Collective purchasing power

• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  10 July 2012     11:38182156
  #1       report
  read an article about east sussex and surrey county councils agreeing to join together when buying in goods and services.
  
  in many cases they are using the same supplier, i don't know if k.c.c and medway unitary authority have a similar arrangement.
• Guest 710

  • Registered: 28 Feb 2011
  • Posts: 6,950
  10 July 2012     11:59182160
  #2       report
  This can only lead to more and more of the hard earned cash of the general public being syphoned off to the off-shore coffers of multi-national companies;a penny saved and the other 99 pence lost to the economy.
  
  P.S.
  Surely it is far better to make do with less and get what they need from local suppliers and local employers.
  Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  10 July 2012     12:04182162
  #3       report
  not so sure about that tom, the same suppliers will be used but with stronger bargaining power from the councils.
• Guest 683

  • Registered: 11 Feb 2009
  • Posts: 1,052
  10 July 2012     12:07182164
  #4       report
  As evidenced by KCC's 'Laser' via which the Head of Procurement made himself very comfortable!
• Guest 698

  • Registered: 28 May 2010
  • Posts: 8,664
  10 July 2012     23:20182233
  #5       report
  In order to become a supplier of goods and services to any government bodies a company has to jump through so many hoops and go through so many pre-qualification exercises and become accredited under so many ISO-this-and-that schemes that small local businesses are completely locked out of the market.
  I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
• Guest 653

  • Registered: 13 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 10,540
  11 July 2012     07:24182271
  #6       report
  You don't have to be ISO 9000 accredited to be a suppiler to local authorities.
  
  There is information on Dover District Council's website:
  http://www.dover.gov.uk/council__democracy/procurement.aspx
  
  
  
  
  Roger
• Guest 716

  • Registered: 9 Jun 2011
  • Posts: 4,010
  11 July 2012     07:29182274
  #7       report
  #..5..agree...it is time for a `Unitary`council of East Kent....
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  11 July 2012     09:09182300
  #8       report
  collective purchasing can be done in the way described in the original post without needing to become unitary authorities reg.