Search Results for: government

New procurement systems to make it easier to bid for Government work

by • News, Property, Public Sector, Technology, Workplace design

Public SectorThe Cabinet Office has unveiled a new centralised system that it claims will make it easier and cheaper for suppliers to compete for government and public sector work  because they will only have to register once to have access to a range of contracts. Currently, suppliers to government and the public sector have to register on several systems to be able to view, access and tender for business opportunities. The Cabinet Office believes the new system will be particularly attractive for SMEs who found the current system too onerous.  The system will replace an existing system which serves over 80,000 registered suppliers and the same number of customers

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UK Government reports £1 billion sale of unwanted properties

by • Architecture, News, Property

St Dunstans HouseThe Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has claimed that central Government departments in the UK have now raised more than £1 billion by selling unused property since 2010. He also claimed that government departments have saved an additional £168 million with the termination of leases on unwanted buildings. The landmark figure was reached with the sale of St. Dunstan’s House (above), formerly home to the Ministry of Justice to Taylor Wimpey who will be converting the site into – what else? – a residential project of 76 apartments designed by David Walker Architects.

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UK central government fails to increase spending with SMEs

by • Facilities management, Knowledge, News, Public Sector

r_seaman@hotmail.comThe Cabinet Office has published figures for how much the UK’s central government departments spent on products and services from small and medium enterprises during the year 2011/2012. The low key announcement slipped under the radar for many people, possibly because the figures indicate that the government is very unlikely to hit its target of spending a quarter of its total expenditure with SMEs in the course of this parliament. While it’s inevitable that large areas of government spending are unsuitable for supply from smaller businesses, the Cabinet Office will be concerned that the current total of 10 per cent is way short of its expectations.

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US Federal government confirms green-building requirements

by • Architecture, Environment, Facilities management, Property, Public Sector

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A new study prepared for the United States Department of Defense (DoD) by the National Research Council has given the seal of approval on the importance of green-building certification programs as tools to reduce energy use and other operational costs. “This reaffirmed what we’ve been saying all along – that LEED makes good economic sense,” said Fleming Roberts, Associate, Policy & Advocacy at the US Building Council. “The report recommended that the Department of Defense should require its new buildings or major renovations to be designed to achieve at least LEED Silver certification.” (more…)

UK government to ban tax cheats from winning public sector work

by • Knowledge, Legal news, News, Property, Public Sector

white-hall-placeThe UK Treasury yesterday announced new rules that would mean that it can ban firms who avoid tax illegally from winning public sector contracts. The new system will come into force as early as April 1 of this year, leaving little time for consultation and are outlined in draft guidance published for consultation by the Government. It will require potential suppliers to notify contracting departments of their recent tax compliance history and to tell the department if any tax return has recently been found to be incorrect and if they have been convicted for tax related offences or subject to a penalty for civil fraud or evasion. Departments will be able to disqualify any bidder meeting these criteria from the procurement process.

£4 billion UK Government spend to be managed by Research Councils

by • Facilities management, News, Property, Public Sector

cheque_bookAround £4 billion of the UK Government’s spending on construction and facilities management projects is to be handled by The Research Council’s UK Shared Services Centre (RCUK SSC). The move has been agreed with the Government Procurement Service (GPS) as part of the coalition’s attempts to achieve cost savings in every part of the public sector. GPS projects that the move will save around 10 per cent of the budgeted spend by consolidating procurement procedures, although shared procurement services have sometimes failed to deliver anticipated saving in the past. (more…)

Mixed response to Government office conversion plans

by • Architecture, News, Property, Public Sector

As predicted earlier this week, the government has confirmed new measures that will allow office space to be converted into homes without the need for planning permission. Further reforms are also intended to help boost rural communities and create jobs by allowing agricultural buildings to be converted for other business use, such as shops, offices, restaurants or leisure facilities without the need for planning permission. But the scheme has met with a decidedly mixed response from organisations as diverse as the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and local authority chiefs.  (more…)

Happiness levels in UK workplaces growing, says Government.

by • Knowledge, News, Public Sector, Workplace

smiley faceThe general level of satisfaction in the UK’s workplaces has increased significantly in spite of ongoing economic uncertainty according to a report from the Government published yesterday. The study of more than 21,000 employees, found that job satisfaction levels actually increased in 2012 with a fifth (20 per cent) of employees either ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with all aspects of their job, compared to just 16 per cent in 2004 when the survey last appeared. The report also showed that levels of commitment to individual employers had also increased over the same period, with the proportion of employees who said they shared the values of their organisation up from 55 per cent to 65 per cent. (more…)

Business rates hike could cost London office occupiers £432 million more from 2026

Business rates hike could cost London office occupiers £432 million more from 2026

by • News, Property

Office-based businesses across Central London could face a steep increase in business rates from April 2026, according to new research by property consultancy Colliers.Office-based businesses across Central London could face a steep increase in business rates from April 2026, according to new research by property consultancy Colliers. The analysis suggests that occupiers of prime office space may collectively see bills rise by £432 million, bringing total business rates liabilities to £5.23 billion—a 9 percent increase on current levels. Colliers examined 27 Central London areas, focusing on Grade A office spaces over 10,000 sq ft, to assess the expected financial impact of the 2026 Rating Revaluation. The forecast draws on changes in rental values between April 2021 and April 2024 and anticipates a higher business rates multiplier for properties with rateable values (RVs) above £500,000. (more…)

Data centres are the real powerhouses behind AI

Data centres are the real powerhouses behind AI

by • AI, Comment

For many year data centres have remained anonymous and physically low-key with a light air of mystery and suspicion around what actually happens in these technical boxes on the landscape. Yet, they are so vital to our lives, and this is only set to increase as the players in the datacentre world need to stand up to be counted.The Datacloud Global Congress took place during the first week of June, handily nestled between BCO Milan and London Tech week where the government announced an £86 billion boost to science and tech, with the intention of propelling Britain to world-leading status for research and innovation. These are three events with very different content, yet are also intrinsically linked for progressive and high performance societies and organisations. This was the 20th anniversary of Datacloud Global Congress, the flagship event for the sector – “mipim for data centres” some say. (more…)

Jobs are getting better, but a quarter of people still think they are bad for their wellbeing

Jobs are getting better, but a quarter of people still think they are bad for their wellbeing

by • News, Wellbeing

Although job quality appears to be on the rise, a quarter of UK workers - an estimated 8.5 million people - say their jobs have a negative impact on their wellbeingAlthough job quality appears to be on the rise, a quarter of UK workers – an estimated 8.5 million people – say their jobs have a negative impact on their mental health (25 percent) or physical health (24 percent), according to the CIPD Good Work Index 2025. The latest poll claims the negative impact of work on wellbeing has remained high for many people for the eight years the survey has been running, despite improvements for some employees on certain areas of job quality. The CIPD Good Work Index, which provides what the troubled trade association claims is the UK’s most in-depth annual survey of job quality, suggests that the strongest factors associated with unhealthy work are excessive workloads, stress, poor relationships with colleagues and the quality of line management. (more…)

Researchers call for paternity leave reform in face of low uptake

Researchers call for paternity leave reform in face of low uptake

by • News, Workplace

Academics from the University of Bath plan to set out what they say are improvements to the system of Shared Parental Leave in the UK, ahead of what is claimed to be the world’s first ‘Dad Strike’ on 11 June in London and Edinburgh. The protest, timed just ahead of Father’s Day, is a call to action for urgent reform of the UK’s paternity leave system. Research by lobby group The Dad Shift and Shaun Davies MP claims that just 3 percent of the UK’s £3.3 billion parental leave investment supports fathers. (more…)

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