Guidance

Crown Commercial Service update: September 2017

Published 6 September 2017

© Crown copyright 2017

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/crown-commercial-service-update-september-2017/crown-commercial-service-update-september-2017

1. Join a CCS aggregation and make great savings

Have you considered joining one of our aggregation opportunities to make even greater savings? When buying common goods and services, bringing together customers with similar needs has several advantages, including big savings and a simpler tender process:

  • the more customers we can bring together the greater the savings for all
  • collaboration helps ensure consistent application of best practice and opportunities for learning
  • simplification of the tender process reduces procurement costs for buyers and bidding costs for suppliers

Recently 11 NHS trusts saved over £800,000 on their video conferencing contract through one of our aggregated further competitions. More examples of our aggregation success can be found in our case study collection.

1.1 Automatic number plate recognition

Our Traffic Management Technology 2 (RM1089) framework covers automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology, and we are planning national aggregated further competitions for both police and car park ANPR. We anticipate the competitions will complete in October.

If this is of interest to you please register to join one of our introductory webinars:

If you are unable to attend a webinar but are still interested please get in touch - simply tick the aggregation box and quote NFC77.

Find out more about all our latest aggregation opportunities.

To learn more about how our free to use aggregation services can help you make savings or to discuss any of the current opportunities please fill in our online enquiry form.

Simply tick the box to express your interest in aggregation, and quote the reference number (e.g. NFC123) if you are interested in one of our current opportunities.

2. CCS events

2.1 Latest technology webinars

Our technology framework teams are hosting a series of webinars throughout September to help explain what, and how, you can buy technology and digital solutions through our frameworks.

  • Network Services – 7 September 1.30pm
  • Cyber Security Services – 13 September 11am
  • Technology Products – 19 September 2.30pm
  • Technology Solutions – 21 September 10am and 26 September 2pm
  • Digital Outcomes and Specialists – 21 September 11am
  • Quality Assurance and Testing for IT systems – 26 September 11am

Find out more information about the webinars and how to register.

2.2 Facilities management workshop

We want to work with customers across all areas of the public sector as we develop our new Facilities Management framework to make sure it meets your needs.

We will be hosting a workshop on Wednesday 20 September at the Manchester Conference Centre from 10am to 2pm. The aim of the workshop is to discuss our plans for a facilities management (FM) marketplace, the strategy behind it and our progress to date. We also want to understand more about how you buy FM, to ensure that our proposals will meet your needs.

To register your interest in coming along to the workshop please email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk.

2.3 Fleet customer forum

Our fleet customer forum meets 3 times a year and the next forum is being hosted by Vauxhall in Ellesmere Port on 24 October. The objective of the forum is to discuss best practice in fleet management and share insights into how to obtain real commercial benefits from your fleet procurement and whole life cost management. When the forum last met in June the group shared insights and best practice on a number of themes, including environmental targets, alternative fuels and accident management.

The forum is a great opportunity to network with other commercial and fleet professionals, so if you are interested in attending please email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk to find out more.

3. Conferences and exhibitions

3.1 Emergency Services Show

We’ll be at the Emergency Services Show on 20-21 September at the NEC in Birmingham. The show will feature over 400 exhibitors and free CPD seminars and workshops.

You will find us on stand W18, where we will be showcasing the Crown Marketplace programme’s purchasing platform for technology products and our range of fleet frameworks, including a new dynamic purchasing platform for vehicle conversion.

Register for free.

3.2 UK Health Show

We’re participating in the UK Health Show at Olympia in London on 27 September. The show will bring healthcare professionals and decision makers together to help the NHS and the wider health sector promote and improve service delivery for better healthcare outcomes. There will be 4 dedicated content areas at the show:

  • Healthcare Efficiency through Technology (HETT)
  • Commissioning in Healthcare
  • Procurement in Healthcare
  • Cyber Security in Healthcare

Procurement in Healthcare will focus on leveraging purchasing power to achieve the best value for goods and services and our Account Director for Health, Will Laing, will be speaking at 10.15am about combining resources in the procurement of common goods and services.

Register for free.

3.3 Procurex Scotland

Working towards the ‘Scottish Government Procurement Strategy: January 2017- March 2019‘, Procurex Scotland Live at the SEC in Glasgow on 25 October will host a range of skills development and educational features, facilitated through workshops and advice hubs. In addition, you will find CCS in the Product Showcase Exhibition where we will be on hand to answer your procurement questions and show you our latest developments, including the purchasing platform.

If you are involved in public sector procurement in Scotland register now – it’s free to attend.

3.4 Procurex Wales

Working towards the ‘Taking Wales Forward 2016-2021‘ strategy, Procurex Wales at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff on 9 November will host a range of skills development and educational features, facilitated through workshops and advice hubs. In addition, you will find CCS in the Product Showcase Exhibition where we will be on hand to answer your procurement questions and show you our latest developments including the purchasing platform.

If you are involved in public sector procurement in Wales register now – it’s free to attend.

