August customer newsletter

Welcome to our August 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.

Changes to our agreements in July

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 July

No agreements were awarded in July.

Agreements extended in July

Agreements that expired in July

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.

DWP Digital make savings on digital transformation with pay as you use model

Introduction

A recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) provides public sector organisations with access to a range of commercial discounts and additional social value.

The MoU includes HPE Greenlake, an infrastructure (compute and storage) as a service model which can help organisations in their digital transformation by providing hybrid/private cloud and secure edge to cloud solutions. This consumption model has the financial benefits of being an operating expense (OPEX) model that means you ‘pay for what you use’ to prevent over provisioning, maximising value for money.

DWP Digital, the digital department within the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently progressed their own digital transformation journey, and this case study examines the issues they were facing, how HPE Greenlake helped and the benefits they have achieved.

The challenge

DWP Digital recognised the need to advance their technology maturation by considering alternative cloud models that would provide flexibility and innovation to support their core function of providing state pensions and a range of benefits to over 20 million customers.
They identified 3 priority areas they wanted to tackle:

  1. creating greater flexibility and capacity in a time when demands on infrastructure were increasing
  2. creating greater financial flexibility and spending the right type of money
  3. reducing technical debt

The benefits of moving to pay as you use

DWP modelled their server and storage requirements, comparing the costs associated with a traditional capital expenditure (CAPEX) model or outright ownership to that of a consumption based ‘pay as you use’ model.

Over a 60 month period they identified potential savings of over £7 million or a total of over 40%.

They also found that a ‘pay as you use’ cloud model would:

  1. increase flexibility and capability to react quickly to business needs without needing to manage additional equipment or delay vital projects. By not owning physical infrastructure and avoiding paying upfront for capacity which may not be used, costs associated with over provisioning and maintaining hardware could be avoided.
  2. enable them to better manage their budgetary challenges by moving to OPEX spend which is more efficient as you only pay for what you consume.
  3. reduce technical debt which is particularly important where networking, cloud or IT infrastructure is owned outright and heavy costs are incurred in maintaining, updating software and overall life cycle management which can still result in project delays and capacity constraints. The benefits of reducing technical debt means the hardware is up to date, the latest services and software are available without delays and money is spent efficiently in delivering forward looking capability.

Bryan Nelson, Hybrid Hosting Transformation Lead, DWP Digital said:

Digital is really important to help reduce costs by introducing automation. Underlying hosting platforms like Greenlake are able to spin all of that up quickly and make it evergreen so you don’t end up with technical debt at the operating level, so we are always able to upgrade our software. That is one of the biggest things that this kind of model and technology helps.

A significant focus was around ensuring that services are cost effective. Whilst a service or a consumption model can’t remove everything it has the ability to significantly improve budget efficiency meaning more investment into the right areas to achieve DWP Digital’s core purpose.

A Greenlake type model avoids hardware sitting around, licences or hardware being underused and only what is used is paid for.

Other benefits of this model

In moving from CAPEX to OPEX purchases, VAT is recoverable under accounting guidelines ISFR 16 – an international Financial Reporting Standard for leasing. This offers a further 20% saving which would not be possible for purchases made outright and under capital expenditure.

This is because a cloud consumption service, like Greenlake, where the whole service from consumption, installation and break fix is also managed by HPE, is COS14 compliant meaning the VAT based on this guidance can be recovered. COS14 is an accounting guideline provided by HMRC, standing for Contracted Out Services, heading 14. For more information head to VAT Government and Public Bodies.

Long term benefits for the general public

The biggest single benefit DWP Digital described is reducing technical debt from both a user perspective and a citizen perspective. This allows them to do more with digital technology without the restrictions associated with traditional public cloud or traditional infrastructure deployment.

Bryan Nelson, Hybrid Hosting Transformation Lead, DWP Digital said:

For DWP Digital, this means when we need to do things digitally to help our citizens, we are not held back by technical debt, unplanned capital expenditure or capacity or capability constraints, meaning we can continue to help some of the most vulnerable people in society.

With the latest software development and applications they all use the latest technology and they offer many new business features. Some of those features are restricted or will not work if your underlying platform is not up to date.

The other benefit is capacity. DWP Digital is able to do things quicker, faster and at the right level because DWP Digital strategy is a consumption model. This will save the taxpayer money. DWP Digital only pays for what is used.

