot 1 – Hardware and Software

Lot 2 – Hardware

Lot 3 – Software

Lot 4 – Information Assured Technology

Lot 5 – Health and Social Care Technology

Lot 6 – Education Technology

Lot 7 – Sustainability and Circular I.T.

Lot 8 – Technology Catalogue 

Find out more

To find out more about Technology Products and Associated Services 2 visit the agreement webpage or contact the CCS Service Desk at info@crowncommercial.gov.uk or 0345 410 2222.

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

Changes to our agreements in September

Welcome to our monthly agreement 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 agreements in our interactive digital brochure.

Agreements awarded in September

No agreements were awarded in September.

Agreements extended in September

Agreements that expired in September

No agreements expired in September.

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 deals 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.

Crown Commercial Service announces a new Memorandum of Understanding with Cisco, offering a discounted baseline on products

This gives public sector organisations access to an extensive portfolio of IT solutions.

The new MoU will give access to solutions that help to improve security, enable faster digital acceleration and deliver more value for money to the public sector.

It covers all areas of Cisco’s portfolio including cyber security, digital transformation, critical infrastructure and hybrid working enablement with, software solutions and collaboration tools, including Webex solutions, which provides a high quality video and calling experience.

Every eligible public sector organisation can benefit from the value for money this MoU represents. This ranges from central government to the wider public sector, for example Local Authorities (LAs) and Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs).

Along with offering competitive rates and discounts, the new MoU will make it easier for public sector organisations to buy, consume and manage technology purchases relating to security services. For example, customers will have access to a suite of security solutions including Cisco Talos – a commercial threat intelligence network and Secure Firewall – which helps organisations close gaps in their security architecture and recover from breaches. A limited number of free cyber assessments will be made available through the MoU to enable them to explore the benefits of Cisco technology in critical areas of their infrastructure.

Simplifying the technology buying experience

In working together with Cisco CCS recognises the value in identifying commonly bought Cisco technology across the public sector and forming bundles which will simplify the purchasing process, drive additional commercial benefits for all parties and start to move towards greater standardisation.

Additionally, CCS customers can benefit from Cisco’s digital skills acceleration programme, helping to stimulate skills within government. The comprehensive training programme 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 CCS explains: 

The new MoU with Cisco will give the government and the wider public sector access tocompetitive rates and discounts, allowing them to maximise commercial benefits whilst enabling our cyber security capabilities. Moreover, Cisco’s digital skills acceleration
programme will help improve public service capability and expertise. MoU’s allow all public sector customers to be treated as one customer and to benefit from discounts based on aggregated spend.

For example: an NHS Trust or local authority can now access discounts previously reserved for large government departments.” MoUs are a preferential pricing agreement negotiated by CCS on behalf of the public sector and are available to all eligible public sector customers through any route to market used for technology procurement. They are carefully designed to compliment Public Sector frameworks and critically don’t replace any terms or conditions in place.

Customers can access the Cisco discounted pricing by going through Cisco registered resellers on Technology Products and Associated Services framework or from Network Services 3.

Let us bring power to your procurement

Discover how your organisation can benefit from this new MoU. Register for our customer webinar on Thursday 2 November.

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 ‘Cisco MoU’ and we will be in touch.

Crown Commercial Service provides over £700,000 of funding to help councils tackle climate change

A new Sustainability Sector Support Programme, funded by CCS, was launched on 1 October to assist councils in reaching their local carbon reduction and adaptation targets. 

Over the next 2 years, it will provide councils with the tools and opportunities they need to help build capability and capacity in sustainability and the environment. The programme will offer data-driven and consistent approaches for the sector to prioritise the actions that will help them achieve their sustainability, efficiency, and improvement goals.

The training programme supports the Government’s agenda to decarbonise all sectors of the UK economy to meet the net zero target by 2050. It aims to help councils effectively manage their carbon reduction through:

  • building capability – providing learning, skills, and guidance to help councils meet their climate and adaptation targets, through masterclasses and workshops that will highlight key sustainability themes and upskill participants
  • tools – a greenhouse gas accounting tool and waste emissions calculator will help councils baseline their data and assist with internal emissions reporting
  • networks – an online sustainability hub, a monthly sustainability bulletin and an officer communities of practice network

Eddie Gibson, National Account Manager for Local Communities and Housing at CCS said:

CCS is delighted to be working with the Local Government Association (LGA) and investing over £700,000 on this 2 year programme. Councils are a vital part of moving their communities towards net zero – this programme will enable knowledge-sharing and spread good practice across the sector, placing sustainable outcomes at the heart of council decision making.