3.5 Public Sector Show

We are once again supporting the Public Sector Show in Manchester on 21 November. The event aims to bring together senior professionals from local and central government and the wider public sector to hear key policy updates, learn from best practice case studies and satisfy their procurement needs to deliver smarter and more efficient public services.

The event focuses on the particular challenges facing public services in the North of England, the Midlands and beyond; by exploring issues of devolution, funding constraints and the specific demand needs of the regions.

Nick Caton, Head of Wider Public Sector, will be speaking on delivering value in public service procurement, and in the CCS open theatre we will be hosting a number of sessions including:

  • using social value criteria to run and evaluate your procurement
  • aggregation through collaboration
  • transforming public procurement with a click
  • why customers choose CCS for utilities & fuels

It’s free to attend – register now.

4. Latest case studies

4.1 Claims management service saves Ministry of Defence £1.6 million

Our Insurance Services framework (RM3731) includes a standalone lot for claims management, developed to support organisations that have a requirement for services to manage common law compensation claims brought against them.

The Ministry of Defence used the framework to appoint a new supplier to manage their third party motor liability and employer’s liability claims, and thanks to the framework’s competitive fee structure, they are expected to save approximately £1.6 million over the 4 year contract.

View the full case study.

4.2 G-Cloud halves cost of DWP’s ‘Tell Us Once’

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) introduced the ‘Tell Us Once’ system back in 2011 to make it easier for people to inform the government about a change in their personal circumstances. With the system’s contract about to expire, the emerging Government Digital Agenda and the need to drive down costs, DWP wanted a solution that would move from a physical hosted system to a commodity cloud-based solution in just 8 months.

Using the G-Cloud 9 framework (RM1557ix) DWP switched from a physical infrastructure to a cloud solution, achieving cost savings of around 50% on the IT running costs. Cutting administration costs and reducing the overpayments of benefits - usually because of out-of-date records of people’s personal circumstances - has also generated cross-government savings, estimated at more than £20 million per year.

View the full case study.

4.3 Sunderland City Council saves £200,000 on insurance services

In 2016, the council began a major procurement exercise for their insurance requirements. The new agreements had to be in place by 1 April 2017 and previously cost approximately £1 million per annum.

Using our Insurance Services framework (RM3731) the council secured the same level of insurance with a saving of £200,000 per annum.

View the full case study.

4.4 Birmingham City Council saves £1.7 million on managed print

Birmingham City Council required a fully managed end-to-end print service which would deliver minimum guaranteed savings of 15%. The council also wanted to use a Birmingham based supply chain to boost the local economy and comply with the council’s Business Charter for Social Responsibility.

Using our Wider Public Sector Print Services framework (RM1687), the council appointed a supplier to manage its marketing and communications print spend. Over the course of 2 years, the partnership delivered a combined saving of over £1.7 million for the council, with 92% of external print jobs placed within the local economy.

View the full case study.

View all our latest case studies.

5. New frameworks

  • Estates Professional Services (RM3816) is now live giving you access to property related professional services to help you reduce property costs, release unwanted property assets, and identify savings and income generation opportunities from land and buildings.
  • Specialist Courier Services (RM3799) is now live and organisations who need to transport hazardous or sensitive materials could save up to 15%. For example, police forces transporting seized firearms and explosives, GP surgeries who need to send blood samples for testing and local authorities seizing counterfeit goods and transporting to storage facilities. 11 of the 16 suppliers (69%) on the framework are SMEs.
  • Vehicle Conversions Dynamic Purchasing System is now live. The system is similar to a framework, but new suppliers can join at any time. You can also decide your own specification and evaluation criteria. Benefits include a quicker, simpler buying process and increased scope of services.
  • Technology Services 2 (RM3804) is now live offering customers access to a wide range of ICT services, including all government security classification levels. Choose from 4 lots: technology strategy and service design, transition and transformation, operational services and programmes and large projects.
  • Supply, Delivery and Installation of Furniture and Associated Services (RM3812) has recently awarded and will go live shortly, covering the supply of furniture, delivery, implementation, aftercare, specialist user requirements and post implementation support. Two-thirds of the successful suppliers on the agreement are SMEs, and lot 1 has been specially designed to be used as part of the Government Property Unit hub programme.

6. Management consultancy update

The new Management Consultancy framework (RM3745) provides a compliant, cost effective way for central government and the wider public sector to access a variety of consultancy advice from a wide range of suppliers.

Lot 2 (Finance) and lot 3 (Audit) have been awarded and the framework page will be live on the website shortly.

Lot 1 of the framework, which covers business consultancy services, has not been awarded. A further procurement exercise will be run for business consultancy services, where the scope of services will be broader, to ensure that the framework can meet all of our customers needs. View the new Prior Information Notice.

7. New contract notices

We have recently published a contract notice in OJEU for Spend Analysis and Recovery Services (RM3820).

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

8. Frameworks expiring shortly

9. Framework extensions

10. Recently expired frameworks

11.1 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.

11.2 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

11.3 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:

12. 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 customer service team on 0345 410 2222.

You can also follow us on Twitter and connect with us on LinkedIn.

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