Support from HPE

HPE worked closely with DWP Digital to build up a deeper understanding of the requirements and the potential savings that could be attributed from moving from a traditional model to a consumption model.

Chris Burnett, Sales Leader for Central Government, Defence and National Security, HPE said:

HPE worked closely with the customer to understand how much of their existing environment was used so that we could “right size” a proposed Greenlake platform, ensuring the customer avoided procuring a solution that was over-provisioned. In addition, HPE worked with the customer to understand the forecasted future use of the environment so that DWP Digital has a minimal physical hardware footprint, and only pays for what they use.

HPE can support other public sector organisations in similar ways. HPE offers the Customer Asset Programme (CAP) which details all physical assets on an organisation’s network and includes all brands and technologies. This provides customers with accurate asset management and the ability to verify their own asset report, identify vulnerabilities from aged technology or unsupported hardware, right size enterprise agreements and identify items for circular economy processing.

Additionally, through the MoU HPE have offered a limited number of half day sustainability workshops which provides impartial advice on customer work loads, where over provisioning and other inefficiencies exist.

Tap into our expertise and support

If you are interested in finding out more about the HPE MoU and how you can benefit visit our web page. You can also read more about the MoU in our news area.

Got a question we can help you with?
Complete our online form
Call us on 0345 410 2222

How to achieve transparency in your procurement

NB: This article was originally published on 24 July 2023. All information was correct at the time of writing, but may not be fully applicable following the introduction of the Procurement Act 2023.

Why is transparency important in public sector procurement?

Scrutiny of information

The principle of transparency can be defined as ‘the access to clear, precise and accurate information that is understandable to all’. 

Within the public sector, transparency is vital to ensure the spending of taxpayers’ money can be properly scrutinised.

Transparency needs to be hardwired into procurement as a lack of it can result in diminished due diligence, rushed solutions and poor-quality tenders, and may lead to several problems downstream in implementation.

If carried out effectively, transparency enables processes and decisions to be monitored and reviewed, to help ensure that decision-makers can be held accountable. 

Encouraging competition

Transparency also helps open public procurement to more competition by increasing awareness of contracting opportunities. Suppliers are more likely to bid if they know the process is fair – with all applicants having the same access to information and being judged on the same criteria. Making it easy for would-be suppliers to access all relevant information will also reduce both the time and cost required to tender.

Not only does this give your team a wider talent pool from which to choose, it will also help successful bidders feel like a trusted and valued part of the supply chain right from the start.

Government guidance 

The Cabinet Office has produced guidance to assist departments in meeting the public sector procurement and contracting transparency requirements and ensure a consistent approach.

Transparency principles

The Transparency Principles were updated on 16 February 2017. The update requires the proactive release of information in line with the above commitments and during the life of the contract.

You should establish at the start of a contract what information can be published with exemptions following the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, for example on national security or commercial confidentiality grounds. Only genuinely commercially sensitive information should be withheld.

Contracts Finder

A redeveloped Contracts Finder website was launched in February 2015 alongside the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The Regulations require in-scope bodies to publish all advertised UK public sector procurement opportunities and contract awards above certain thresholds on Contracts Finder:

  • £12,000 for central government bodies
  • £30,000 for wider public sector bodies and the NHS

As the single publishing portal for all public sector procurement opportunities, Contracts Finder is a critical part of delivering the government’s commitments for transparency in procurement and for making it easier and more accessible for smaller businesses and voluntary or charitable organisations to do business with the public sector.

Contracts Finder allows users to view and search for early market engagement notices and future opportunities, buyers to engage with suppliers to check interest in and define future procurement needs, and opportunities that are currently open to tender and awarded contracts.

User guides for buyers on how to use Contracts Finder are available from our CCS service support team, send an email to –  ContractsFinder@crowncommercial.gov.uk 

Subcontracting

Building on the measures the government has already taken to open up its procurement frameworks to small and innovative businesses, it also extended Contracts Finder to the subcontracting market in 2016, offering wider access to procurement opportunities.

Contractors to the Public Sector can now register directly on Contracts Finder to advertise opportunities in their supply chains. 

Public Contract Regulations (PCR) and Transparency

Regulation 18 of the PCR sets out that procurement needs to be conducted in accordance with the principles of equality, non-discrimination, transparency, proportionality and competition.