Cllr Abi Brown, Chairman of the LGA’s Innovation and Improvement Board said: 

As the leaders of local areas, only councils can lead targeted local climate action in our villages, towns, and cities. 

Councils are at the forefront of local sustainability action and through this programme and partnership with CCS, the LGA will be able to support councils with carbon reduction and adaptation measures.

If you would like any further information on any aspect of our new sustainability programme, please email sustainability@local.gov.uk. 

Social value in construction: a quick guide to the role of procurement

The government announced it was introducing a public procurement model that takes greater account of the additional social value created by contractors who are bidding for work. 

The Public Services (Social Value) Act (2012) already requires public buyers to consider how they could secure social, economic and environmental benefits as part of their procurements. This policy note highlights changes that mean, from 1st January 2021, public sector buyers are required to think differently about how they can secure social value from the goods and services they buy for their local area and/or stakeholders. The policy note also introduces a Social Value model for some organisations which sets out that social value should be explicitly evaluated rather than just being  ‘considered’. Further information is available in this guide which has been published alongside the policy note.

This is a significant policy change that means social value will become a mainstream priority in all public sector procurement from next year.

So, what does this mean for your building and construction projects?

Our category team works hard to understand what our customers’ potential social value requirements are at the earliest opportunity and have ensured that our frameworks allow customers to embed it in a way most appropriate to the individual organisations. This includes the use of social value calculators such as TOMS. 

There is a wide range of social value related considerations, such as opportunities for disadvantaged groups, delivering sustainable and healthy communities, driving climate changes, and with recent impacts of COVID-19 and brexit on labour, social value that considers upskilling the workforce and providing job opportunities is becoming more important than ever. 

To ensure that there are clear lines of sight between your unique social value expectations and what suppliers can offer, then here’s our 8 top tips on what you need to consider.

1. Embed throughout the project

Don’t just stick a few social value KPI’s into your procurement documents and hope for the best. It won’t work. Instead focus on embedding social value considerations throughout the entire project. For larger projects consider a project specific social value strategy. Don’t wait until the main contractor tender to start thinking about it either, consider writing clear guidance around social value and what is expected into the brief for project designers and project managers. 

2. Don’t ask for everything

Early community engagement brings tailored social outcomes. This will help your team to be able to focus on what social value outcomes you want for your project and help to avoid you asking for everything. What are the key themes for the area of construction? Does it have a high unemployment, or a large BAME representation? Is it in a built up area with limited community space? Engage with local charities and social enterprises to find out what is important to them and build this into your strategy.

3. Make everyone accountable

Encourage common goals and shared objectives for the project team. Are the designers/project manager/contractor/facilities management provider all linked to common social value goals? For more complex infrastructure projects Sub Alliancing may be a suitable way to bring shared objectives and success measures to social value.

4. Carefully consider what questions to ask at tender stage

At tender stage it’s great to give social value a high quality percentage, but remember it needs to be proportional and relevant. Spend some time thinking about what is relevant for your project and try to tailor the question to be as project specific as possible. A generic question is likely to get a generic answer. Think carefully about who you ask to assess and score these questions, it should be someone with the right skills and experience to know a good answer from a bad one. A good answer will deliver some tangible outcomes for the project and a bad one will have all the right buzz words, but promise little.

5. Make it contractual

Getting some great social value outcomes and tender stage is fantastic, but it’s really important that this is fed through and actually delivered. One way to do this is to convert these promises into social value KPI’s that are monitored throughout. 

6. Monitor

Once you’ve awarded your contract and started your project make sure that the KPI’s are delivered. It sounds simple, but adding Social Value KPI’s into the regular project performance reviews is a great way to ensure focus is maintained. 

7. Ask for the data to back it up

It’s a good idea to include clear instructions on exactly what you want captured. For example, if you are asking for contractors to train apprentices, it’s a good idea for them to record apprentice initials and postcode, the programme, level and start and end dates so that you can interrogate the data if you wish. Ensure your contract has a right to audit clause.

8. Share positive outcomes

If your project delivers some great social value outcomes share it and talk about what worked and why. Shared learning is a great way for us to develop and improve. 

Next steps

For more advice and guidance on tackling social value in construction projects, fill in our short online form and one of our commercial experts will be in touch. 

You can also explore our full range of construction frameworks on our agreements page.

Further policy advice and guidance on social value can be found on GOV.UK. 

September customer newsletter

Welcome to our September customer newsletter – read it here.

