Procurement at ÂìÒϸ£Àûµ¼º½: Our Approach to Buying Goods and Services
About our spending
ÂìÒϸ£Àûµ¼º½ spends around £50 million a year on things other than staff salaries. This includes everything from school supplies and IT equipment to building maintenance and catering. Our goal is to ensure we get the best possible value for money for all our schools.
How we buy things
We have a dedicated team that helps our schools buy supplies and services efficiently. We use a variety of methods, from simple local orders to large, complex contracts with multiple suppliers. We understand that today's economic climate requires us to be responsible and efficient. We're always looking for ways to improve how we use our resources, and we're committed to finding innovative solutions that provide excellent value.
Opportunities to work with us
For contracts worth over £40,000, we advertise tender opportunities on the Government's ‘Central Digital Platform’. You can find these opportunities here:
We recommend creating a profile on these sites to receive notifications of new opportunities. Supplier registration and guidance is available .
Supporting local and smaller businesses
We're keen to work with small to medium-sized businesses, charities, and local suppliers. We want to make it as easy as possible for these organisations to work with us. To help, we aim to:
Use clear, simple language and avoid jargon.
Break down larger contracts into smaller, more manageable parts where possible.
Set realistic deadlines and timescales.
Considering Social Value
We believe in the importance of "social value." This means we aim to buy goods and services in a way that benefits not just our organisation, but also the wider community and the environment. We encourage all our suppliers to consider how they can contribute to social value.
Our commitment to sustainability
We're committed to ensuring that workers in our supply chains are treated fairly and ethically. We regularly review our policies and procedures to ensure we're doing our part to promote sustainability.
Managing contracts
Depending on the type of purchase, contract management may be handled locally by a school or centrally by our team. We're always striving to improve our performance, and we expect the same from our suppliers. For some contracts, we may appoint a contract manager to monitor performance, quality, price, delivery, and sustainability. We may also ask suppliers to provide regular updates and attend meetings. Please note that some contracts may require staff to undergo background checks.