All Learning Content
Dutch Ministry Publishes Guidance on Innovation Procurement Process
Feb 8, 2018
The Dutch ministry of justice and safety has published a guidance document on innovation-oriented procurement, which it believes will be of use to other governments and public bodies. It is essentially a toolbox and step-by-step guide covering the process from when the demand for goods or services...
FAR & DFARS Have 27 Distinct Definitions of “Subcontract”
Feb 8, 2018
The FAR and DFARS have 27 distinct definitions of the term “subcontract,” according to an acquisition reform panel.
In its first report, the Section 809 Panel urges policymakers to adopt a consolidated definition of the term “subcontract,” as well as a common definition of...
A Story About A Town That Turned Itself Around Through Local Sourcing
Feb 7, 2018
An article in The Guardian last week caught our attention – it talks about how a northern England town turned around its failing financial situation by taking a ‘spending public money locally’ approach. This article is an opinion piece as opposed to ‘news,’ but it is interesting and...
UK Offender Tagging Programme – Catastrophic Waste of Public Money
Feb 7, 2018
The UK government’s Public Accounts Committee, made up of members of parliament, issued their report recently on the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) “offender tagging” programme which aimed to use electronic monitoring devices to track and manage offenders.
It is a damming report, calling this...
Three Tips to Building a World-Class Procurement Function
Feb 7, 2018
They call Alaska the land of the midnight sun, and for a long time its procurement function was content to lurk in the shadows of administrivia. But thanks to the efforts of Jason Soza, Alaska’s Chief Procurement Officer since May of 2013, the sun now shines on our largest state’s...
DoD Small Business Contracts Have Dropped 70% Since FY 2011, Acquisition Reform Panel Says
Feb 7, 2018
The number of DoD small business contract actions has dropped almost 70 percent since Fiscal Year 2011, even as the total number of small business dollars increased significantly. This is one of the important new findings from an acquisition reform panel’s initial report.
The Advisory Panel on...
Buy Smart to Avoid the Business Intelligence Failure Trap
Feb 5, 2018
If you’re planning to buy a business intelligence solution, how will you make sure your project isn’t one out of every two that will fail? There are common reasons for this high failure rate, and some relatively easy steps that you as a buyer can take to avoid this outcome for you or your...
Public Sector Procurement Should Foster Innovation – Report
Feb 2, 2018
A report from techUK argues that for the government to deliver its transformation and growth commitments, it must make a step change in procurement in central government and the wider public sector. The report discusses how procurement can act as a tool for government to deliver its vision for the...
Ayrshire Takes Scotland’s Lead in Sourcing Local Food
Feb 2, 2018
In a good news public procurement story – thanks to almost exclusively the efforts of one woman, South Ayrshire in Scotland now sources locally produced food for council schools, canteens and nursing homes. The National reports that the result has been a boom in local produce and a big boost to...
Receive Free Tailored Support to Develop Your Innovation Procurement
Feb 2, 2018
Don’t miss out on the chance to be assisted (including legal assistance) in the development and implementation of your innovation procurement. A Europe-wide network of procurement lawyers is available to provide the assistance which is financed by the European Commission and comes at no...
Greater Access To Public Contracts For SMEs – Can We Do More?
Feb 2, 2018
A Tenders’ Direct guest post asks to what degree the most recent EU legislation on encouraging work with SMEs has been successful and what more can be done. ‘Greater access for SMEs to public contracts was one of the policy aims sitting behind the 2014 EU Directive on Public Procurement, which...
Denmark Approves Inter-City Trains Proposals
Feb 2, 2018
The Danish Ministry of Transport has approved proposals to order a fleet of 150 electric train multiple-units. These would replace DSB’s troubled AnsaldoBreda IC4 DMUs which are all due to be phased out from 2024 and the older ABB-built IC3 units which are to be retired by 2027. Total cost of the...
