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Welcome to the merged National Advisory Group (NAG) and SOPO (Society of Procurement Officers in Local Government) e-bulletin. Feel free to circulate this email to your colleagues and suggest that they sign up to receive it themselves. This bulletin is delivered through our corporate communications service through which you can create or manage your subscriptions and read previous editions of this bulletin.
Building safety remediation and funding – Government responds to Select Committee's reports
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) published the Government‘s response to the Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities Select Committee’s reports following its inquiries into cladding remediation, and building safety remediation and funding, in England. The Secretary of State wrote to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) responding to its interim findings from a review into the buildings insurance market for multiple-occupancy buildings.
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency's (DVSA's) earned recognition scheme
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency's (DVSA's) earned recognition scheme is a way to prove that vehicle operators meet driver and vehicle standards. Earned recognition accredited operators regularly share key performance information, which the DVSA monitors. This ensures that only the safest vehicle operators obtain and retain earned recognition status. The scheme is voluntary and free to join. Councils using earned recognition operators can be assured that they are using some of the safest vehicles on our roads. The scheme is designed to work for operators of all sizes, including school bus services and refuse collection operators.
Tree planting funds
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Forestry Commission have re-opened the Local Authority Treescapes Fund (LATF) and the Urban Tree Challenge Fund (UTCF). The LATF will be allocated £5.4 million for the planting of up to 650,000 trees in 2022/23 – from natural regeneration (the process by which trees and shrubs self-seed and spread) to traditional planting. The UTCF will be allocated £3.8 million to fund the planting of over 28,000 large trees in urban areas and where rural and urban areas meet. The Forestry Commission has published a blog post outlining the differences between the LATF and UTCF funds which includes guidance on how councils can apply.
Applications for both funds will close on Tuesday 31 May. For more information please email latf@forestrycommission.gov.uk or utcf@forestrycommission.gov.uk
Future of local energy institutions and governance consultation
The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) has recently published a consultation seeking views from stakeholders, including councils, into future local energy institutions and governance.
Ofgem is seeking views on:
- the energy system functions needed at a sub-national level to facilitate the transition to net zero at least cost and the criteria which need to be met for effective delivery of these functions
- the suitability of current and planned institutional and governance arrangements in place for delivery of these functions
- the opportunities and risks of change, and potential options for alternative arrangements.
The closing date for submissions is Tuesday 7 June.
Consultation on ending the sale of new, non-zero emission buses, coaches and minibuses
Last month, the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) launched a consultation on ending the sale of new, non-zero emission buses, coaches and minibuses. The Department is inviting views on:
- the challenges of transitioning to zero emission coaches and minibuses
- what would need to be true or in place to withdraw the sale of these vehicles
- what government could do to accelerate the transition to zero emission coaches and minibuses
- setting a realistic date to end the sale of these vehicles.
This consultation will close at 11.45pm on Saturday 21 May.
Invitation for schools to complete Department for Education energy survey
The Department for Education (DfE) is contacting all schools in England to get basic data on current and future energy tariffs. The Department wants to do as much as it can to help schools renew their contracts and get the best value for money. DfE is encouraging schools to complete a short survey about schools' current and future energy tariffs. If a school’s energy is provided through a service level agreement with a council, schools may need the council's input to complete the survey. If your school's gas or electricity contract is due to expire you can refer to the Government guidance and resources for schools on buying goods and services.
This survey will close on Thursday 2 June.
Secondment opportunity – Senior Policy Adviser for Local Government Procurement Policy at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is pleased to invite expressions of interest for a secondment opportunity for an experienced local government procurement policy officer to join the Department to support central Government with its procurement reform work. Following the introduction of the Procurement Reform Bill and the enactment of the Health and Care Act (2022) in recent weeks, there is a lot of work to do to ensure that the reforms are relevant and helpful for local government.
Expressions of interest should be submitted to lgcommercial@levellingup.gov.uk by Monday 6 June. For more information, including the job description and how to apply, please email tom.tyler@levellingup.gov.uk
Wednesday 25 May, 9am–5.30pm | Birmingham National Exhibition Centre (NEC), North Avenue, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT
Connecting buyers and suppliers across the UK’s public sector, Procurex National 2022 will provide a wealth of CPD-certified skills development, networking and collaboration opportunities. The interactive product showcase exhibition provides organisations that are actively operating within official frameworks agreements or exploring ways’ to further develop opportunities across the £290 billion a year UK public procurement marketplace with a chance to showcase their products and services to leading buyers. The LGA Procurement team will be in attendance, so come and say ‘hello’ at our stand.
Wednesday 25 May, 9.30am–5.30pm | Clothworkers' Hall, Dunster Court, Mincing Lane, London EC3R 7AH
Set against the context of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented economic and social challenges faced by communities across the country, this seminar will explore how public bodies can harness the full potential of social enterprises as purpose-aligned partners to the public sector. Through cases studies, expert commentary and interactive discussions, participants will explore how social enterprises can bring intrinsic social value, agility and innovation, and how they can work with public sector commissioners in relational partnerships at scale to meet the needs of people and communities.
Wednesday 1 June, 1–2pm | Online
Although innovation is widely seen to be vital for the public sector, a key question still stands: how can this innovation be encouraged? Transport for London's Innovation Hub offers a space which lies outside the organisation’s conventional ways of working. By inviting peers from across Transport for London to focus on a problem statement for periods of between 12 and 18 weeks, the Innovation Hub has offered solutions as to how TfL can capitalise on technological advancements to do things better, cheaper and quicker. This session will focus on an internationally recognised, novel way of working, illuminating the universe of potential for innovation that the public sector wields.
Thursday 23–Friday 24 June | The Hayes Conference Centre, Hayes Lane, Swanwick, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 1AU
Organised by commissioners for commissioners, the Children's Commissioning Conference is the event to share best practice from across commissioning. This event will include over 30 workshops focused on informing and improving commissioning offering the opportunity to learn from commissioning colleagues and children’s services experts.
The LGA Procurement team manages several LGA webpages dedicated to your needs. Please email guy.head@local.gov.uk if you would like any information added to our webpages:
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