Optimum Finance recognised for exponential growth potential by Innovate UK
Nov 8, 2021
Specialist invoice finance provider, Optimum Finance, has been accepted onto the UK government’s Innovate UK Scaleup Programme. Innovate UK is the UK’s innovation agency providing funding and support to organisations for new products and services. The programme supports a select group of...
EC launches Robotics4EU Project to boost the adoption of responsible robotics in Europe
Oct 28, 2021
Robotics4EU is a European Commission Research and Innovation program that aims to ensure a more widespread adoption of (AI-based) robots in the EU, particularly in the areas of healthcare, inspection and maintenance of infrastructure, agri-food, and agile production. It was launched under the...
Could cyber security be the next big healthcare emergency?
Oct 28, 2021
With cyber threats on the rise, Chris Scarisbrick of Sectra considers the cyber security landscape including how far cloud adoption can help the UK National Health Service (NHS), how functions like procurement are starting to think differently and how the next big disaster facing healthcare might...
CIPS says UK firms set to miss 2050 net zero target and WGBC updates net zero commitment
Sep 24, 2021
Just 6 in 10 (59%) supply chain managers believe their business will hit the UK’s 2050 net zero target, according to a survey by CIPS of 318 UK supply chain managers. It found despite much of the UK’s carbon footprint being generated in supply chains, one in five (19%) supply chain managers...
Using open source software can boost GDP
Sep 24, 2021
Open source software boosted the European Union’s GDP by between €65bn and €95bn in 2018, a new report published by the European Commission on Monday (6 September 2021) has shown, but warned that the EU should do more to actively promote open technologies.
“Open source offers a greenfield...
New strategy points to public sector role in boosting AI in UK
Sep 24, 2021
The public sector will have key roles to play as a buyer and exemplar in developing the UK’s capacity in artificial intelligence, according to the new National AI Strategy, writes UKAuthority.
A new strategy has been submitted to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media...
“Getting the Job Done in Public Procurement During Covid-19”
Aug 20, 2021
The Institute for Public Procurement is a member forum that supports public procurement practitioners to make a positive difference at work, in their communities and in the world. It has just released “Getting the Job Done in Public Procurement During Covid-19” — the results of several...
Public sector technology procurement UK
Aug 20, 2021
As the UK public sector attempts to build back better post-pandemic, new Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), negotiated by Crown Commercial Service (CCS) throughout 2021/22 are helping customers get the best possible technology deals to help with their digital transformations, writes Open Access...
Periscope bought by mdf commerce — A look at the public-sector procurement market and prospects for this deal
Aug 13, 2021
Periscope Holdings, a provider of procure-to-pay and supplier management solutions to the public sector, has been acquired by mdf commerce, a provider of SaaS commerce solutions, for about $207.3 million (USD), according to a press release.
The Canadian B2B and business-to-government firm mdf...
Council is first to tackle cybercrime head on
Aug 13, 2021
A county council in Wales, Merthyr Tydfil, is the country’s first local authority to make cyber resilience a must-have for all businesses it tenders with.
Partnering with the Cyber Resilience Centre for Wales (WCRC), it is now asking organizations that tender for goods, services or works to, or...
Governments invest in new digital procurement tech
Jul 22, 2021
Tech providers are reporting recent growth for digital procurement services at state and local levels. e-bidding procurement platform for state and local governments DemandStar, for example, recently said it had gained 200 new clients in the first half of this year, which already equals the number...
Public sector next to adopt open innovation
Jul 22, 2021
Open innovation, which focuses on posing a question or a problem and inviting companies to solve it, is a growing trend, mainly embraced so far by large companies but increasingly by smaller ones too. But progress of its use has been slow by the public sector, especially by the military or the...
Perspectives and Insights
We have some other written articles around the issues of lots and lotting (splitting up their contract requirements into smaller contracts), and …
One major trend over the past twenty years in public procurement has been the greater centralization of procurement activity. Conceptually and practically, collaborative procurement is …
Think you know all about public sector owned professional buying organisations (PBOs) and what they do? Here are ten interesting facts that might just surprise …
Policies and Regulations
A few months back, we published several articles about the very interesting – and somewhat shocking – court case around the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning …
The Procurement of Innovation Platform aims to make public procurement of innovation a widespread reality in Europe. The Platform has been developed to help public …
Why Evaluation in Public Procurement is Important If the phrase “bid evaluation” makes you cringe, don’t worry: you’re not alone. If …