Guidance

Crown Commercial Service customer update: June 2017

Published 9 June 2017

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1. Payments go live on the Crown Marketplace purchasing platform

The Crown Marketplace programme has introduced a new checkout system, allowing buyers to complete their purchases through the platform, using electronic purchasing cards.

Until now, buyers using the platform’s 2 catalogues – Technology Products 2 and Office Supplies – needed to contact suppliers to arrange direct payment. This latest development means that buyers can now complete their purchase using an electronic purchasing card.

The platform’s catalogues offer access to more than 300,000 products and the ambition is to provide buyers with a seamless experience similar to using a major online retailer.

Register for the Crown Marketplace purchasing platform

Find out more here about obtaining elelctronic purchasing cards for your organisation

2. New research framework: share your views

We’re developing a new framework for market, social and economic research. If you buy research services across any areas of the public sector we’d welcome your input.

Please complete this short survey by 30 June to help us shape the new framework.

If you would like to learn more about our plans for the new framework and share your ideas, please also come along to one of our customer engagement sessions:

3. Update on Public Sector Resourcing

Following extensive engagement with customers and suppliers, the OJEU notice for Public Sector Resourcing (RM3749) has now been published to procure a replacement for Contingent Labour ONE, to meet the needs of customers with contingent worker requirements across the public sector.

The new approach will ensure greater transparency of costs and help ensure that our customers get the best workers, with the right skills, at the right price, quickly and easily. Based on customer feedback and market intelligence there will also be tailored supply chains to help you access SME suppliers. The main features will be:

  • a range of ways to directly access workers with access to non-agency supply routes to talent (i.e. direct hire, talent pooling, pre-identifying workers and other innovative market practices)
  • stronger governance, continuous improvement, ongoing innovation and savings
  • a focus on streamlining the end-to-end process from approval to vetting to payment in line with good industry practice
  • automatic “real time” benchmarking to ensure customers are paying the right amount for workers by location and job type
  • performance management of workers

Framework award is expected by the end of 2017, with mobilisation in early 2018 and implementation in mid 2018.

In the meantime, you can continue to use both Contingent Labour ONE (RM960) and Non-Medical Non-Clinical (RM971) to access temporary staff across a wide range of business areas.

Learn more about Public Sector Resourcing and access a detailed Q&A booklet

4. Register by 14 June to join our fleet eAuction

If you want to buy or lease new cars or light commercial vehicles, including minibuses, join one of our regular fleet eAuctions. The next eAuction will take place in July, with vehicle ordering open until October. The deadline for getting involved is 14 June.

By combining your requirements with those of other public sector organisations we can help you make great savings on the whole life costs of your vehicles – whether you need 1 or 1,000. We do this by using standardised vehicle specifications and using our bulk buying power to make your requirements more attractive to suppliers.

And if you want to lease rather than buy the vehicles that is fine – in fact that is what most of our eAuction customers actually do!

Joining one of our eAuctions will save you both time and money as we run the eAuction for you, so there is very little administration for you to deal with. You will also benefit from flexible payment and delivery terms.

Our eAuctions are open to all public and third sector organisations, and any volume or vehicle type can be considered.

To discuss your requirements and register your interest please get in touch before 14 June by emailing fleet@crowncommercial.gov.uk

Even if your requirement does not meet these specifications or timescales please get in touch as it is likely we can still help you.

5. Insurance services: changes to the personal injury discount rate

On 20 March the Personal Injury Discount Rate (PIDR), which is used to calculate lump sum compensation to people who have suffered life changing injuries, changed from 2.5% to minus 0.75%. This means that claimants can expect to receive more compensation, but it is likely to also mean an increase in insurance rates for your motor and liability policies.

This is because insurers, particularly those who are heavily exposed to large or catastrophic personal injury claims, will now need to pay out more expensive claims.

Brokers on our Insurance Services (RM3731) framework are ideally placed to help you deal with any issues you may face as a result of this change and we would recommend that, if you need advice, you speak to them as soon as possible to give them the best chance to help you.

We are also holding a series of insight days for customers interested in using our Insurance Services framework - full details in the Events section below. At one of the recent sessions an insurance broker gave attendees useful hints and tips on what they can do to reduce the effect of this change to the rates they pay, so you may also find it useful to join one of these events.

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for setting the PIDR rate and is currently considering public responses to a consultation on how it may be set in the future. This means that there may be further changes and we will keep you updated on developments.

6. Events

6.1 Insurance Services insight events

We’re holding a series of insight events for customers interested in using the Insurance Services (RM3731) framework.

Held in conjunction with YPO, ESPO and NEPO, the sessions will provide you with guidance and support on making decisions around insurance procurement. The events are designed to give you the opportunity to develop your knowledge and share experiences with different public sector organisations.

These sessions will cover a range of topical issues and help you to get the most from the framework.

