Procurement and Supply Chain Services

EcoVate understands that when it comes to procurement and supply chain our clients often face a variety of challenges, such as limited internal capacity/skills, or pressure to achieve savings and efficiencies. We offer a flexible range of specialist strategic procurement and supply chain services which can be tailored to our clients’ needs.

Examples of such services include:

End-to-end procurement process management – devise, implement and deliver;
Strategic procurement advice, guidance, mentorship and training for in house teams;
Back-office support by our Procurement Project Management Office (PMO)
Technical expertise for procurements covering for example capital works projects and Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP) programmes; energy savings initiatives; clinical products and services and other health areas;
Commercial contract reviews;
Cost improvement plans and delivery of cash releasing savings;
Category reviews;
Contract negotiation to put in place innovative contractual arrangements;
Contract management;
Supplier relationship and performance management; and
Transactional procurement services, including for example purchase to pay (P2P).

We focus on the individual requirements of our clients including their need for procurement compliance and savings whilst adhering to the clients’ internal policies and procedures, and Government procurement policy and regulations.

Our procurement experts can offer up-to-date knowledge and experience of procurement policies and regulations. We can advise on various procurement procedures such as Below Threshold, Open, Restricted, Competitive Dialogue, Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS), Innovation Partnerships, establishment of a Framework or Further Competitions using a Framework.

EcoVate has a track record in assisting clients to generate cost savings through buying better, using less, generating more and operating more efficiently.

Client Testimonials

The decontamination project had been a slow burner until EcoVate Group (EcoVate) came on board and assisted us in running a Competitive Dialogue Procurement for a new offsite decontamination unit for the Royal Free London Group of hospitals. The existing facilities were reaching end of life and were spread across the three main sites: Barnet, Chase Farm and the Royal Free Hospital. EcoVate immediately understood our needs and worked with us to ensure compliance and stakeholder engagement at each stage of the complex procurement process, enabling us to achieve some major savings on this £13M+ scheme. Additionally, we engaged EcoVate to assist with writing the Outline Business Case and Full Business Case. Not only did this expedite the cases being written and therefore being approved sooner, but also provided valuable support to the internal procurement team.

EcoVate Group (EcoVate) assisted us with two complex procurements for ICT Services and Estates. Peter has been very thorough and responsive during the procurement process. This has included managing the market and potential bidders, setting up and managing the procurement process, bidder dialogue, the assessment processes and finalising the contract. Peter has acted as customer manager and has updated us on a weekly basis throughout the whole process. We have developed a productive and collaborative relationship with him and EcoVate.

EcoVate provided the Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust (the Trust) with specialist procurement services from November 2018 until September 2019. The procurement services included providing strategic advice and running a procurement process for the provision of regional Community Health pharmacy provisions, including procurement of stock and dispensing services. Their innovative approach supported us in running a successful variation of a Competitive Dialogue Process that has transformed the pharmacy services provided to the Trust. EcoVate worked with us from the outset to engage with stakeholders and end-users towards ensuring their requirements were met. They provided strategic procurement advice and led a comprehensive end-to-end procurement process, based on a vested approach, which was completed successfully on time.

As a result, we now have a single service provider to provide regional Community Health pharmacy provisions, including a digital approach to procurement of stock and dispensing services, ensuring best price is achieved. Local communities now not only have access to pharmacy provisions, but there is also a home delivery option for patients who need this service; this is a considerable end-user benefit from the patient perspective. In terms of efficiency, moving to a single service provider has simplified the services and offers the Trust the ability to adapt to fluctuations in the Trust’s portfolio of services. With the support of EcoVate’s innovative specialist procurement services, we have achieved the commissioning of a progressive pharmacy service provider.

EcoVate Group (EcoVate) provided specialist procurement services to the Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust (the Trust) for the procurement of soft facilities management services from February to November 2018. Their innovative approach – that included strategic procurement advice and running an end-to-end procurement process – resulted in a successful Competitive Dialogue Process being undertaken that has transformed the soft facilities management services provided to the Trust. EcoVate worked with us from the outset to engage with stakeholders and end-users across all clinical and non-clinical areas, including patients, staff and visitors. They led a robust procurement process, based on a vested approach, which was completed successfully and ahead of schedule.

As a result, we have now been able to integrate three existing contracts into one, creating a single, unified and revitalised team with a new sense of purpose. We have replaced onerous and costly contracts, that were not delivering to the required standard with a new contract that is based on outcomes and vested principles. The new contract that EcoVate have supported us in securing has exceeded our expectations in terms of quality and compliance and will deliver a 3% annual cost reduction whilst improving service quality.