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 our latest news stories and case studies, as well as information on upcoming aggregation opportunities, events, webinars and much more.

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.

How to put national buying power to work for local regeneration and placemaking initiatives

Regeneration and placemaking are crucial aspects of economic development. It usually involves civic projects intended to promote economic growth and improve the quality of life, typically requiring substantial investment in capital and infrastructure in the local area. 

Regeneration projects vary and can be as diverse as the creation of new leisure and tourist facilities, the redevelopment of retail space, the creation of new business premises, and, often, a combination of multiple overlapping and inter-related projects. 

Placemaking is the collaborative process of designing and shaping public spaces to create places that people feel connected to and promote social interaction, well-being, and a sense of belonging. It involves engaging with local communities, stakeholders, and experts to understand their needs and aspirations and then transforming community spaces accordingly.

Placemaking and urban regeneration

Delivering regeneration and placemaking activity requires access to resources, procurement expertise, working with other organisations, and using commercial routes to market where local authorities may lack the necessary experience and expertise.

By combining practical placemaking principles with well-executed regeneration procurement, urban development projects in the UK can create sustainable, inclusive, and thriving communities that meet the needs of residents and contribute to the overall well-being of the area. 

Factors to consider when designing these projects include:

1. Community engagement

Involving the local community in planning and decision-making is usually a statutory requirement. Encourage participation through workshops, surveys, public meetings, and other engagement activities to gather residents’ and stakeholders’ ideas, preferences, and concerns.

2. Design and activation

Emphasise thoughtful design that considers the unique characteristics of a place, its history, culture, and local context. This approach aims to activate spaces by including amenities, green areas, public art, cultural facilities, and other elements that encourage people to spend time and engage with the environment.

3. Mixed-use development

Placemaking often promotes mixed-use development, integrating residential, commercial, and recreational spaces within a compact, walkable area. A mixed-use model allows you to create a sense of vitality, 24-hour activity, and diversity, making the place more appealing and functional.

4. Sustainability

Embracing sustainable principles, such as green infrastructure, energy efficiency, waste management, and sustainable transportation options, helps to create environmentally friendly and resilient places that help mitigate climate change and enhance the overall quality of life.

Supporting local authority regeneration projects

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) plays an important role in helping the UK public sector save money when buying common goods and services. We are the biggest public procurement organisation in the UK. Our commercial expertise helps buyers across local government and the wider public sector on a range of issues, including urban regeneration.

Renewing and reshaping localities to make them more attractive places to live, work, and visit is a high priority for local authorities. Our solutions are helping Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council to reinvent and reinvigorate the Nuneaton town centre completely. Their regeneration programme features the Grayson Place project, an exciting new meeting, eating, drinking, and entertainment destination currently under construction. 

Helping local authorities meet sustainability targets

Local authorities have significant influence over the key sectors of energy, housing, and transport, reform of which will be essential to achieving net zero. Regeneration activity has to be mindful of the requirement for our local places to support the transition to carbon net zero (CNZ), whether installing roadside electric vehicle charging points or using technology to support the delivery of services.

Our commercial agreements include procuring everything from decarbonising property, using innovative technology to develop clean air and low emissions zones to electric vehicle charging. For example, we recently helped Bristol City Council meet legal limits for pollution.

Using our Traffic Technology and Associated Services agreement, Bristol will install cameras for number plate recognition and identification of bus lane infringements, complete with an on-site maintenance package and a back-office data management system. The solution will also impact traffic signal timings to improve traffic flows and increase bus priority at traffic signals.

Regeneration procurement – not sure where to start?

Smart procurement involves selecting and contracting suppliers, contractors, consultants, and other stakeholders to supply the goods and services required to implement regeneration initiatives effectively. We have a range of dynamic solutions to help local authorities deliver a variety of regeneration projects, optimise budgets, and meet key policy reforms.

We offer a number of comprehensive end-to-end commercial agreements to meet your needs, from off-the-shelf options to more advanced and bespoke solutions to consulting and market insight services. So, whether you are delivering against relevant government policy agendas or helping the local economy thrive by reviving the town centre, we can help.

Not sure where to start? Our commercial agreements are designed to support you at every stage of your regeneration journey, including project development, public engagement, and project delivery.

Access to funding to support regeneration

Local authorities are under extreme pressure to make their budgets work harder. We focus on saving you time and money, allowing you to get on with what matters most by providing the best possible outcomes for your local communities. CCS will support you throughout the buying process to ensure you maximise every pound spent.

