Key procurement considerations for merging MATs

Whether you are a newly formed MAT, or joining another existing trust, procurement is key to a successful merger

Forming a new MAT, or merging with an existing trust, is a challenging process. Whilst it opens up the opportunity to combine multiple spending powers and find new procurement opportunities, with this comes long and complicated procurement contracts – and these may be forgotten, or put on hold, whilst the merging process takes priority. 

Keeping on top of procurement processes through your MATs merging process is key – take the following considerations into account alongside the other work involved in merging. 

Create a contract register

A contract register holds all information on contracts across all your schools in one place, giving you an overview, and enabling you to identify duplication and gaps. It should include information such as:

• contract start and end dates;
• termination information;
• renewal dates;
• an auditable record of your contracts.

Setting up a comprehensive contract register should be your first action as it will allow you to share important contract information with the stakeholders of other members of the MAT quickly when they need it and it will make the other steps outlined below much easier to implement. 

Align your contracts

Aligning contracts allows merging MATs to share their current contract details, including their renewal dates and the types of procurement that exists in each school. This will help you to decide whether a contract should be renewed, extended for a longer or shorter period, or combined with another contract. Keeping on top of your contracts provides merging MATs the time to make a balanced decision on how to manage their contracts, rather than rushing into a renewal. 

Buy collaboratively

Aligning your contracts will enable you to identify the collective procurement priorities of your MAT and possible new ways your MAT can buy collaboratively to make savings. Collaborative buying will help to inform your future contracts as you will be aware of the products you need, the exact specifications of your current contracts, and how best to source these products from suppliers. It also means you will be a more important customer to suppliers as you will be looking for a lot more goods or services compared to a lone school. 

Actively manage your contracts 

As a merging MAT, it is important to ensure your contract management is held to a high standard; this will help you to take control of the procurement process by negotiating a competitive price and taking ownership of contract management meetings. Ensure all required attendees know well in advance when they need to meet and what their contributions should be. Set the agenda for those meetings and make sure you are taking the minutes and notes.

Work together 

When managing a larger procurement team, it is vital that you share good practice and new learning so that you can bring your expertise together to work successfully as a collaborative new team.