Council launches new procurement strategy to support changes

ARGYLL and Bute Council has launched its new procurement strategy which will guide the way it buys goods and services over the next year, supporting change and innovation as the council continues with its ambitious transformation agenda.

Councillor Dick Walsh, Policy Lead for Customer Services, said: ‘The new strategy puts people in Argyll and Bute first. They are at the heart of what we do. This is a time of unprecedented challenge for local government finances.

‘As we move forward, effective procurement will become even more important, making sure we can get the very best value for the goods and services we buy in so that we can continue to support the services our communities have told us matter most to them.

‘The document covers the rest of this financial year and the next one. Thereafter we will be updating it annually, with feedback from our customers being crucial to that process.

‘Our procurement team has and continues to save the council money wherever possible, money that can then be used for frontline services.

‘The team also works hard to support the local economy, awarding over a third of council contracts to local businesses last year, amounting to 67 individual contract awards, and there are now more than 100 businesses on our supplier development programme.

The strategy is available to view at: www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/ council- and- government/ plans- policies- and- key- documents