Bidding for Decarbonisation and Energy Efficiency Tenders & Frameworks  We have developed this article as a result of an increasing demand from our clients on how to successfully work within the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and how to be awarded these funds.  In 2019 our Government committed to reducing all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme provides grants/ funding for public sector bodies to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures. The aim is to reduce emission in public building by 75 ..read more

Following several months of negotiations, the Procurement Reform Bill has now been introduced in Parliament. Expected to go live in mid-2023, the bill now requires secondary legislation to bring certain elements and the wider plan into effect, after which it will also have to be granted Royal Assent. This Bill will reform the existing EU Procurement Rules, which, after Brexit, are no longer valid within the UK.  The Transforming Public Procurement programme aims to improve the regulation of public procurement in order to create a simpler and more flexible system for users. The changes c ..read more

WHAT IS NETWORK SERVICES 3? Network Services 3 is the most recent adaptation of a national framework, initially created in 2015 to replace the previous PSN Services and PSN Connectivity frameworks, and is aimed at providing buyers from central government and wider public sector organisations with access to network infrastructure and communications services. These include, but are not limited to cloud services, audio and video conferencing, radio and satellite networking. This is a Crown Commercial Services (CCS) framework, available to public sector buyers from across the UK, which seeks ..read more

What Are Pin Notices? Prior Information Notices (PINs) are public notices used by contracting authorities looking to purchase products and/or services. PINs are used to announce the future release of an upcoming tender, showing that a buyer has a requirement for additional support from one or more external suppliers. Alternatively known as Early Market Engagement Notices or Future Opportunity Notices, PINs are the indication that a formal tender process has begun; namely a preliminary market consultation. These notices act as a gateway for the buyer and supplier to understand more about th ..read more

Challenging procurement decisions has featured more prominently in the news over recent months, and, in our experience, it always has been, and remains, a difficult area to navigate. Prime examples could include Camelot, as the incumbent, challenging the procurement decision to run the Lottery in the UK. The Contracting Authority (the buyer), The Gambling Commission, have been cited as failing to provide enough feedback with regards to the decision-making process of the award – surely not! Bidders will no doubt be familiar with this frustration, so this will be a particularly interesting ca ..read more

UK Governmental Innovation Strategy The UK Government has a vision to position the UK as a global hub for innovation by 2035. By supporting companies to grow through the development and commercialisation of new products and services, the government hopes to increase innovation, boosting the economy, creating jobs and promoting continued sustainable growth. These funds are largely managed by Innovate UK, a non-departmental funding body and part of the UK Research and Innovation organisation. Through exceptionally competitive formal funding competitions, Innovate UK aims to “inspire, involve a ..read more

What is G-Cloud 13?  G-Cloud 13 is the newest iteration of the G-Cloud framework, launched in 2012, which is used by the UK Public Sector to locate and procure a diverse range of cloud-based computing services. This government framework is open to businesses of all sizes who operate within the digital information and technology sectors and is due for renewal in September 2022. Indeed, almost 40% of the total spend thus far has been with SMEs, driven by the government’s commitment to spend £1 in every £3 with small to medium enterprises.  Thus far, over the previous twelve iteratio ..read more

As more emphasis is placed on businesses of all sizes to consider the wider environmental impact of their activities, many are left confused about how to align their businesses to best practice. After COP26, several governmental commitments were made with the aim of drastically reducing the emissions of methane and carbon throughout the UK, and an onus has now been placed on individual businesses to take responsibility for achieving these new targets. However, many organisations, particularly SMEs, are left wondering how these commitments could affect both the day to day running of their busi ..read more

STAR PROCUREMENT Once a supplier has been awarded a framework, what happens next? If it’s a single supplier framework, each call off/piece of work will initially come to procurement to be signed off. Once approval is given, the service area in the council will then contact the supplier directly about whether the supplier would like to accept the work to ensure both capacity and availability. If the supplier is happy to accept, a small call-off contract will be issued to the supplier to legally enter into the contract for that piece of work; this may also include specific KPI’s that the coun ..read more

Guide to writing a Cleaning FM bid When writing tenders for any industry, it is important to note key themes within each sector and more importantly, how you and your business align with them. These key themes may relate to Sustainability, Health and Safety, or Innovation, yet all will require thorough research and understanding before you begin writing. Why is it important? Often branded as the ‘unsung heroes’, cleaners/FM workers usually work ‘out-of-hours’ meaning that they go without being seen. Because of this, you must place considerable trust in the hands of these professionals ..read more