Four ways you can achieve transparency in your procurement

You can embed transparency into your procurement process through the following steps.

Warm up the market through pre-market engagement

Actively offering ‘pre-market engagement’ means buyers should experience an improved process and outcome with greater competition.

Regulation 40 of the PCR 2015 enables buyers to prepare the procurement by informing operators (independent experts/other authorities/suppliers) of procurement plans and requirements and conducting market consultations. 

Information gathered during this engagement may be used in the planning and conduct of the procurement procedure providing it does not have the effect of distorting competition, and does not result in a violation of the principles of non-discrimination and transparency.

Produce clear procurement documentation

Make sure that your requirements are clearly defined right from the start. The procurement package for prospective bidders should be clear and to the point, including the timeline, setting out the end-to-end tender process in detail. Include clear specifications containing realistic asks, key performance indicators (KPIs), and service levels, all provided in formats that are accessible for all parties.

For qualitative elements, the package should explicitly say the capabilities that are required, how they are to be evidenced and, wherever possible, clearly established in the assessment process, including the relative weight attributed to each section or question so that bidders understand this when producing their response

Well defined evaluation criteria will enable suppliers to understand what they are being assessed on – but make sure that this links back to your specification/service asks.

Finally, consider how easy it will be for SMEs to respond to ensure a breadth of inclusive competition for all.

Good communication and status updates

Construct a realistic timeline that is advertised in your Prior Information Notice and maintained throughout the progression of the procurement. Publish procurement and contractual notices in line with required timings and complete with all required information. This will drive improved relationships with the market and create a ‘trusted partner’ relationship.

Carefully consider the use of your procurement communication tools. Ensuring that any emerging information that could be considered ‘new’ is shared with all participants in the process. Communication should be kept to a single official channel and recorded so that parties are clear on who has communicated what and to whom to avoid the need for later clarification.

Support for bidders should be channelled via a single point of contact in the procurement team, who can answer (or obtain answers to) any queries about the tender process, what is required, and progress.

Stay informed

Finally, always check that you are adhering to the latest guidance issued regarding thresholds for your organisation. The guidance can be found in the latest issued Procurement Policy Note (PPN).

The Transforming Public Procurement (TPP) programme puts transparency front and centre of a bold vision so that the spending of taxpayers’ money can be properly scrutinised. Find out further information on the upcoming TPP reforms.

Find out more

To learn more about contract finder and transparency: 

More information and guidance for public and third sector buyers, as well as full details of all of our commercial agreements, can be found in the latest CCS digital brochure.

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

Crown Commercial Service announces the next iteration of a Memorandum of Understanding with IBM

This next iteration of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) builds and expands on the scope of the previous agreement signed in 2020, with additional discounts to cover IBM’s suite of cloud and software products.

It will allow UK public sector customers to access a competitive baseline of pricing by recognising our aggregated public sector spend, representing significant savings for CCS customers. 

Additionally, as part of the MoU, CCS customers can now benefit from discounted pricing for sustainability software to support their Carbon Net Zero plans as well as increased cyber security offerings and free training and secondment opportunities, to address technology skills gaps, aligned with the government agenda. Free innovation projects will also be made available, so that eligible bodies can test and learn how IBM products and services can be used to meet their requirements. 

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

I am delighted that Crown Commercial Service and IBM have worked collaboratively on this MoU, which aims to drive innovation that will improve essential public services for UK citizens.

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 another great milestone in delivering value and operational choice.

MoUs are pricing agreements negotiated by ourselves at CCS on behalf of our customers and are available to all eligible public sector customers through any route to market used for technology procurement. Customers can access the IBM discounted pricing via any route to market, CCS recommend using a reseller on our Technology Products and Associated Services framework.

Let us bring power to your procurement 

Discover how your organisation can benefit from this new MoU. Register for our customer webinars on 8 August and 5 September.

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 ‘IBM MoU’ and we will be in touch.

The latest iteration of our agreement for network infrastructure and communication services, is launched

The new agreement builds on the success of its predecessor, Network Services 2, continuing to offer core network services such as site-to-site and site-to-cloud (wide area network), satellite and 5G connectivity, as well as local area wireless network access, and  unified communication solutions. 

