The latest version of the strategy outlining the Council’s procedure for acquiring goods and services for the coming year has been approved.
All public bodies with an annual procurement spend of £5 million and above must produce a Sustainable Procurement Strategy on an annual basis.
A Sustainable Procurement Strategy ensures that the council’s spending power is used lawfully, strategically and responsibly to deliver best value while supporting economic, social and environmental wellbeing.
51³Ô¹ÏÃâ·ÑApp and Bute’s updated strategy outlines the framework which enables the Council to maintain its commitment to change and innovation, with some of its key objectives including:
- Increasing opportunities for commercial savings
- Securing wider social, economic and environmental benefits for the local area
- Increasing opportunities for local suppliers to help grow the local economy
- Developing resilient local supply chains, providing clear advice and consistent approaches to procurement and community benefits, ensuring businesses are able to take advantage of opportunities
- Continuing to deliver best value contracts
In the face of significant challenges, including economic pressures, climate change targets, and evolving community needs, the overall aim of the strategy is to use the Council’s buying power to create more positive impacts on the economy, society, and environment within local communities.
Councillor William Sinclair, Policy Lead for Community Planning and Corporate Services, said: “The updated strategy demonstrates our continued commitment to promoting robust and fair working practices within our supply chain and contracts, our aim to offer innovative solutions and to ensure the Council delivers ethically sourced goods, services and works. We’ll continue to support and create contract opportunities for more 51³Ô¹ÏÃâ·ÑApp and Bute based suppliers, social enterprises, co-operatives, supported businesses and third sector organisations.
“Local businesses and the third sector play a valuable role in supporting our work and a key objective is to help remove the barriers often faced by smaller organisations with limited resources in bidding for work tendered by the Council.â€
