Assisted procurement service

We know that providing high-quality public services relies on smart, efficient procurement. But we also understand that many public sector organisations are finding it tough to dedicate the time and resources needed.

Take a look through these sections to find out more about the service and see if it’s the right fit for your organisation.

We’ve completed assisted procurements with a total annual contract value of £7.3 billion for customers including NHS trusts, police and local councils since 2021.

Learn more

Explore these sections to learn more about the service and decide if it is right for you.

What is the assisted procurement service?

The assisted procurement service is a free resource that lets public and third sector organisations tap into our experienced team to run their procurements, freeing up their resources for other priorities like contract management. With £4 billion in procurements delivered in 2024/25 alone, we bring ready-made agreements and proven expertise that make the whole process efficient and stress-free.

Here’s what you need to know about this service:

• you can use it for any common goods or services that are available through our agreements
• our experienced team has run tenders across every type of procurement and sector – from building hospital wings to digital transformation projects – so we understand what you’re dealing with and how to help you succeed

 

How to get started and how the service is provided

Getting started with our assisted procurement service is simple:

1. Complete the contact form and documents

To access the assisted procurement service you will need to complete the contact form and the triage team will be in touch. Be sure to also confirm budgetary approval and complete the following documents as our team will need this to confirm our capacity to support:

• complete a draft statement of requirements
• complete a request for procurement in action form

1. Meet your procurement lead

After you approve the procurement strategy report, our team will connect you with a dedicated procurement lead. We’ll match you based on their expertise and the specific skills your project needs. Each lead works on just a few procurements at a time, so you get focused support and excellent service throughout the process.

Your procurement lead will:

• create and issue compliant procurement documents once you’ve approved them
• handle the supplier clarification period so you don’t have to field queries
• arrange and manage the evaluation process, including conducting commercial assessments
• prepare award recommendation reports and all contractual documentation
• take care of all transparency obligations in line with government policy

The value to you as a customer

By using this service: 

• Your procurement is handled by experienced professionals who know the process inside out
• Our templates and guidance reflect the latest public procurement policy and best practice
• The entire process is managed digitally, we handle everything through our secure e-Sourcing Portal, which your lead builds and manages for you
• we manage supplier clarifications, evaluations, and all communications with bidders
• for transparency and accountable you’ll get a full audit trail throughout the process and regular updates on progress
• you’ll be able to focus your resources on other business priorities
• there’s no charge for this service to CCS customers

What we need you to do

Your procurement lead will work closely with you throughout the process. To make this partnership work effectively, we’ll need you to:

• help develop the documentation 
  • work with your procurement lead to create, review and approve all documents we’ll lead the process, but your input ensures we get the right outcome
• be available for supplier questions
  • provide a point of contact who can answer technical queries during the clarification period
• set up a technical evaluation panel
• take on contract management post award
  • handle ongoing contract management once the procurement is complete, with a full handover from your procurement lead

How to access our assisted procurement service

To access the assisted procurement service you will need to:

• fill out and submit the contact form below
• complete a draft statement of requirements
• complete a request for procurement in action form
• confirm budgetary approval

Once you have done this the triage team will be in touch to confirm our capacity to support. Alternatively, you can reach out to your account manager to discuss any future needs.

“Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council used the assisted procurement service to procure for its Grayson Place regeneration project. Having access to pre-prepared, compliant documents provided a useful backdrop to the council’s procurement process and having an independent chair and note-taker for consensus meetings saved the council time and resource. Officers had to upload notes/scores via the CCS portal and this worked well for collation of information. This was the first time we used the service and it was a positive experience.”

Matt Wallbank MCIPS (CS)

Assistant Director – Governance and Democracy, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council

Not sure if we have a suitable agreement to meet your needs?

Full details of all of our commercial agreements can be found in our digital brochure. You can also explore them directly in the agreements area of our website.

Is there something we can help you with?

To find out if we can help you with your procurement, complete this form. Once you have submitted the form, our triage team will be in touch with next steps.

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Search our commercial agreements

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Glossary

Find explanations for common terms and abbreviations used in public procurement.

Explore our glossary.