Some of the UK’s biggest contractors have been invited by the Ministry of Defence to bid for a range of construction projects across its estate as part of the new National Capital Works Framework. The companies will be chosen by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) to deliver the design and build of construction projects up to a value of £50m. The framework forms part of the Next Generation Estate Contracts programme which was announced in December. More →

The latest wheeze from the Government as it looks to ‘streamline’ the public sector’s back-office functions including purchasing is to create two Independent Shared Service Centres as part of the Next Generation Shared Service Plan. Pick through the usual gobbledegook and acronyms and what you will find are some significant developments  as The Cabinet Office seeks to save up to £600 million a year in administration costs. More →

Britain’s local authorities have been told by the Government to find more ways to share back office functions and buy goods and services together to gain discounts and reduce costs. In a document, 50 ways to save: examples of sensible savings in local government, published by the Department for Communities and Local Government in December, councils were given a number of ideas about how they could reduce their annual spend. The report can be seen here.
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Many firms that have worked with the public sector will have their own particular stories about the failings of its procurement processes. The Government’s promise to look into this has now led to it publishing a report from the Cabinet Office released just before Christmas (great timing as ever). You can see the report looking at the failings of public procurement as reported by the supply side here. Or -straight from the horse’s mouth – an interview with Sally Collier, Government Deputy Chief Procurement Officer here.