Researching after COVID-19: our tips for commissioning new research in a sustainable way

In March, the UK government brought in measures to control the spread of COVID-19, with a complete lockdown stopping a large amount of research in its tracks, particularly where it involved face-to-face research.

The resulting delays to research commissions – from initial discussions with potential providers, right through the procurement process and up to award of contracts – has created uncertainty in the market and will have a continued impact on the continuity of research-related projects. The implications of this can be far-reaching, both in terms of the continuity and quality of data for ongoing programmes, and for the financial health of the research industry as a whole.

The way ahead

Now, as the restrictions are gradually lifted, we want to look forward, and talk about some of the ways in which you might begin to commission new research programmes, in a way that supports the wider industry as it navigates its way out of a post-pandemic slump.

When setting up new research agreements, think about how you might be able to structure the payment mechanisms more sustainably.  Consider if there are ways to reduce the barriers to suppliers bidding for new research commissions – often research projects require the supplier to bear the cost of setting everything up, and carrying out the initial work before raising any invoices.  If the pandemic situation has caused research providers to dip into their cash reserves, they may not be able to fund this – so consider how you could reduce the up-front costs for providers, or perhaps bring in earlier staged payments. 

While central government organisations are usually prohibited from paying in advance of need without Treasury consent, PPN 04/20 has made some provisions for this to secure continuity of supply of critical services in the medium and long term (until the end of October 2020). If you choose to go down this route, you should make sure that appropriate and proportionate due diligence is undertaken to ensure such payments are necessary for continuity of supply of critical services.

When you are developing your procurement documentation for a new requirement, carefully consider the relative weightings you have placed on price and quality elements of your evaluation.  

In a market where a lot of work has paused or stopped, a heavy focus on price rather than quality may push suppliers to offer unsustainable prices in order to fill their order book again.  This creates a risk that the supplier could cut corners to reduce costs, or simply run out of money.  Both of these situations would ultimately impact the quality and outcomes of the research. 

We’re here for you

Hopefully this has given you some helpful tips on how to commission new research in a way that supports the overall sustainability of the research market. 

Remember that the Research & Insights category experts at Crown Commercial Service are here to help you meet your research objectives in a more sustainable way, during a very challenging period for the wider market. 

Get in touch with us via email.

Changes to our frameworks in April

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.

Frameworks awarded in April  

Frameworks extended in April

Frameworks that expired in April 

Frameworks due to expire in the next 3 months

Further information

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

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 Hosting provides significant cost savings and sustainability measures for the Ministry of Justice

The requirement

Back in 2015 the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) wanted to achieve greater savings over their previous hosting contracts, and take advantage of advances in technology. They also wanted to meet their green agenda targets by reducing the number of data centres they had following departmental mergers.  

The solution

The ministry decided to move to the Crown Hosting framework as they were impressed with the quality and security of the data centre. They were confident it was the right environment to host their services, and that it would also meet their business continuity, green agenda, data standards and connectivity requirements. The team at the MoJ found it really easy working with CCS’s Crown Hosting experts, and the resulting solution was simple to procure. 

The Crown Hosting framework provides hyperscale data centre colocation facilities, which provide users with significant cost savings, operational efficiency and sustainability measures. It caters for anything from 4kW rack space to 200kW private rooms, and up to top secret security clearance. Additional services include smart hands for escorting or simple tasks, data cabling to enable connectivity, and optical network connectivity between sites.

The results

6 years on they are still happy with Crown Hosting, as it continues to provide by far the best value and service compared to other options. They are also pleased to have benefited from an impressive 87.5% reduction in their framework fee charges. This is because as take up of Crown Hosting by other government departments and arm’s length bodies has grown over the years every customer has reaped the rewards – the more customers that use the framework, the better value it has become for all. 

The fact that Crown Hosting is a joint venture has been very beneficial to the MoJ. The deep understanding of central government’s needs and the proactive management of the framework has been proven in the 100% service reliability, and through the regular customer consultation and support. For example, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic customers have received monthly reports detailing site access requirements for engineers to ensure safety and business continuity. The ‘Safe Hands’ service means customers can be confident that routine tasks, such as powering up servers and plugging in equipment, are carried out without risk to their own staff, and no unnecessary journeys are made.

The ministry’s green agenda has also been met, and they continue to measure carbon footprint savings as Crown Hosting enables them to track energy consumption.

Roy Godfrey, Service Owner for Technology Services at the Ministry of Justice said:

We have been successfully using the Crown Hosting framework for many years to supply technology services for over 60,000 users with fixed, portable and mobile devices. We are operating this hosting environment as a natural stepping stone toward exploiting the public cloud in the delivery of our future services.

