2. You said. We listened
Please see below a selection of issues raised
at July's regional events and how we are working to address these over the
coming months:
© Crown copyright (2014) Visit Wales
You said: "We don't always know when Category Forum Group (CFG) meetings are taking place and who the CFG members are. Decisions from CFGs are not explained. This information needs to be in one place and easily found"
Our response: "All CFG dates are publicised in the NPS Newsletter. In addition we have now implemented a system where CFG outcome reports are published on Sell2Wales summarising who attended and the key decisions made."
You said: "If a CFG request a delay, can the Pipeline move?"
Our response: "It has been agreed that a Pipeline can move if proposed by the CFG and sanctioned by the NPS Delivery Group. We believe this is working well, as a CFG recently proposed a delay and this was agreed by the NPS Delivery Group."
You said: "There is a lack of circulation of dates of planned events."
Our response: "We are using the NPS Newsletter to improve circulation of planned events. There is a new section called 'Forward Look' below to assist with this.
3. Programme of work
Please find a list of current NPS Frameworks available for use on the NPS website.
Since October, NPS has awarded the following contracts:
The Business Travel and Accommodation Solutions Framework commenced on 12 October 2015. Customers can directly award to the Lot 1 Travel Management Company without the need to run any further competition. CTM Travel Ltd will provide an online and offline booking and research service for all UK and International business travel, and associated services.
All thirteen suppliers on Lot 2 Conference Facilities are Welsh small and medium enterprises.
NPS will be arranging customer launch events for stakeholders to meet CTM Travel Ltd. Please contact NPSPeopleServices&Utilities@wales.gsi.gov.uk for further information.
4. News
Agency Workers Supplier Event
 To ensure we engage
with you, we regularly
host buyer and/or supplier events across Wales.
The NPS People Services category team recently held a supplier event
in mid Wales, to support the NPS Managed Service for the
Provision of Agency Workers Framework which commenced on 8 April 2015. All seven
framework providers were present, and SMEs from across Wales were encouraged to
attend to understand the tier opportunities that are available to them. The event, held in conjunction with Business Wales, was
attended by over 30 smaller providers of agency staff.
The NPS and their framework providers will rely heavily on the
ability of these Welsh SMEs to support the framework via their provision of
technical and regional expertise. The event was deemed a success by framework
providers and SMEs alike, and the NPS will be keen to run further events to
supplement regional customer awards over the coming months.
If you have any feedback or questions please contact us on NPSPeopleServices&Utilities@wales.gsi.gov.uk
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Occupational Health and Associated Services Framework
The previous all Wales contract for the Employee Assistance Programme has now expired and the new provider through the NPS Occupational Health and Associated Services Framework is Care First. The first price break has already been hit with over 30,000 public sector employees now able to access the service, resulting in a further price reduction of 11% for all Welsh public sector organisations. There are 2 levels of service available on the framework; Core and Enhanced. Please find further details on the NPS website.
From Procurement
Behaviours to Behavioural Procurement
The CIPS Gloucester Branch invites you
to attend a talk with Professor Mike Lewis, a Supply Strategy specialist at
Bath University who is interested in the psychological aspects of procurement’s
relationships. There will be also be an opportunity to network with P&SC
peers upon arrival with Christmas nibbles and coffee/teas offered to start the
seasonal event!
“For all our investments in technology
and process, human beings remain central to the functioning of procurement,
shaping the way systems work and how they perform. A great deal of thought and
analysis has been invested in understanding the way that procurement leaders
should behave but our understanding of why they behave in the way they do is
less developed.
In recent years many other functional
disciplines, including finance, marketing and operations, have begun to
incorporate insights from the psychological and brain sciences and we will
argue that it is time that procurement does the same. What might a “behavioural
procurement” look like and what would be some of the key personal and
organizational value-adds of such a perspective?”
Date:
Wednesday
02 December 2015, 18:30pm
Venue:
UCAS (next
to racecourse), Cheltenham
Fee:
Members -
£0.00 per person
Non-members
- £0.00 per person
Register here
eTrading Wales - Procserve Webinars
Our eTrading Wales partners Procserve will be running the
following Webinars for suppliers over the coming months. The service is free of
charge to suppliers and will offer an overview of the system, advice and
support, and present the benefits of eTrading.
Interested suppliers can register
here for individual sessions.
25 November 2015
13:30 - 14:00 Bitesize Webcast - How to provide content on Procserve
9 December 2015
13:15 - 14:15 Welcome Webcast
5. Forward Look
To ensure we give both buyers and suppliers as much advance notice of NPS events as possible, we have created the following Forward Look table. Please contact the relevant category mailbox for further information, and remember to keep an eye on the NPS Twitter and LinkedIn pages and Sell2Wales for event announcements.
