Published
By CPC Helpdesk
In wake of the publication of the UK Government's new Modern Industrial Strategy, Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC) has compiled the following brief summary of what this now means for its CPC member institutions in the education sector.
The UK Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy sets out a ten-year plan to boost national productivity and resilience.
The plan includes an emphasis on backing the following eight, high-growth sectors, referred to collectively as the 'IS-8':
Advanced Manufacturing
Clean Energy
Creative Industries
Defence
Digital and Tech
Financial Services
Life Sciences
Professional and Business
Among the key pillars of this approach are skills and education, with colleges, schools and universities being vital to building the workforce of the future. Meanwhile, another pillar is that of public procurement, where purchasing decisions must help to deliver net zero, strengthen local supply chains and stimulate innovation.
Your school or college will increasingly be asked to:
Upgrade facilities and digital infrastructure.
Reduce carbon footprints and operate more sustainably.
Demonstrate social value and support local growth through your supply chain.
Align skills delivery with industries like AI, engineering, green energy and creative tech.
To help you meet these ambitions, Crescent Purchasing Consortium will continue to explore the potential for new procurement frameworks which will cover things like advanced training equipment, plus digital and AI learning tools, as well as STEM labs.
We will expand CPC procurement frameworks for renewable energy, energy efficiency upgrades and green construction, while making it easier to work with local suppliers and SMEs in order to deliver community impact.
Providing compliant procurement routes for innovative solutions, to empower you to adopt new technologies with confidence, our team at CPC will also look to offer specialist consultancy frameworks that can help you to design skills strategies and build employer partnerships, as well as assisting with securing new funding. But what should you do next?
Review upcoming investment plans, assessing if they are aligned with the strategy's focus areas.
Engage with local employers, asking how your curriculum might adapt to meet future skills gaps.
Plan for sustainability, looking at your energy use and estates masterplan.
We welcome you to talk to CPC, as our frameworks can help you buy smartly, sustainably and in line with national goals.
Useful and time-saving resources, a number of these agreements are also approved by the Department for Education
To engage with our team today and kickstart your support, call 0800 066 2188 or contact us through these channels:
We also suggest that you ask current and local suppliers and SMEs to talk to CPC and encourage them to register their interest in becoming approved framework suppliers and joining any appropriate Dynamic Procurement System available.