Businesses in Bath and North East Somerset are being invited to find out how best to supply their goods and services to public sector organisations across the West of England at an annual showcase event.
Bath & North East Somerset Council is organising the event together with Partners in Procurement, a network of procurement professionals in the public sector bodies, including the local authorities, police, universities, fire and rescue services and health trusts.
The annual showcase has been running since 2005 and after two years of being an online event, this year will be held at the University of the West of England (UWE) Enterprise Park on 2 November.
SMEs will be able to find out about the various elements involved in supplying the public sector, hear stories of successful projects and find out how the rules and regulations will be changing with the implementation of the Procurement Act 2023.
Speakers will include Tanya Nathan from Avon Fire & Rescue talking about how to find procurement opportunities and Thomas Finn from UWE with a talk about getting started on carbon measurement and reduction.
Currently, businesses supply Bath & North East Somerset Council across a full range of sectors.
Councillor Mark Elliott, cabinet member for Resources, said: “Procurement can be a driver for change especially around sustainability and the council’s net zero ambitions. The council aims to be net zero by 2030 and looks at the carbon footprint and sustainability impacts of all the products and services it procures over their lifetime. Channelling a greater proportion of its procurement spending into local small and medium-sized businesses will help to reduce the council’s carbon footprint and develop the local economy.”
Following the council’s announcement of climate and ecological emergencies, a new procurement strategy was developed to echo the corporate strategy. The ‘Think Climate, Think Local, Think Innovation’ strategy was adopted in September 2021
Bath & North East Somerset was one of the first local authorities to introduce a social value policy following the introduction of the national Public Service (Social Value) Act in 2012. The policy was included in the contract with Farrans, the contractor working on the Keynsham Recycling Hub, and ensured the company committed to provide employment, training and supply-chain opportunities during the construction.
The strategy also includes a focus on a more transparent supply chain and the procurement team worked with the NGO Electronics Watch to track the supply chain for all the IT hardware purchased, including desktops and keyboards.
More information and a link to register for the event can be found on the council website.
ENDS