The scope and lotting structure for Network Services 3 [RM6116] has been improved to reflect the marketplace, supporting buyers in their route to market for all network and communication services. It will incorporate a ‘requirements builder template’ for simple, public internet connectivity needs to enhance the buyer experience, and increase further competition of WAN/LAN services. 

As an added new feature, an additional Lot for emerging technologies related to Internet of Things (IoT) has been introduced, enabling users to procure solutions for smart, connected spaces. The Lot structure and associated ‘customer journey’ features have been designed in collaboration with key customer groups and Industry leading trade bodies: Innopsis and techUK. 

The lots will comprise:

  • Lot 1a: WAN – Data Access Services
  • Lot 1b: Commercial Radio
  • Lot 1c: Tactical Radio
  • Lot 1d: Critical Domain Services
  • Lot 2a: LAN – Local Connectivity Services
  • Lot 3a: IoT & Smart Cities
  • Lot 3b: Communication Platform as a Services
  • Lot 4a: Analogue Telephony
  • Lot 4b: Digital Communication Services (Unified Communications)
  • Lot 4c: Contact Centre
  • Lot 4d: Inbound Telephony
  • Lot 4e: Paging & Alerting

145 suppliers have been awarded a place on Network Services 3, 48% of which are SMEs. The framework will run for 2 years with the possibility of extending by up to 2 years. Call-off contracts no longer have a maximum length set by the framework. However, buyers are advised to consider their own policy guidance to ensure long term competitiveness. 

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

This new framework will support the public sector to access ‘user-based’ communication solutions, such as integrated voice, data and video. Our aim is to contribute to an improved customer journey and better value for money, whilst supporting the promotion of “cloud-first” future networks for Government initiatives. 

It is yet another example of how CCS is helping the public sector to adapt and make the best use of technology and innovative solutions within the modern hybrid workspace.

Innovations and benefits

  • mobile services have now moved to a new agreement, Mobile Voice and Data Services [RM6261], offering greater competition on pricing 
  • simple user-centric requirements builder to support the Government’s “cloud first” initiative, enabling public internet connectivity solutions and migration off the Public Sector Network (PSN)
  • an evaluated pool of suppliers allowing customers to drive cost reductions, increase value for money through healthy competition and achieve higher levels of network optimisation and fully integrated communication solutions
  • cross-Lot competitions are enabled, which can help customers who plan to consolidate their WAN and LAN requirements under a single competitive bid

Find out more

To find out more about Network Services 3 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.

CCS launches new Supply of Energy 2 agreement

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) is pleased to announce the award of our new and improved energy agreement – Supply of Energy 2. This agreement will become the biggest energy contract ever awarded in the public sector, and is expected to supply up to £51 billion of electricity and gas – saving central government and wider public sector organisations over £2 billion.

The new agreement will eventually replace CCS’ existing Supply of Energy and Ancillary Services (RM6011) agreement, and is designed to help organisations overcome many of the challenges presented by today’s complex energy market. 

Energy pricing options tailored to suit risk appetite and business needs 

The new agreement gives customers more control over rising costs, protecting them from pricing volatility. In addition, customers can benefit from our team’s extensive knowledge and expertise in the energy market.

John Malone, Deputy Director for Energy at Crown Commercial Service, explains:

Our Supply of Energy 2 agreement is the culmination of extensive market engagement between CCS, our customers, and UK energy suppliers. By addressing key pain points such as market volatility, contract complexity, cyber vulnerability and the various challenges associated with national net zero ambitions, we are well positioned to meet the evolving needs of our customers, now and in the future.

Users of the new agreement will benefit from:

  • buying through expert in-house energy traders with years of experience
  • procurement process and contract drafting supported by specialist legal advice
  • a suite of customer baskets to suit risk appetite and business needs
  • provides all site works and metering services
  • named account managers and a dedicated customer service team
  • highly competitive management and administration fees
  • full compliance with all of the latest procurement policy requirements

Supporting net zero goals

The new Supply of Energy 2 agreement aims to support customers throughout their decarbonisation journey. Our agreement gives customers access to vital resources, including energy saving advice, access to carbon offsetting credits and allowances, support with carbon reporting, plus a range of other decarbonisation services.

The new agreement also integrates Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), which allow customers to purchase a proportion of their electricity requirements directly from a renewable electricity generator, such as a wind turbine or solar farm. 

