Published
By Ashley Cox
As well as the regular funding opportunities offered to member institutions, CPC's Giving Back initiative has been pleased to provide a number of CIPS bursaries for a second successive year, paving the pathway to future procurement excellence.
In February, we confirmed the award of these bursaries and we are pleased to now announce that Karl Holland, Procurement & Contract Officer at Preston's Cardinal Newman College, as well as Susan, Procurement Manager & Finance Business Partner at Hull College and Alan, Business Support Accountant at Bootle's Hugh Baird College have each been enrolled with our CPC bursary scheme partners, SR Supply Chain Consultants.
Karl, Susan and Alan will all be part of a new study cohort that commences on 23rd April, with the aim of attaining the Level 4 CIPS Diploma in Procurement & Supply qualification by June 2027, boosting their procurement-based skillset and credentials, to the benefit of students at their institutions.
Across the study and assessment period, our bursary recipients will be able to call on valuable support and tuition from SRCCC, as well as personal development mentorship from our in-house Procurement Learning & Development Lead, Mark Pearson. 🤝
"I am pleased CPC has been able to continue to support the advancement of procurement within our membership through the funding of these bursary awards", Mark noted. "The CIPS Level 4 Diploma is a key qualification for procurement postholders in further education colleges and multi-academy trusts, as it provides the basic toolkit for procurement activities.
"Crescent Learning builds on this to translate much of that learning into practical advice for the education sector, to strengthen the foundations the Level 4 Diploma creates", he added. Read on here for more about CPC's Crescent Learning L&D platform.
“I am very much looking forward to supporting Karl, Susan and Alan in their learning journeys, in much the same way as I currently support the four who were successfully awarded last year’s bursary funding and are in the midst of their studies”.
By investing in the development of these four procurement professionals, on top of the four that were awarded bursaries in 2025, CPC is Giving Back to the education sector in a different way, enhancing procurement functions at multiple institutions.
The L4 CIPS Diploma in Procurement & Supply serves as the first step on the journey to MCIPS Chartered Status, the industry-recognised professional standard. This Ofqual-regulated qualification allows procurement professionals to develop their skills, knowledge and competencies and is equivalent to a first year of an undergraduate degree.
Delivered over eight modules, the programme anticipates around 600 hours in Ofqual Total Qualification Time, encompassing 250 hours of guided learning, with a baseline recommended self-study commitment of 335 hours, plus 15 hours in exam time.
The areas covered across the course modules are:
• Scope and Influence of Procurement & Supply
• Ethical and Responsible Sourcing
• Whole Life Asset Management
• Defining Business Need
• Commercial Negotiation
• Procurement & Supply in Practice
• Commercial Contracting
• Supplier Relationships
CPC looks forward to following the professional development of our successful CIPS bursary applicants in 2026 and beyond.
Read on for more on CPC's flagship Giving Back programme, which transforms surplus funds into game-changing projects.
Are you a CPC member who would also like to pursue the CIPS Level 4 Diploma in Procurement & Supply? Enter the code 'CrescentSummer25' when registering your interest with SR Supply Chain Consultants via their online form for a discount.