Please register for your preferred date using the links below:

6.2 Civil Service Live 2017

We will be attending Civil Service Live 2017 events throughout June and July, supporting a series of workshops on commercial as a profession. The events will enable civil servants and organisations to share best practice and innovation across government:

  • Thursday 15 June, Manchester Central, Manchester
  • Tuesday 20 June, The Sage, Gateshead
  • Thursday 29 June, City Hall, Cardiff
  • Tuesday 4 July, EICC, Edinburgh (note: new date due to general election)
  • Thursday 6 July, NEC, Birmingham
  • Tuesday and Wednesday 11 and 12 July, QEII Centre, London

For more information about the events and different sponsorship, speaking or exhibition opportunities please email customer.service@dodsgroup.com or call 020 7593 5500.

6.3 Public Sector Show 2017

We’re delighted to be supporting the Public Sector Show once again on 27 June. The event gives us the chance to meet with a huge number of customers - both existing and potential new ones - in just one day.

We’d love to have the chance to meet with you at the show - whether that is at one of our seminar sessions in our open theatre, or at our stand where you can chat with our senior commercial experts who will be on hand throughout the day to offer one ­to ­one practical procurement advice and answer any questions you may have.

In the main conference theatre Malcolm Harrison, our chief executive, will be speaking about how we can help you deliver savings through better procurement, and in our dedicated open theatre we will be hosting a variety of sessions over the course of the day. Topics will include:

  • an introduction to CCS
  • simplifying the market for public sector buyers
  • disruptive technology: new digital platforms to transform public procurement
  • keeping you updated on public procurement policy and regulations, including social value

We’re here to help you and look forward to seeing you at the show.

Book your free place today

7. Technology webinars

Register for our next Network Services webinar on 21 June to find out more about our framework, which gives you access to networks and telecommunication services including PSN compliant services and mobile.

8. Take part in aggregated further competitions

When buying common goods and services, bringing together customers’ needs provides several advantages, including savings and a simpler tender process. Recent examples of our aggregation success can be found in our case study collection

Find out more about our latest aggregation opportunities.

9. Brochures

9.1 G-Cloud

G-Cloud 9 was launched in May to replace the previous iteration, G-Cloud 8. Following feedback from buyers, there are a number of changes including a new lotting structure to cover cloud hosting, cloud software and cloud support, as well as the opportunity for longer contracts.

View the brochure to find out more

View our full suite of brochures.

10. New frameworks

Project Management & Full Design Team Services framework (RM3741) is now live, giving you access to project management, design and advisory services to support the delivery of your property and construction projects. The framework is the first point of “cradle to grave” services provision in CCS and is supported by other frameworks such as Estates Professional Services, Facilities Management Services, Building Materials, Modular Buildings, Furniture and Energy Services.

G-Cloud9 (RM1557ix) is now live, replacing the previous iteration, G-Cloud 8. Following feedback from buyers, there are a number of changes, including a new lotting structure to cover Cloud Hosting, Cloud Software and Cloud Support, and the opportunity for longer contracts.

eDisclosure Services (RM3717) is now live giving you access to services ranging from a low volume work package for documents and data with a security classification up to ‘Official’ and ‘Official Sensitive’ up to an end to end service for documents and data with a security classification up to and including ’Secret’ and ‘Top Secret’.

Occupational Health Services, Employee Assistance Programmes and Eye Care (RM3795) is now live offering access to services including:

  • Occupational Health Services: including attendance management advice and assessments, health education, ill-health retirement and workplace assessments
  • Employee Assistance Programmes: including coaching and counselling services, bullying and harassment support, and health and wellbeing promotion
  • Eye Care Services: including mobile services

The following frameworks have also recently awarded and will go live shortly:

  • Contact Centres (RM3815)
  • Rail Legal Services (RM3756)

11. New contract notices

We have recently published OJEU notices for the following new procurements:

You can view details of all ongoing or planned procurements on our procurement pipeline.

12. Frameworks expiring shortly

13. Framework extensions

14. Contract variations

  • Contingent LabourONE (RM960) will continue until 18 June 2018 as a contract variation to ensure continuity of service during the development of the new Public Sector Resourcing solution.

15. Recently expired frameworks

16.1 Case studies

View our latest case studies.

16.2 Mystery Shopper results

You can view the latest Mystery Shopper results to see how the scheme is helping to improve procurement practices across the public sector and support our ambition to make doing business with government as easy as possible for small businesses.

16.3 Procurement policy

If you are looking for public procurement policy guidance please take a look at our public procurement policy page

Looking for a particular procurement policy note? View the collection of all procurement policy notes

16.4 Procurement tools

eSourcing log on

eMarketplace log on

If you use these tools frequently why not save them to your favourites for easy access? Not yet registered? Find out how to register:

17. Sign up for email alerts

You can sign up for immediate, daily or weekly email alerts which will tell you what we have added or updated on the GOV.UK website. It is a great way to stay up to date with the latest news and information from CCS. Sign up for email alerts by providing your email address and selecting the frequency you wish to receive updates.

If you need further information about anything in this update please do not hesitate to contact us by email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk or call our helpdesk on 0345 410 2222 You can also follow us on Twitter and connect with us on LinkedIn

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