Read Again: Procurement as an Enabler

Are you making the most of your procurement? In this article, Lana Stoyles explores how Nexus Multi Academy Trust has embraced its commercial power and how this has become an enabler within the organisation

Not every school has the luxury of a procurement strategy or support centrally, and as a sector we don’t have strength yet in regional commercial support. I also want to explore where schools who do not have access to procurement support directly find advice and encourage you to be brave and make some of these changes within your own school.

Unlocking the commercial power of any organisation is tricky but navigating this in the education sector amongst a changing landscape, dwindling budgets and unaligned regulations can feel like a mountain to climb.

An Enabler Not a Barrier

As a sector our strength is compliance, and we are great at following rules. So how do we balance the red tape as some of our colleagues would say? Well – procurement is an enabler not a barrier. We should always remember our ‘why’. The requirements of our young people and education specialists drive our work and we work back from this position.

There is always a compliant route and experts who can support our technical work. What we need to understand for our procurement work to be powerful is what is needed to deliver exceptional education.

While compliance can seem restrictive, a well-designed procurement strategy transforms it into an enabler for educational outcomes. Our approach showcases this by embedding procurement directly into the broader organisational strategic objectives ensuring that procurement activities support long-term objectives like sustainability, cost-efficiency and value for money.

Finding the Freedom

This alignment is evident in how Nexus MAT has prioritised centralising some procurement functions and developing partnerships through collaboration to consolidate resources. This work allows our schools to reinvest savings into educational resources. For instance, standardising contracts across categories (like energy or supplies) and adopting a preferred supplier list for those that require more flexibility not only ensures compliance but also creates financial flexibility, leading to significant annual savings. Our schools no longer have to obtain three quotes for spend over £2000 – they have the freedom to work within the infrastructure at a higher threshold level without the red tape (or sneaking around the rules).

By implementing a high-level spend procurement pipeline, Nexus MAT saved approximately £608,048 in one year. This outcome was driven by efforts such as reducing agency costs, centralising energy contracts and optimising asset management. Each of these changes was not just about cutting costs; it aimed to redirect resources and direct social value where they would most benefit students and staff.

The Procurement Mindset

The Procurement Act 2023 is hurtling towards us and many of us are scratching our heads on what this means for our education world. If nothing else this is certainly a time to shout about how amazing procurement can be if done well! In practice, this means that every transaction – whether for supplies, services, or capital projects – should be conducted in a way that maximises value for public funds. For schools, this includes adhering to established frameworks, minimising single-source justifications and ensuring all procurement activities align with both regulatory and internal policies. The aim here is not merely about meeting legal requirements; it’s about adopting a mindset that sees procurement as a tool for supporting high-quality education.

For school leaders and SBMs aiming to improve procurement, the following steps provide a solid foundation to start your journey towards this mindset:

Assess needs regularly: Begin by evaluating annual and termly requirements. Create a list of anticipated procurement needs and discuss these with your team. The worst habit is allowing contracts to just ‘roll’ without reviewing our current need. Been there, done that!

Use procurement as a tool to make transformational change; Always approach with ‘why’ what are we trying to achieve for our young people and education staff? What can we do better, how do we become more efficient? Please never fall into the ‘well we have always done it this way’. Challenge this mindset and break the mould, be confident, explore better solutions.

Find a compliant route to market: Utilise trust-wide contracts and frameworks that provide reliable suppliers. Speak to the free DFE service Get Help Buying for Schools. They can recommend frameworks, support a full process or simply provide reassurance that what you are about to do is compliant with PCR 2015 (soon to be 2023). This is especially important for high-spend areas like energy, IT and capital projects.

Making the Most of Every Pound

Adopting a compliant and strategic approach to procurement does more than just satisfy regulatory requirements; it enhances educational environments by making the most of every budgeted pound. My experience as a school business manager and now within Nexus Multi Academy Trust demonstrates how procurement supports not just financial stability but the overarching mission of educational excellence through transformational change.