The NePP was an initiative launched by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to develop guidance for Local Authorities on the development and implementation of e-Procurement practice. E-Procurement involves Councils using online technologies to improve their purchasing management processes. Successful e-Procurement could result in savings of millions of pounds that could then be diverted to services.CNR was involved in a strand of NePP that was concerned with helping Councils to engage their small business suppliers in these new processes. If this does not happen, then there is a danger that Council orders will increasingly be placed with big suppliers or suppliers who are out of area, with a potentially devastating impact on local economies.
CNR developed a number of case studies of how e-Procurement affected small suppliers. We also researched best practice examples and developed guidelines for Councils, to help them understand how they can work with business support partners to develop their links with SMEs.
In addition, CNR organised a number of dissemination events to bring together a range of Local, Regional and Central Government representatives, together with partner organisations in the business support networks and also small business representatives.
Our work was carried out as part of a consortium led by The Imaginist Company and is an illustration of CNR's ability to work constructively and successfully in a parthership with others.
