Cabinet Office issues advice on 'procuring for growth'

The note, which can be viewed here, covers:

• What the Government means by ‘buying for growth’;
• Pre-procurement market engagement;
• Using the lean sourcing process, which is “vital to successful procurement for growth”;
• A procurement lifecycle for growth;
• Top tips for growth through procurement;
• The pitfalls – key mistakes to avoid;
• Case studies.

On pre-procurement market engagement, the Cabinet Office says: “The early stages of the procurement lifecycle provide the greatest opportunity for influencing growth.

“Early engagement with the marketplace and publishing ‘pipelines’ of future requirements allows the marketplace to better prepare for future demand and levels the playing field for UK based suppliers. A genuine two-way conversation with a diverse range of suppliers gives maximum opportunity for success.”

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The top tips for growth through procurement are being clear about what is wanted, signalling demand early, talking to the market early, being open to new ideas and using the lean sourcing process.

Pitfalls identified and to be avoided are: using extensive selection criteria through a pre-qualification questionnaire; building into the process an assumption that larger firms are better to do business with; creating large scale requirements and long contract durations; relying solely on financial assessment criteria at the selection stage; and insisting on onerous insurance requirements.