Grant funds are also available for regeneration projects with sustainability aims. We have worked to collate a list of open CNZ grants and funding opportunities from across the government into a single place. You can find out more on our website.

However, sometimes there is a need for additional sources of finance to complete projects or deliver additional complementary elements. Our Asset Finance solution is an industry-leading twin-agreement solution providing a revolutionary way for public sector customers to source funding for their projects. 

The solution involves a diverse range of lenders competing on customer projects through our leasing and loan Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), ensuring a transparent and genuinely competitive cost of financing. If you want to understand more about our Asset Finance solution, you can find out more by visiting our finance and funding options webpage.

Discover more

From sourcing funding to project delivery, we can help take the pressure off. To learn more about Regeneration and Placemaking, visit our Regeneration and Placemaking page.

Visit our social value webpage to learn more about how we can support your organisations social value goals.

You can find more resources about our work to support local authorities on our website. To speak to a member of our expert team, please call us on 0345 410 2222.

How Crown Commercial Service can help tackle energy inefficiency in social housing

In the UK, housing associations collectively provide homes to around 6 million people – nearly 1 in 10 of the total population. Given the scale of social housing, housing associations can play a significant role in helping to meet the UK’s net zero goals. Here’s why:

On a residency basis, households are bigger emitters of greenhouse gases (GCG) than any industry sector, accounting for 26% of total emissions, with around 14% of these emissions coming from domestic heating in the housing sector. Although energy-efficient housing varies depending on property age and type, the age of a property is the most significant single factor in the energy efficiency of homes.

Tackling energy inefficiency in the housing sector – the challenges 

Whole home retrofit (where a tenanted property is updated to make it more energy efficient and to reduce carbon emissions) is a significant priority for the housing sector. According to a recent report, UK housing associations will have to spend £36 billion to bring all their homes up to an EPC C efficiency standard by 2030 and install the required insulation, ventilation, and clean heat technologies to meet the UK government target of reaching net zero by 2050. 

The report also highlights that the energy performance of the UK’s social rented sector is significantly better than private housing, partly because of energy efficiency and fuel poverty regulations and partly because social landlords are proactively tackling the energy-efficient retrofit of their properties. The sector is already investing and driving innovation in this area. As a result, 64.3% of housing association homes already have an EPC rating of C or above.

Although tackling home energy inefficiencies is an urgent requirement, the cost to make homes more energy efficient by improving insulation and ventilation and installing energy-efficient heating and cooling systems is a significant barrier to overcome. 

Scale is also a problem. At the current pace, achieving goals to retrofit all social and fuel-poor homes by 2030 will be challenging. Local councils, calling for more actions, are keen to step in with locally targeted programmes to tackle fuel poverty. 

Accelerate action through whole home retrofit

Repairs and maintenance have always been a hot topic in housing – it’s usually the top priority for residents because it can make or break a housing provider regarding the quality of their homes. Whole home retrofit is the process of improving a home’s energy efficiency, comfort, and sustainability. 

It can involve a variety of measures, including:

  • adding insulation, which can help to reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer, making the home more comfortable and reducing the energy bill
  • installing energy-efficient appliances, which can help reduce energy bills and make the home more environmentally friendly
  • replacing windows and doors, which can improve air quality and reduce noise levels, making the home more comfortable and liveable
  • installing solar panels, which can generate electricity from the sun, making the home more self-sufficient and reducing reliance on fossil fuels

Housing associations also face increased scrutiny to effectively target damp and mould problems, which ties in with the new amendment to the Social Housing Regulation Bill – Awaab’s law. Awaab’s law requires housing associations to take steps to tackle damp and mould issues in their homes. 

Whole home retrofit can be an effective way to comply with this law, as it can help to reduce damp and mould problems, improve residents’ comfort and quality of life, and increase energy efficiency and sustainability.

Yet funding retrofitting programmes while building new homes to meet demand is a significant financial challenge for the social housing sector. It’s projected that retrofitting all social housing in the UK could cost as much as £104 billion, with the annual cost estimated to be £3.5 billion.

Improving energy efficiency in social housing 

Our new Housing Maintenance and Repair Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) agreement offers various services that can help reduce energy costs and achieve net zero in social housing. The new DPS provides a compliant, one-stop shop for all housing maintenance and repair aspects for both tenanted and void/vacant properties. 

The DPS also offers buyers more flexibility in choosing suppliers because it allows new suppliers to be onboarded to the agreement at any time. This is especially relevant to Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, which requires tenants and leaseholders to be consulted about works of a certain value, and allows them to nominate contractors to be considered to complete the work. 