Let us bring power to your procurement

The Crown Hosting Data Centres and Crown Commercial Service joint venture was agreed after a comprehensive tender process to identify best value against a number of critical government criteria including energy efficiency, resilience, security, sustainability and both contractual and deployment flexibility. To find out 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.

The office of the future – how CCS can help you adapt to office space changes

The past year has seen an increase in home working and a change in how office space will be used in the future. 

The Government Business Magazine references findings from the 2021 Market Outlook Survey that organisations have already taken steps to introduce hybrid models of working and that 58% of organisations are reducing their office space. This means that employees could be spending most of their working week at home and leaving the office space as a place to meet for collaboration, employee training or in person meetings.

So what does this mean for office space?

Suppliers under lot 3 and 4 on our Logistics and Warehousing framework have told us they have seen the following changes:

  • consolidation of site locations
  • removing desks to make room for an open plan space, in one example reducing 1,000 desks to 140
  • more breakout/communal areas
  • using booking systems in order to use what desks are being left in the office
  • office space becoming a hub to meet for collaborations

How can we support you?

Our Logistics and Warehousing framework launched in October 2020 and is already helping the public sector with office relocations, removals and recycling. If you are about to redesign your office space to make room for people to safely collaborate in person, consolidate offices or remove furniture and equipment, then we are here to help you.

Why choose a framework?

  1. Compliant, cost effective and quick procurements underpinned by the Public Sector Contract (PSC)
  2. Pre-evaluated framework suppliers that includes regional and national SMEs together with larger global companies
  3. Offers a wide range of innovative products and services as well as tailored solutions
  4. Tried and tested methods for organisations to reach out to the market in order to determine the best solutions
  5. Our category teams can offer support and guidance around market capabilities, effective pricing structures and standardised contract terms

Social value matters

We place social value at the heart of our agreements and this first ever Logistics and Warehousing framework has suppliers carrying out the following:

  • turning redundant office furniture into filler for packaging
  • donating office furniture and equipment for charitable/good cause use
  • recycle items that are at the end of their working life
  • relocating redundant office equipment and furniture to employees homes, ensuring that items are not repurchased to enable employees to work from home
  • supporting local food banks by providing labour, transport and storage services free of charge

Next steps

To find out more information about the services offered under the framework, please visit our Logistics and Warehousing web page.

Alternatively, if you would like to speak to a category expert at CCS, please complete our short contact form and we will be in touch. You can also email us at info@crowncommercial.gov.uk or call us at 0345 410 2222.

Woodard Independent Schools save on print expenditure, reducing the costs by 35%

The requirement

Prior to engaging Kyocera, each school managed their print needs without a collective strategy and were procuring the print solutions themselves or dealing with independent resellers. This approach meant that collectively Woodard Schools had limited oversight on what was being spent on printing and no visibility of how print devices were being used.

Jeremy Allardyce, Procurement Manager at Woodard Schools, explained: “We didn’t have a joined-up approach to our printing and as a result, we had far too many devices across the estate, many of which weren’t up to the task. Following a print survey of each school to understand the devices and volumes they were producing and their current costs, I quickly realised there was a great deal of opportunity for consistency across the board, which would control costs and reduce waste.”

The legacy print device fleets operated on many different service contracts which meant that each school’s print estate comprised a mixture of different devices.  This approach neglected the economies of scale that a more joined-up approach could provide. Woodard Schools sought to consolidate its print suppliers in the hope of cutting its print expenditure, but also build in new functionality into its print estate to cut down on waste and reduce its carbon footprint. This also presented an opportunity to improve the user experience for students and staff.

The solution 

Woodard Schools placed a tender which invited suppliers on our Multifunctional Devices and Records Management agreement (RM3781) to bid for the opportunity to manage the service for them.

After a very competitive selection process, Woodard Schools selected Kyocera to overhaul its estate on the strength of its knowledge of the education sector, device quality and competitive pricing structure.

A fully-networked print fleet was rolled out across the majority of schools. They were able to reduce the total number of devices from 389 to 217 by replacing many of the desktop printers with strategically positioned multi functional printers around each school. To ensure the print estate catered for each school’s needs, Kyocera worked with them to develop and roll out a bespoke solution that would meet their requirements.

The print provider met Woodard Schools’ requirement for greater visibility, control and functionality by installing print management software on all of the devices. This will enable them to set targets for reduction thus helping to further reduce costs and improve the carbon footprint. An auto-toner ordering system has also been installed, helping them to reduce the amount of money tied up in consumables, while ensuring it is never caught short.

The use of card readers to retrieve their jobs was deployed, with unclaimed prints being removed from the print log after 24 hours, resulting in a considerable reduction in waste. It also enabled Woodard Schools to default print jobs to black and white and double-sided. Importantly, Kyocera’s offering went beyond implementing a new print estate, providing in-depth training to ensure staff and pupils could use their new printers to the best effect.