This agreement supports net zero ambitions by providing:

  • enhanced provisions for sleeving PPAs
  • clean zero carbon energy
  • energy saving advice
  • access educational energy webinars, bulletins and events 
  • carbon offsetting credits and allowances
  • data and portfolio management
  • support with carbon reporting
  • a range of other decarbonisation services

John adds:

Contracts that support PPAs can be notoriously complex. Our new energy supply agreement simplifies the process with a number of provisions that allow customers to integrate their PPAs directly into their supply contracts.

Let us add power to your energy procurement

To learn more about the new agreement, please visit our webpage.

Record £3.8 billion commercial benefits delivered though Crown Commercial Service agreements

CCS agreements provide public sector bodies with a choice of approved suppliers who offer the best value, leveraging the scale of public sector demand. By using these agreements, public sector customers can achieve commercial benefits such as reduced costs compared to market prices and better value in contract terms and conditions. 

Results

The newly published CCS annual report and accounts for 2022/23 show £3.8 billion of commercial benefits were achieved across the public sector, an increase of £800 million compared to the previous year. This includes £11.4 million in savings for 26 customers on 4 mobile and data aggregations services, such as voice calls, connectivity and applications. 

Throughout 2022/23, CCS has developed its procurement expertise more widely, and provided new commercial routes for customers, with 26 new agreements procured this year. For example, CCS launched its first of a kind, Big Data and Analytics agreement to help support the requirements of the government and the wider public sector as they continue to use data to innovate. 

Minister Alex Burghart – Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, said:

Getting commercial and procurement decisions right is critical to good government. Crown Commercial Service is helping central government and other public bodies get just those decisions right – improving services and saving the taxpayer money as they do.

Spending through CCS frameworks has also increased, reaching over £31 billion (all spend types) in 2022/23. This means CCS has already reached its target of £30 billion by 2024, more than doubling the spend through its agreements in 5 years, and represents growth of more than £3 billion compared to last year.

There has been continued progress with efforts to enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to participate in commercial agreements, with £2.6 billion (14.4%) of central government spend directly with 1,541 SMEs. This represents an increase of £340 million in spend compared to 2021/22.

Simon Tse, CEO of Crown Commercial Service, said:

We want to continue to deepen our impact and bring our commercial expertise to bear across the entire public sector.

We have a clear vision for our future. Underpinning this vision is a comprehensive strategy that is focused on developing our products and services and ensuring that the customer is at the centre of everything we do.

CCS agreements have also supported public sector customers with policy priorities, such as net zero commitments and social value, for example by supporting SMEs access to public procurement opportunities and encouraging prompt payment practice.

The organisation has now identified 36 commercial solutions in areas that can help accelerate the transition to net zero. In September 2022, it launched a new carbon net zero (CNZ) funding page on the website, enabling users to see all open CNZ grants and funding opportunities from across the government in one place. The grants are mapped to appropriate routes to market offered by CCS, making it easy for customers to fund and operationalise net zero initiatives.

Chair of the CCS Board, Tony van Kralingen said:

I’m delighted to be able to reflect back on yet another successful year for the organisation. As a result of CCS’s growth over the last few years, we are now in a position to invest in programmes and projects to help further develop commercial capability across the public sector. 

I must give thanks to all of CCS’s customers and suppliers who continue to work closely with us to realise savings across the public sector.

The year at a glance

  • over £31 billion of public sector spend (all spend types) was channelled through CCS agreements
  • customers who have used CCS products and services have achieved commercial benefits equivalent to £3.8 billion
  • CCS’s employee engagement index, as measured by the Civil Service People Survey, remains high at 69% in 2022
  • £2.6 billion (14.4%) of central government spend directly with 1,541 SMEs. This represents an increase of £340 million in spend compared to 2021/22
  • the assisted procurement service helped deliver procurements for customers worth a total annual contract value of £2.3 billion

Read the full report

You can read CCS’s annual report and accounts on gov.uk.

You can find a full list of all the commercial agreements CCS offers, alongside details of how CCS can help you build policy considerations into your procurement, in our interactive digital brochure.

New one-stop page for net zero grants and funding for public sector initiatives

Are you struggling to fund your carbon net zero and sustainability projects? Our new one-stop grants and funding page can help. 

The UK has cut carbon emissions by more than 40% since 1990. In line with commitments under the Paris Agreement, the UK is the first major economy to pass laws committing to net zero by 2050. 

