On 7 October, Made in Britain hosted an exclusive online session with the UK Universities Procurement Consortia (UKUPC). UKUPC is a partnership between eight UK consortia to support collaborative procurement within Higher and Further Education.
In the UK, the combined spend on goods, works and services of Higher Education Institutions is over £10 billion per year, with UKUPC members spending around £2 billion through its framework agreements. This presents opportunities for UK manufacturing companies across a range of sectors.
The session covered:
- Introduction to UKUPC and its members
- Purchasing needs and relevant product categories
- The procurement process and how to navigate the system
The current pipeline and upcoming opportunities
Over 60 companies registered for the session, to listen, discuss and ask questions. Attendees raised questions about how to access opportunities once registered as a supplier, details of UKUPC’s various framework agreements and how to supply niche products to universities and colleges.
You can find details on how to register as a supplier to regional consortium via the links below:
- North West Universities Purchasing Consortium
- North Eastern Universities Purchasing Consortium
- Southern Universities Procurement Consortium
- London Universities Purchasing Consortium
- Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (Scotland)
- The University Caterers Organisation (TUCO)
The session also provided the opportunity to share information on the Environmental & Social Value (ESV) Certification, developed in collaboration with MAP UK & International for Made in Britain companies. Designed specifically for UK companies, particularly SMEs, the ESV Certification is a practical, rapid, and accessibly priced (£390 excluding VAT) way to promote the positive impact of your company, and to gain a new commercial edge in a highly competitive UK market. With a focus on your UK-based operations and impact, even if you're part of a global business, using language aligned with UK procurement priorities and regulations. You can find out more about ESV here.
The session was hosted and facilitated by George Middleton, Advisor to Made in Britain and Director at MAP UK & International. It took place as part of Made in Britain’s ongoing supply chains support programme. Previous sessions include those with NHS Supply Chain, Babcock, NATO, Leidos, Cabinet Office and Crown Commercial Service.
Please email: trade@madeinbritain.org to make contact, in relation to supplying Higher and Further Education, request slides, links, and additional resources related to this event, and accessing Made in Britain’s supply chains support programme.
By Made in Britain 5 days ago | By Made in Britain