Procurement officer looking at a laptop screen

Public sector tail spend to be transformed by ‘first of its kind’ CCS solution

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has launched a ‘first of its kind’ digital solution to help manage and aggregate tail spend, ensuring public sector users can get the best deals on the procurement of millions of low value products.

‘Tail spend’ refers to low-value, ad hoc purchases made an organisation, often made from lots of different suppliers.

It’s estimated that public sector tail spend on goods is currently in excess of £1bn per year.

The CCS Tail Spend Solution will help the public and third sector to manage and aggregate this spending – and represents the first time a centralised tail spend solution has been made available to the whole UK public and third sectors.

On January 26, 2022, the CCS’s Tail Spend Solution framework opened on the Mercateo Unite and OT Group online platforms.

This follows an extensive period of engagement with customers and suppliers and will open up public sector procurement to a large supply chain of small and medium-sized suppliers, offering millions of products at market-leading prices.

Simon Tse, Chief Executive Officer of CCS, said: “Tail Spend Solution is the first of its kind, a new agreement that supports the public sector to take control of its ad hoc purchases, aggregating the spending power of the UK public sector as we build back better.

“There is wide agreement across the public sector that tail spend is an under-managed and often overlooked area of spend that is increasingly important for organisations to deal with.

“Use of self-serve, modern technology and aggregation to create efficiencies and empower staff outside of commercial functions is critical for buyers who wish to improve their delivery of commercial benefits beyond just focusing on the largest contracts.”

The new Tail Spend Solution framework will be able to be used by schools, charities, the NHS and other public sector and third sector organisations – supporting the procurement of a vast array of goods including IT peripherals, office and janitorial supplies, educational resources, musical instruments, camera equipment and other non-safety critical products through the online platforms.

Using the new digital solution will also allow public sector organisations to have better visibility and control over their tail spend, with it having often previously been an invisible cost until the purchases appeared on the organisation’s end of year accounts.

Public Sector Executive, Feb/March, Cover

PSE Feb/March, 23

Greater choice, greater results

Our February/March 2023 edition of PSE brings you expert comment and analysis on a range of key public sector topics, from EV infrastructure to Digital transformation and reducing carbon emissions. Learn how the UK Government is investing in highway and freight innovation or read Cllr Matthew Hicks discuss the first step towards an exciting future for Suffolk, alongside so much more…

Videos...

View all videos
#PSE365: Public Sector Decarbonisation

Be A Part Of It!

PSE365: Public Sector Decarbonisation Virtual Event | 21 Mar 2023

PSE has created a full calendar of events to address the most important issues that influence the delivery of public sector services. 

Over 365 days you’ll have the opportunity to hear from a range of highly motivating, informative and inspirational speakers. These speakers will equip you with knowledge and unique insight to enable you to overcome the challenges that you face.

Industry Survey

What are the biggest issues facing the Public Sector?

 Public Sector Executive is undergoing some in-depth research around the issues the Public Sector is facing and the importance of deploying and using new technology within Public Sector organisations. 

We are asking for your help to better understand how public sector organisations are utilising technology to support their digital strategy and your opinion on what the biggest issues facing the public sector are.

This survey only takes a couple of minutes to complete and to thank you for your time and for filling out our survey, we'll enter you into a prize draw to win a £50 Amazon voucher.

In order to assist public sector organisations with improving their existing technology estate, we hope to leverage our findings to share best practises and innovations across the public sector.

More articles...

View all