The results 

A significant reduction in print expenditure, reducing print costs by 35%. This has been achieved by the rationalisation of the estate and by the removal of unnecessary devices that were costly to maintain.

The schools where Kyocera has implemented the solution expect to see a total reduction in prints by 4 million pages each year, significantly improving the group’s carbon footprint.

Woodard Schools’ Procurement Manager Jeremy Allardyce, expects the solution to deliver further savings over time, commenting: “Kyocera’s solution has proved very cost-effective – introducing a controlled print offering into the schools, whilst maintaining a consistent standard and money factored product as part of the arrangement. The most valuable aspect has been the visibility provided in regard to who is printing what, and this will enable schools to make informed decisions on the financial management of print and will allow us to set targets for further reductions in the future”.

For further information

If you would like to find out more about this agreement visit the webpage and how we can support you please get in touch by emailing us at info@crowncommercial.gov.uk or call us at 0345 410 2222.

Voucher Schemes framework is the first of its kind

Our new Voucher Schemes framework (RM6255) gives you access to voucher-based solutions to meet a wide range of citizen needs. It is the first of its kind.

The fully managed service includes the design, implementation and management of schemes tailored to your specific needs. That could be grocery or non-grocery vouchers for people in need, including the dispersal of the COVID winter grant, or rewards for survey completions. Suppliers will work with you to put a scheme in place that meets the particular needs of you and your recipients. 

As standard, vouchers are issued as e-vouchers and are ‘closed loop’, commonly known as gift cards. Physical vouchers, along with any other special requirements you have, can be requested in your further competition. 

Why choose the framework?

By putting in place a scheme through the framework, you will benefit from:

  • fast and compliant route to market with a direct award option – a simple scheme can be set up in 2 to 3 weeks
  • discounts on the voucher face value based on the size and value of your scheme
  • no minimum scheme value needed to use the framework
  • fast, secure voucher distribution 
  • vouchers are valid for a time-period specified by you
  • unused or lost vouchers will be replaced or refunded
  • free helpline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year

If you would like to offer vouchers for employee benefit, reward or recognition please take a look at our Employee Benefits framework (RM6133).

Your buying decisions have the power to make life better for citizens 

Visit the framework page on our website to find out more about the framework and how to get started.

You can also get in touch if you have any questions:

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.

Logistics and Warehousing solutions to help with your COVID-19 recovery

The current pandemic has increased pressure on frontline services with many local authorities, NHS trusts and blue light organisations needing to meet the increased demand for commodities and equipment required to support the COVID-19 response.

This is a challenge for many organisations where contingency stocks need to be stored and distributed locally in order to meet urgent, uncertain and varying demand from the communities they serve. 

How we’re supporting you

Our Logistics and Warehousing framework is already helping significantly with the storage and distribution requirements of organisations like yours. We provide a range of solutions to support the regional and national COVID-19 response.

We’ve helped with storing and distributing: 

  • PPE 
  • test kits 
  • medical equipment 
  • critical commodities 

The solutions available cover a broad spectrum, from ad-hoc short-term storage to longer term warehousing provision including temperature controlled environments, MRHA and GDP compliant storage and agile supply chain logistics.

A framework for fast, efficient and effective procurement

Framework agreements are increasingly becoming the desired route to market offering compliant, cost effective and rapid procurements underpinned by the Public Sector Contract (PSC).  This is even more critical at this unprecedented time when councils have enormous pressure placed upon in-house resources. 

Our pre-evaluated framework suppliers that include regional and national SMEs together with larger global companies offer a wide range of innovative products and services. These solutions can be tailored to meet your specific and local needs.  

We also provide a tried and tested way for organisations to reach out to the market in order to determine the best solutions. Our category teams are here to offer support and guidance around market capabilities, effective pricing structures and standardised contract terms.   

Social value matters

In addition, we place social value at the heart of our agreements and this first ever Logistics and Warehousing framework can deliver on key benefits such as:

  • COVID-19 recovery achieved by local PPE storage and distribution
  • regional employment growth through recruitment and business opportunities
  • supply chain resilience delivered by our SMEs through collaboration
  • a clear roadmap to tangible delivery of environmentally sustainable and Carbon Net Zero logistical solutions

Empowering you to make better buying decisions

If you want to find out more information on the above please visit our Logistics and Warehousing framework page.

Alternatively, if you would like to speak to a category expert at CCS, please complete our short contact form and we will be in touch.

You can also call us at 0345 410 2222 or email us at info@crowncommercial.gov.uk.

Special educational needs school saves over £53,000 on cleaning contract

The requirement

Chiltern Wood School strives for ‘success through wellbeing’. A high standard of daily cleaning to enable its 200 pupils, who have varying complex needs and learning styles, to learn and play in a clean environment is essential to them.

