Published
By Ashley Cox
The CPC website is now able to offer our members Direct Award tool functionality, allowing registered members to make compliant Direct Awards of contracts (where applicable) to their chosen supplier(s).
As you are quite likely aware, the term 'Direct Award' refers to the process of awarding a public contract without implementing a competitive tendering process. Instead, the contract is awarded directly to the preferred supplier selected up-front by the contracting authority (in this case, an educational establishment or multi-academy trust).
In terms of the new functionality, CPC members can use the integrated tool to make Direct Awards to approved CPC suppliers, should their particular framework allow this. The new Direct Award tool itself can be found here.
Please note, if your specific framework is not listed on the tool's pop-up menu, it could mean that Direct Award is not a permitted/compliant method. We advise contacting the relevant CPC Contract Manager to clarify this status.
Further, members should be aware a Direct Award can only be made in cases where no changes to the terms and conditions of the call-off are required. Should you wish to make such changes, we direct you to the framework's user guide for alternative call off methods (again, the Contract Manager can advise). Whatever the instance, we recommend you read the user guide and conditions of call off prior to making attempts at a new Direct Award.
Returning to our new website tool, there are similarities with the pre-existing Quick Quote as members can benefit from a copy of their Direct Award (as well as its overarching contract terms) being automatically emailed to a host of relevant stakeholders; namely the CPC member's Liaison Officer, their chosen supplier's Account Manager and the connected CPC Framework Manager for the specific agreement, as well as CPC's Business Services team.
As a quick refresher, Direct Award is typically best suited to procurements of low value and/or low complexity in terms of their requirements, as well as when providing continuity or additions to already existing goods/services, where goods/services are exclusive to one individual supplier/provider and/or in cases of urgent and/or one-off requirements, though this list is not necessarily absolute and there may be other cases for making Direct Awards.
Meanwhile, CPC is pleased to promote an upcoming members' webinar on the hot topic of Direct Award, to be held on Thursday 24th October (from 2pm). Presented by our Procurement Advisory Group (PAG) under its 'PAG Presents' umbrella, this one-off session will explore when you might be permitted to execute a Direct Award, explaining how you can do this and what is allowed to complete the process successfully and compliantly.
This October 'PAG Presents' webinar will be led by CPC's Learning & Development Lead, Mark Pearson of our dedicated Procurement Taskforce team. With 35 years of procurement experience, including the last 15 in the public sphere, Mark will also aim to any any adjacent questions that participants may have on the afternoon.
To register your attendance for our free 'PAG Presents... Your Guide to Direct Awards' session, click here