Robust procurement continues to drive savings
Telford & Wrekin Council continues to drive savings through robust competitive tendering and real time negotiation when brokering services.
A report to the council’s cabinet – which meets on December 7 – says the council continues to deliver more from its procurements, ensuring that added social value is an essential part of purchasing and the provision of services.
The social value return on investment means the council can achieve more for the community with smart procurement.
The report cites a number of recent examples of how social value has been a key part of new contracts.
These include the EnviroGrant scheme which offers grants of £10,000 to local community groups and an accreditation scheme for primary schools which includes free visits to facilities to educate pupils on recycling and waste.
Councillor Lee Carter, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for Finance, Partnerships and Commercial Development, said: “These examples show how our spending power helps the wider community..
“We can offer guidance to bidders for our services on the type of social value that would most benefit our community or offer solutions that are in line with an organisation’s own corporate social responsibility priorities”.
“As a result of this approach, we are seeing an increase in social value outcomes helping our communities to help themselves. Some 60 per cent of the council’s spend is paid back into the local community, something that I think we can be proud of.”
The report also says that the council will be working with all suppliers and providers over coming months to ensure all contracts are amended to comply with changes to data protection legislation, namely the introduction of the new General Data Protection Regulations which are being introduced in May next year.
These regulations introduce a raft of new requirements which suppliers/providers will have to legally comply with as at 25 May 2018.