The school has bespoke cleaning requirements, including periodic deep cleaning, due to the range of facilities it provides to enhance the pupil experience. This includes soft play rooms, sensory rooms, occupational therapy rooms, student kitchens, and a hydrotherapy pool.

They need 140 cleaning hours per week across their 2 sites in High Wycombe, and wanted to consolidate 2 existing cleaning contracts into one to make it easier to manage.

The solution

Our Building Cleaning Services DPS was the ideal solution for Chiltern Wood School to source what they needed. It gave them access to a competitive pool of contract cleaning companies who were ready to provide services that met the school’s bespoke needs. To achieve the necessary cleaning standard, suppliers were required to meet the BICSc Standard, the professional cleaning standard set by The British Institute of Cleaning Science.

The school made the most of the support available from CCS, which included help writing the bespoke requirements specification and other tender documents, advising on the procurement timeline, and ensuring compliance with the procurement regulations.

 Vicky Clanfield, Business Manager at Chiltern Wood School, said:

From beginning to end CCS was fantastic. The expertise offered in relation to the cleaning specification and the support with compliance was second to none. As a school we don’t have access to procurement specialists, without incurring additional charges. CCS provided everything we needed and more, talking through each stage and explaining what to focus on – and this was all free to the school.

 The result

Chiltern Wood School has been able to put in place the cleaning contract they needed in a compliant and efficient way. What’s more, they will save more than £53,000 over the 5 year contract, compared to their previous contracts. 

The flexibility of our DPS agreement also meant the school could include their bespoke needs in the contract, ensuring the cleaning services will be maintained to the high standard that the school requires.

 Vicky added:

I was quite surprised at how much of a saving there was on the contract – it made it all worthwhile. I doubt we would have had the same outcome without the support of CCS. All savings made on the contract will be redirected into the resources in the classroom. We are already looking at how CCS can support the school with other contracts.

 Let us bring power to your procurement

Our Building Cleaning Services DPS offers you a flexible way to source cleaning services that suit your organisation’s needs. To find out more:

CCS supports SAFERjobs

During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, criminals took advantage of the uncertainties of many UK citizens by using fake job listings to trick people into handing over money or personal data. Reports of fake job listings soared by 70% between March and October 2020, and more than 750 reports were made to SAFERjobs.

SAFERjobs is a Metropolitan Police initiative to combat recruitment fraud, malpractice and breach of legislation. They work with many organisations across government, including Crown Commercial Service (CCS), the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Department for Work and Pensions, Trading Standards, City of London Police, the Home Office and Action Fraud. They can take enforcement action including removing websites and fake jobs. 

Making recruitment SAFER

We encourage all our recruitment framework suppliers to play their part to stamp out such activity, by signing up to the code of conduct and promoting SAFERjobs through their websites.

We want to give our customers the peace of mind of knowing that by choosing a CCS recruitment framework they are benefiting from:

  • a fully transparent recruitment supply chain with modern slavery compliance assessed to a standard over and above the current public sector procurement regulations
  • workers and suppliers can report any supply chain abuse safe in the knowledge that intelligence is shared across government organisations, as appropriate
  • ethical recruitment where people are recruited to standards such as those set by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)
  • fake job adverts will be removed from online sites

Empowering you to make safer recruitment decisions

Find out more about how we can help with your temporary recruitment needs:

If you would like to raise a concern through SAFERjobs, please complete their incident report form.

Face-to-face research: guidance for the safe use of viewing facilities

Lockdown restrictions are cautiously being eased across England and, as a result, face-to-face research and data collection activities that were stopped in their tracks last year are becoming viable options once more.

In particular, viewing facilities have reopened as of 29 March 2021 and will allow for focus groups to meet and depth interviewing to take place on a limited basis where no other alternative methodology is appropriate.

There are published processes and guidance available on safer working to ensure that these activities can resume with participants’ and researchers’ safety at the top of the agenda.

The Market Research Society has published a great resource on undertaking face-to-face data collection in halls, venues and viewing facilities, which you can view here, so when you are planning your research and thinking about the methodologies you need, please keep viewing facilities in mind.

To support the industry and ensure great outcomes for your face-to-face requirements you can plan and share your pipeline with CCS. We have some pointers on what useful questions to ask when developing your plan in our earlier blog here.

By sharing your thinking with us, we can let our research suppliers know what may be coming up. Any field work takes time to prepare with suitable resourcing, so sharing a pipeline in advance can ensure suppliers are in the best possible position to deliver the best service and outcomes.

We’re here for you

The Research & Insights team at Crown Commercial Service are here to help you with your research objectives.

If you have any queries, questions or comments, please get in touch with us via email.