HAVERING IS FIRST TO SELECT NEW ACCREDITATION SERVICE
11 DECEMBER 2006
The London Borough of Havering (Havering) has become the first local authority in the UK to sign up to BiP Solutions’ new national pre-qualification accreditation service Select Accredit. The service was formally launched by BiP Solutions on 7 November 2006.
Select Accredit provides a global approach to pre-qualification via supplier assessment across a common range of requirements and delivers better value for money for both buyers and suppliers. The service helps public sector organisations deliver improvements in efficiency and streamline their procurement process, supporting a ‘do it once’ ethos. It minimises the financial and administrative burden on buyers and suppliers through removing duplication of effort.
Havering has been at the forefront of innovation in its procurement techniques and has long sought to make efficiency savings. By adopting Select Accredit, Havering has moved even further forward in addressing the efficiency agenda.
Organisations such as Havering will benefit from Select Accredit’s full compliance with the EC Treaty, EC Public Procurement Directives and UK Regulations. Select Accredit is the only cross-public sector accreditation service delivered to the same exacting standards set for the DTI’s Constructionline accreditation service – itself the only government-supported UK accreditation service.
BiP has appointed Capita – which administers the Constructionline service on behalf of the DTI – as the vetting process service provider for Select Accredit. Capita’s specialist software enables Constructionline and Select Accredit supplier information to be hosted in a shared environment, so reducing duplication.
Select Accredit is also endorsed by the Society of Procurement Officers in Local Government (SOPO), the leading procurement organisation for local government buyers, with thousands of members across the UK.
Ron Burges, CEO of BiP Solutions, said: “We are delighted that the London Borough of Havering has signed up to Select Accredit. Public sector organisations need assurance that potential suppliers are suitable to tender for public contract opportunities in terms of their legal, financial and technical capacity and Select Accredit will help provide that assurance.
“By affording buyers such as Havering an increased confidence when entering into the tendering process, using Select Accredit offers a greater number of opportunities to engage in successful relationships and delivers even greater benefits to the taxpayer.”
John Scowen, Corporate Procurement Manager for Havering and SOPO past Chairman, said: “I encourage all local government procurement officers and suppliers to embrace this new accreditation system.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About BiP Solutions Ltd:
* established in 1984, with 150 staff based in Glasgow
* one of Europe’s leading providers of public sector contracts information
* publisher of Government Opportunities magazine
* service provider of the Supply2.gov.uk lower-value contracts portal
* service provider of the MOD’s Defence Contracts Bulletin
* also provides procurement consultancy, training and events
More information on BiP Solutions Ltd can be found at www.bipsolutions.com
About the London Borough of Havering:
* London’s third largest borough
* has a population of over 220,000 covering an area of 11,227 hectares
* heavy investment in town centres, including £400 million for Romford
* the country’s top-performing local education authority with an entirely comprehensive-based system
More information on Havering can be found at www.havering.gov.uk
Issued by BiP Solutions Ltd
For more information or interview requests, contact Rhona-Mairead Sweeting on 0141 270 7343 / 07719 646014 or rhona.sweeting@bipsolutions.com