Supplier Events
Register for the Food event on Wednesday 11 November here
Buyer Events
For further information on the above events, please contact the corresponding mailbox below:
Construction and Facilities Management
Corporate and Business Support Services
Fleet and Transport
Food
People Services and Utilities
Professional Services
6. Current and upcoming activity by category
There are a number of Prior Information
Notices and Contract Notices listed below. All will be advertised through Sell2Wales, however please share this information with
as many suppliers as possible if you think they would be interested.
If you would like further information, please contact the relevant team by e-mail.
Construction and Facilities Management
Prior Information
Notices
Contract Notices
Category Forum Groups (CFG):
- 'Tools and Equipment', and 'Flooring, Fixtures and Fittings' - nominations have been received. If you work for a Welsh public sector organisation and are interested in participating, please contact the mailbox below.
- Energy - The transfer of the Wales Purchasing Consortium team into NPS was completed on 1 October 2015. A CFG event is planned for 8 December and requests for participants will be made through NPS Delivery Group. This CFG will help shape the future Energy strategy and participants will complete a review of the current service offering.
Contact: NPSConstruction&FM@wales.gsi.gov.uk
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Corporate and Business Support Services
Contract Notices
Contract Award Notices
- All Wales Printing Services Framework - due to be awarded in November.
Contact: NPSCorporateServices@wales.gsi.gov.uk
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Fleet and Transport
Prior Information Notices
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Contract Award Notices
- Supply of Tyres and Associated Services - due to be awarded in November. Tenders have been returned and are currently under evaluation. The framework will comprise of a tyre supply, fitment and repair service, together with all other related activities for Welsh public sector organisations. Further guidance will be issued on Sell2Wales.
Category Forum Groups (CFG)
- Vehicle Spares CFG planned for November.
Call for Competition and Requirements
-
Vehicle Leasing - We are
gathering requirements for an all Wales framework. If your organisation
has a requirement for vehicle leasing in the next 12 months please contact
the mailbox below to obtain a short questionnaire.
-
Vehicle Purchase - We are
gathering requirements to aggregate spend and demand and run competition
via auctions with Crown Commercial Services (CCS). If your organisation
has a requirement for vehicle purchase in the next 12 months please
contact the mailbox below for further information.
These are the key dates for customers to note:
Customer volume commitment - please let us know by Wednesday 20 January
2016.
The Live eAuction event takes place on Thursday 25 February 2016. There is
a 12 week lead time for delivery.
We are working closely with CCS and there may be flexibility to schedule
an additional event; this is dependent on your requirements and CCS
availability. Please contact us.
-
Driver Licence Checking -
Due to the change in licence legislation in April 2015 there
is an immediate legislative requirement to undertake this for the Welsh
Purchasing Consortium. If member organisations have a requirement
to annually check drivers licences including Grey Fleet, please contact
the mailbox below.
-
Vehicle Spares - We are currently gathering
information for vehicle spares from member organisations including local
authorities, if you have any requirements please contact the mailbox
below.
Contact: NPSFleet@wales.gsi.gov.uk
Food
Category Forum Groups (CFG)
- On 21 October 2015, the NPS Delivery Group considered options papers for 'Prepared Sandwiches, Sandwich Fillings and Buffet Provision' and 'Frozen Plated Meals'. The requirement will be taken forward and discussed at the Food Category Forum Group meeting in the Welsh Government Office, Bedwas, 11 November 2015. If you would like to be a Welsh public sector representative on this group, please contact the mailbox below.
Contact: NPSFood@wales.gsi.gov.uk
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Information and Communications Technology
Contract Award Notices
- IT Products and Services - tenders have been returned and are currently under evaluation. Due to be awarded late November.
Category Forum Groups (CFG)
- Structured Cabling Services - CFG Outcome Report is now available on Sell2Wales.
Second CFG meeting arranged on Wednesday 11 November 2015 with a video link between Welsh Government Offices in Bedwas and Llandudno Junction.
Updates
- Revised ICT category strategy has been shared with the NPS Delivery Group. Stakeholder engagement has commenced to inform and prioritise ICT pipeline delivery. Results will then be incorporated into the revised strategy and presented to the NPS Delivery Group.
-
IT Equipment and Associated Services - ITEAS (III) has been extended until 31 December 2015.
- Digitisation, Storage and Disposal will be a reserved framework.
Contact: NPSICTCategoryTeam@wales.gsi.gov.uk
 People Services and Utilities
Contract Award Notices
-
Provision of Business Travel and Accommodation Solutions Framework - awarded 12 October 2015.
Lot 1 provides a single Travel Management Company, enabling direct award and reducing timescales to engagement and implementation.
