Supplier Excellence Awards aids Giving Back efforts

Young learners among big winners at Manchester charity awards gala

Evening raises thousands for Crescent Purchasing Consortium's Giving Back programme

Pioneering Salford-based charity and public sector buying organisation, Crescent Purchasing Consortium, celebrated outstanding work across its 1,200+ strong supply chain on Thursday 26th July.

Education sector suppliers from a wide range of industries were on hand in central Manchester for CPC’s second annual Supplier Excellence Awards, held again in the impressive setting of the Hilton Manchester Deansgate.

As with last year's inaugural edition, the black-tie event doubled as a fundraiser for CPC’s flagship Giving Back charitable initiative, which reinvests in education by way of supporting a range of projects and purchases.

Through enhancing the experiences of SEND learners, tackling causes of absenteeism and facilitating improved wellbeing, Giving Back is a three-pronged venture that invites funding applications from eligible schools, academies and other entities.

Launched in 2019, Giving Back has already brought more than £2 million in approved funding back into education, making a difference at over 230 different institutions, to the benefit of countless young people.

With January 2025’s Giving Back funding window proving its busiest yet, CPC is now looking to make even more exciting and game-changing proposals a reality, with the night's raffle and auction helping bolster the coffers for the next round of funding.

Tasked with solving the UK education sector’s procurement problems, suppliers of various sizes and specialisms have been integral to CPC’s success, and the second Supplier Excellence Awards sought to recognise and reward the absolute best.

The complete list of prize winners from the 2025 CPC Supplier Excellence Awards is as follows:

Best Small Supplier

WINNER: Roche AV Pro

Best Medium Supplier

WINNER: Schools Advisory Service

Best Large Supplier

WINNER: Konica Minolta

Best Social Impact

WINNER: Kindred

Best Innovation

WINNER: Apogee Corporation

Best Supplier Collaboration

WINNER: The Supply Register

Commitment to Carbon Reduction & Sustainability

WINNER: Kindred

Young Procurement Professional of the Year

WINNER: Tiara Hemans from Tel Group

Outstanding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

WINNER: Ricoh UK / Konica Minolta

Customer Service Excellence

WINNER: Education Mutual

Products/Services of the Year

WINNER: Schools Advisory Service

CPC Managing Director, Darren Lowe, said: “We are proud to have brought some of the very best education suppliers to Manchester and thankful to our lead sponsor Kindred, as well as gold sponsors Konica Minolta and Education Mutual, for supporting the event. The money raised will go towards bolstering our Giving Back fund, which will continue to back such invaluable projects and purchases, making a real difference to students, staff and learning environments.

Thank you to all who attended and congratulations to the winners

With a mission of being the education sector’s procurement partner of choice, CPC membership is completely free of charge and offers a multitude of member benefits, from purchasing frameworks to learning resources and expert procurement help.

CPC currently has more than 10,600 registered members, from colleges, trusts and universities to miscellaneous public sector bodies, spanning local authorities, museums and beyond.

More on Crescent Purchasing Consortium’s not-for-profit efforts in aid of the education sector, plus how your institution could benefit from future Giving Back funding opportunities, can be found here.