Even though the UK is at the forefront of the fight against climate change, decarbonisation is not happening fast enough. Many public sector organisations are finalising plans on how they will meet their targets and the UK-wide goals set by the government. However, staying on top of emerging net zero obligations and opportunities can be challenging. 

Barriers include a lack of inter-departmental and stakeholder coordination, lack of access to affordable and readily available energy efficient technologies. Additionally,  as many local authorities and communities across England are still building capability and capacity to meet net zero, limited capacity and experience can hinder their ability to gather sufficient information about their energy performance. 

Funding net zero ambitions is also a constraint, A green transition requires a significant investment in cleaner technologies. With budgets already stretched, meeting the high up-front costs of net zero projects, such as energy efficiency upgrades and solar PV panels, is an extra burden.  

The challenge of finding net zero funding in the public sector

Under pressure to deliver carbon emission targets, public sector sustainability leaders and facilities management professionals need to find available funding sources. However, the process of identifying and securing reliable financial support for sustainability projects is cumbersome. 

Grant information is often scattered across multiple sites and in various formats. Many organisations lack the time and resources to find and apply for net zero grants. 

Even after finding the funding, it can be complicated to apply, often requiring already stretched resources to complete the application. Usually, there is fierce competition to secure them before they are oversubscribed. 

One-stop for open net zero grants and funding

We know that your ability to meet sustainability and carbon net zero goals depends on funding. So, to make it easier, we’ve launched a new web page that brings all open CNZ grants and funding opportunities from across the government into one place. We will regularly update the page as new funding becomes available.

“Until now, customers have had no single place to view available funding sources and grants to support CNZ projects and programmes. Our new grants and funding page lets customers quickly see what funding is available, which unlocks a considerable barrier to achieving their net zero aspirations,” says Simon Tse, Chief Executive at Crown Commercial Service.

The CNZ grants and funding opportunities page allows you to review available open funding and providers and identify dates for applications. You can then engage with us to understand available routes to market for projects and complementary agreements to help deliver your CNZ solution.

 

“CCS is trying to simplify how the public sector can finance its green ambitions. Creating an up-to-date, consolidated list of open CNZ grants and funding opportunities across the government will greatly benefit our customers. Not only is everything in one place, but we also matched the available funding opportunities to our agreements. That leaves one less thing for our customers to worry about,” explains Kristen Green, Central Government Senior Account Manager.

Supporting your net zero journey

No matter where you are on your net zero journey, we can help. We have many solutions that can help you with decarbonisation across your procurement portfolio, from the obvious areas, such as energy and fleet, to places you might not even consider, such as technology hardware and food and catering. 

Don’t let funding issues deter your net zero ambitions. Visit our new carbon net zero grants and funding page today.

Microsoft licence aggregation saves customers £1 million

The requirement

11 Scottish councils recently took part in a CCS Microsoft aggregation. 

The customers required a wide range of Microsoft licences, including: 

  • M365 (E3 and E5)
  • CIS and SCCM Data Centre
  • CIS and SCCM Standard
  • SQL Server
  • Visual Studio
  • Visio
  • Project
  • Teams
  • Azure

The solution

Our technology aggregation team helps customers save time and money by combining their requirements and helping them harness the power of bulk buying. They run Microsoft aggregations 4 times a year. 

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

Following the aggregation, the customers that took part will now place call off contracts for the number of licences they want to buy.  They will have their own standalone contract and can also discuss any extra services they need with the supplier. 

The aggregation was run through lot 3 of the Technology Products and Associated Services agreement. The outcome is underpinned by the Digital Transformation Arrangement 21 (DTA21) with Microsoft.

The results

The 11 customers that took part have saved £1 million. This was an average saving of 4.5%.

Scotland Digital Office is now exploring projects that would help them to centralise Microsoft based services across all 32 councils. This has the potential to multiply these results even further.

Let us help you add power to your procurement

Our next Microsoft aggregation is now open. You have until Friday 15 December 2023 to submit your requirements, with a formal contract award set to take place in February 2024.

Get involved

If this timetable doesn’t work for you, we are also offering aggregations with closing dates of Friday 15 March 2024 and Friday 14 June 2024.

Explore all our upcoming aggregations or visit our web page to find out more about how aggregation works.