Lot 2 provides a catalogue of Conference Facilities across geographical zones within Wales.
- Managed Services for Employee Benefit Schemes - due to be awarded late November.
Category Forum Groups (CFG)
- All Wales Learning and Development Corporate Training Framework - this Framework will deliver a range of suppliers responsible for all aspects of supporting and delivery of training. If you would like to be a Welsh public sector representative please contact the mailbox below.
Updates
- All Wales Learning and Development Corporate Training Framework - we are currently progressing outstanding Scoping Questionnaire responses. Following our event on 20 October, specific events are being planned in North and South Wales over the coming months (see Forward Look section above).
-
Occupational Health and Associated Services - There is regular activity on mini-competitions for this framework. If you require any further assistance with specifications or running through eTenderWales, please contact the mailbox below.
-
Assistive Technologies and Services - the electronic catalogue is being developed with all nine suppliers for Lot 1 - Telecare & Technology Enabled Care Products and will be available on Sell2Wales and Procserve in due course.
For Lots 2 - 4 there are two ways of making a call-off from the Framework, either by carrying out a further competition exercise or via a direct award. Direct awards may be made where it is possible to establish the most economically advantageous offer on the basis of the terms laid down in the Framework Agreement, and where ALL services required and proposed contract terms are included in the Framework Agreement and Specification. If you require any assistance with the further competitions, please contact the mailbox below.
Contact: NPSPeopleServices&utilities@wales.gsi.gov.uk
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Professional Services
Updates
- Construction Consultancy
(Infrastructure) Phase 3 - with evaluation drawing to a close the final
framework in our three phase offering of construction consultancy will be
available from 1 December 2015. For information on the consultancy services
available under phase 1 and phase 2 please visit Sell2Wales.
- NPS Legal Services by
Barristers Framework - work is ongoing to finalise the requirements.
- Business Consultancy -
three core areas of activity have been identified in the opening phase of this
sub category; Alternative Delivery Model support, Education Consultancy and
Efficiency Partner Framework. This will be presented to Delivery Group in
November. If you work for a Welsh public sector organisation and are interested in participating on the Category Forum Group, please contact the mailbox below.
- Insurance Services -
the options paper recommending the delivery of an insurance dynamic
purchasing system and associated frameworks for brokerage and risk management,
claims handling and insurance litigation support was approved at the Delivery Group meeting in October. Work is now ongoing with the Category Forum Group to develop the
full suite of tendering documentation.
Contact: NPSProfessionalServices@wales.gsi.gov.uk
7.
Savings
At present NPS is running at a 4.82% run rate on all savings
against spend through Contracts and Framework Agreements under management,
which includes additional contract savings negotiated and on-boarded
agreements.
The overall total savings equate to £1,936,010, from 1st April
2015 – 31st August 2015.
If you require further clarification of these savings, please contact your NPS Sector Representative or your Head of Procurement.
8.
Focus on
This month we focus on Red Dragon Flagmakers, a traditional sewn flag maker with a social conscience, operating workshops in Swansea and Somerset launched in January 2014.
Borne out of a family company manufacturing
traditional sewn flags for over 45 years, Red Dragon Flagmakers, the registered
trademark of Red Dragon Manufacturing Ltd is the only flag maker in the UK
incorporated and run as a social interest company. With no shareholders, all
profits go back into the business towards the personal and professional
development of the team of staff who are all trained in house.
Red Dragon Flagmakers actively support
flexible working practices and recruits through strategic partners including
Shaw Trust, Remploy and JCP with inclusivity and equal opportunities at the
heart of their work. The company deliver skills training and opportunities to
develop and succeed within the company, whatever people’s background, education
or personal history. Sales enable profits which support the recruitment and
rehabilitation of additional people within the local communities who are then
trained for sustainable long term employment.
Making use of their skilled workforce and
manufacturing facilities, Red Dragon Flagmakers cut, sew and finish their flags
professionally, also offering textile goods manufacturing to other businesses,
new product prototyping and use of supply chain and production facilities. The business
also works closely with other SMEs to fulfil projects requiring the supply,
maintenance and installation of flagpoles UK-wide.
Red Dragon Flagmakers were official suppliers
to the NATO Summit in Wales 2014 for which they made all the ceremonial flags,
and the business sells b2c online and to every sector of the market b2b seeking
the very best in traditional sewn and quality printed flags. CEO Jo Ashburner
Farr has recently been shortlisted for the Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the
Year in this year’s Entrepreneur Wales Awards and the business also achieved
Finalist of the Social Enterprise Wales 2015 awards.
Red Dragon Flagmakers are members of the
WCVA, the Wales Co-operative Centre and Social Enterprise UK.
For further information please visit
www.reddragonflagmakers.co.uk
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