Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Frameworks 2018 / 2019
Birmingham London Manchester
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Where can I find Crown Commercial Service (CCS) tenders?
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A Crown Commercial Service (CCS) tender can be found (free of charge) on the CCS website:
https://ccs-agreements.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/procurement-pipeline and on the Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) and Contracts Finder website. Read more about how to find tenders for free in our blog post here. |
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Who do Crown Commercial Service (CCS) buy for?
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CCS procure on behalf of government departments, arms length bodies (ALBs) e.g. NHS Digital and NHS England, and the public sector: hospitals, universities, schools, councils and emergency services. Examples of a government department are:
Cabinet Office (CO), Department of Health and Social Care (DH), Ministry of Defence (MOD),Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Treasury, Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Department for Education (DE), Department for Transport (DfT), Home Office (HO) and the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). |
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Why are tenders competed?
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Government and public organisations e.g. NHS Trusts, local authority councils, police and charities, publish their tender opportunities to adhere to EU procurement regulations, as implemented in the UK by the Cabinet Office. You can read more about public procurement legislation here.
The Scottish government has an amended version of the procurement rules to reflect the differences between English Law and Scottish law. The procurement regulations require all public bodies (spending public money) to provide suppliers with an equal opportunity to supply to government in a fair and transparent way, without discrimination. |
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Who can use Crown Commercial Service (CCS) framework agreements?
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A CCS tender can be used by all public organisations in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to procure common goods and services. The UK public sector can use any CCS framework where they are named (or collectively named) as a participant in the CCS tender notice or Invitation to Tender (ITT).
Contracting Authorities, such as NHS Trusts, universities, schools and local councils often use framework agreements created by competing procurement hubs. The CCS customer base is strongest within government departments who are mandated to use CCS frameworks. The public sector can use any framework agreement with the exception is the NHS in England who must use an employment agency who is on an NHS Improvement approved framework. |
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Do suppliers pay a fee to supply through a Crown Commercial Service (CCS) framework?
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Yes, CCS, charge suppliers a management fee for winning business under a CCS framework agreement. The fee is calculated monthly as a percentage of the total amount invoiced to the customer, by the supplier.
The percentage charge usually ranges from 0.5% to 1.5% but sometimes it can be higher. Procurement Hubs also charge a management fee to suppliers winning business under their frameworks, this is often called an Activity Based Income (ABI) charge and ranges from 1% - 3% but on occasion this can also be higher. |
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What about procurement and tenders in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?
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The Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland government departments
have their own government procurement organisations who publish government tenders on their behalf: NHS Wales Shared Service Partnership, the Scottish Government and the Central Procurement Directorate in Northern Ireland. |
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Why is there more than one government framework agreement?
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Multiple frameworks provide choice and prevent a monopoly situation. For popular government frameworks, such as recruitment and temporary staffing, there are 7 NHS Improvement, approved framework agreements for the NHS in England to access agency workers from. Each framework contains a similar list of suppliers and pricing is capped by NHS Improvement. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own agency agreements.
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How can I increase my chances of winning a Crown Commercial Service (CCS) tender?
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Naomi Clews Consultancy is a procurement consultant and freelance bid writer and tender writing company, based in the west midlands in the cathedral city of Lichfield, 17 miles north of Birmingham UK. We provide professional tender writing services, for businesses and non profit organisations, read more about our tender writing services here.
Discuss your tender writing requirements with Naomi today. We provide a FREE no obligation 30 minute telephone consultation call 07432 451796 or request a call back (UK only) through our online consultation booking system here. |
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*The free 30 minute telephone consultation provides an opportunity to discuss your bid writing requirements with Naomi, without obligation. If we can support you, we will provide you with a quote and a contract. Call backs offered to UK residents, local call rates only. Free consultations are only available Tuesday to Thursday between the hours of 10:00 and 16:00 and are limited to one FREE consultation per company, per annum. At busy times, you may experience a delay in our response, as we are prioritising existing client work.
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