Find a Tender Service (UK public sector tenders)

 The new Find a Tender Service is up and online - you can find it here.  This replaces the OJEU website for tenders with a value above the relevant threshold, i.e. the larger public sector tenders.  Note that any tender process that started on OJEU will be completed on OJEU and follow EU procurement rules.  Just a reminder - the threshold values themselves have not changed this year - the current levels apply for 2020/1.

They appear to be calling it FTS, not FATS (as I rather hoped).  It is not the easiest thing to find, but hopefully will be further up the listings on Google when it is bedded in a bit.

I have registered, and the process is fairly painless (not completely), and it IS linked to Contract Finder  - which makes a lot of sense but was not guaranteed.

CIPS Public Procurement courses - Birmingham 20/21/22 February 2018

Next week I am running 3 days in Birmingham for the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, covering UK Public Procurement.  The first day is the Introduction and is fully booked (next one is 25th April in Bristol).  Second one is Applying the Procurement regulations, and the third is the Future of Public Procurement .

3 good days, which can be taken as a block or one at a time - they are as standalone as I can make them.

CIPS Public Sector Skills Programme

CIPS are running a series of Summer schools on Public Sector Procurement.  These 3 days that should give a good grounding in UK Public Procurement, and they expand on the two single day courses we run as open training.

Bravely I am leaving the last session to talk about Brexit.  Wish me luck. 

I shall be running all of them, though CIPS is shy of mentioning that - obviously not wanting to put people off.

Full details are available here.

Dates and venues (non-residential) are;

18-20 July 2017
Holiday Inn Kensington Forum, London

29-31 August 2017
Radisson Blu Hotel, Manchester Airport

13-15 September 2017
Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh

CIPS Applying EU procurement processes - Bristol 15th June 2017

I am running the CIPS course on Applying EU Procurement Processes at the Bristol Hilton on 15th June 2017.

Full details are here.

This is a follow on day to the Introduction to Public Sector Procurement, which is running the day before.  We look in  more detail at some of the less common EU procurement processes such as Competitive Dialogue, Innovation Partnerships, Dynamic Purchasing Systems etc.

It is not essential to do the Introduction course first, but there is a reduced rate for doing both if booked together.

Hope to see you there.

CIPS Introduction to Public Procurement Bristol 14th June 2017

I shall be running the CIPS Introduction to Public Sector Procurement at the Hilton Bristol on 14th June 2017.  Details here.

This is for people newly involved in Public Sector Procurement, or those with more experience looking for a better understanding of the underlying structures and the processes.

Always a good event.  Hope to see you there.

I am not always sure that people realise that this is day 1 of 2 that we run together - the second part is Applying EU Procurement Processes, and looks in more detail at the common and less common procurement processes such as DPS, Competitive Dialogue etc.  I believe there is a discount for booking both. 

CIPS Applying EU Procurement Processes Manchester 18th May 2017

I am running the CIPS course on Applying EU Procurement Processes at the Radisson Manchester Airport on 18th May 2017.

Full details are here.

This is a follow on day to the Introduction to Public Sector Procurement, which is running the day before.  We look in  more detail at some of the less common EU procurement processes such as Competitive Dialogue, Innovation Partnerships, Dynamic Purchasing Systems etc.

It is not essential to do the Introduction course first, but there is a reduced rate for doing both if booked together.

Hope to see you there.

CIPS Introduction to Public Sector Procurement - Manchester 17th May 2017

I shall be running the CIPS Introduction to Public Sector Procurement at the Radisson, Manchester airport on 17th May 2017.  Details here.

This is for people newly involved in Public Sector Procurement, or those with more experience looking for a better understanding of the underlying structures and the processes.

Always a good event.  Hope to see you there.

I am not always sure that people realise that this is day 1 of 2 that we run together - the second part is Applying EU Procurement Processes, and looks in more detail at the common and less common procurement processes such as DPS, Competitive Dialogue etc.  I believe there is a discount for booking both. 

Training Courses: CIPS Introduction to Public Sector Procurement and Applying EU Public Procurement Processes

On behalf of CIPS I am running two courses in November at the de Vere Venues Devonport House Hotel in Greenwich (shown above, during a promotion for the movie Thor: The Dark World - incidentally I was staying there at that time.  It is one of my favourite hotels.  My son tells me the movie is good too).

The courses are Introduction to Public Sector Procurement on Tuesday 8th November 2016, and Applying EU Public Procurement Processes on Wednesday 9th November 2016.

The titles are a bit long but do rather pass the Ronseal test of doing exactly what it says on the tin.

Ideally you should do day 1 before day 2, but it is not totally essential.  I think that the Introduction course is getting rather full but there is more space on the Applying EU processes course.

They are going to run again next year (no doubt updated a little), but not until 17/18 May 2017, in Manchester.

Training course: Applying EU Procurement Processes, Manchester, 30th June 2016

This is the second of 2 single days from CIPS covering the fundamentals of Public sector procurement in the EU.  Which on that date we still will be, though we might not be some time later.  Whatever happens in the referendum though these regulations will be with us for the next few years.

It does help if you have attended the first of these days, but it is not essential - particularly if you have some experience. 

In this course we look in more detail at some of the less usual procurement processes, such as Innovation Partnerships, and flesh out a bit more of the surrounding requirements we outlined in day 1.

You can do both days in a row or spread them out to suit yourself.

Full details are here.

Hope to see you at one or the other - or even both.

Training Course: CIPS Introduction to Public Procurement, Manchester, 29th June 2016

This is the one day Introduction to Public Procurement, covering all the basics.  Venue is the Radisson Blu at Manchester airport which is fairly easy to get to (there is a bus station, train station and it is just off the motorway).

People have liked it so far, so hope to see you there.