What are the benefits of using CCS’s new DPS?

Our new DPS has the agility and flexibility to meet the wider government’s Carbon Net Zero 2050 target and any future decarbonisation legislation with Whole Home Retrofit and Maintenance services. By implementing energy-efficient measures through retrofitting, social housing residents can benefit from reduced energy costs. 

Here’s how:

Whole Home Retrofit Service

Retrofit services allow housing associations and local authorities to upgrade their existing housing stock with energy-efficient measures. Retrofitting can include installing solar panels, insulation, improved ventilation, and ground source heat pumps, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing energy costs for residents. 

For example, installing solar panels, insulation, and ground source heat pumps, for example, can improve the energy efficiency of social housing and give residents an average saving of 42% or £567 per household per year.

Access to accredited suppliers eligible for government sustainability funding

Many customers in the housing sector will be drawing down government funds for sustainability-related works. To draw down those funds, their supplier needs to have the PAS2030 accreditation. 

Our new Housing Maintenance and Repair DPS features suppliers with PAS2030 accreditation – where retrofit teams, including assessors, coordinators, and designers, have clearly defined responsibilities and meet accountabilities when proposing whole house remedial works.

To complement these services, we also can offer Whole Home Retrofit, with our PAS 2030/2035 certified suppliers able to provide solutions to help tenants save money on energy bills and help Buyers meet their net zero goals.

Improved housing portfolio management

The new DPS agreement provides access to Housing Portfolio Management services, enabling effective management of housing stock. For example, it includes handling move-ins/outs, disposals, and implementing a centralised service to manage and fulfil repair requests.

In addition, the agreement covers essential compliance services such as fire safety, electrical testing, and asbestos management. Ensuring compliance in these areas contributes to overall energy efficiency and safety in social housing.

Promotion of innovation and local supply chain

CCS recognises the importance of supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and local suppliers. By working with a diverse range of suppliers, including SMEs, you can stimulate local economies, create employment opportunities, and promote innovation. Engaging with local suppliers can also reduce carbon emissions and costs by minimising travel distances.

Find out more 

We want to empower you to get the best possible value from your procurement and join the growing number of housing providers making significant savings with CCS every year.

To learn more, visit our agreement page and join our housing forum.

Social value: how local government is leading the way

Social value will be an integral element of local authorities’ wider economic, social and environmental recovery planning after Covid-19, and critical to place-based recovery plans across local government as the nation seeks to build back better.

2022 marked a decade since The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 came into force.

And what a decade it has been for the public sector. What is perhaps most remarkable is that the winds of change that have buffeted the sector since then have not stopped many organisations from putting in the detailed planning required to ensure that the vision set out in the Act can be realised.

Crown Commercial Service supports the public sector to get the best deal on the procurement of thousands of goods and services. 

Ensuring that suppliers on our framework agreements are meeting the needs of potential customers, including on social value, is a key part of the development of new solutions, and we’re seeing the first generation of new agreements awarded since the Cabinet Office’s Procurement Policy Note 06/20 of September 2020. 

And while that note focused primarily on central government contracts, suppliers will increase their chances of winning contracts by offering many of the same benefits to organisations across local government and beyond.

How local government leads the social value agenda

The measurement of social value and the community benefits that can be generated from public sector procurement has become increasingly standardised across local government, with the introduction of the national TOMs framework, developed by the Social Value Portal in 2017 and endorsed by the LGA.

TOMs (Themes, Outcomes, Measures) created a new, common language for social value, encouraging a greater consistency in its reporting and measurement. The 5 key themes that TOMs is built around are:

  • promoting local skills and employment
  • sustainable and responsible regional business growth
  • building healthier, safer, and resilient communities
  • decarbonising and protecting the planet
  • Promoting and enabling innovation

TOMs is updated regularly to reflect feedback and the latest statistical data, but the core Themes and Outcomes remain unchanged. 

It is these elements which potential suppliers to the public sector need to factor into their thinking when bidding for contracts. 

What CCS and suppliers are doing now

With so many framework agreements offering a dizzying array of goods and services, suppliers are interpreting social value in different ways, with guidance from CCS’s category experts.

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

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

We also recognise the important role that small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) can play in delivering social value locally. CCS will publish a new SME Action Plan later this year, setting out how we are working to increase SME representation on our agreements and reduce barriers to the public sector working with them.

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

Find out more

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

This article was originally published in Public Sector Executive.