Liberata and BT earn contract extension with Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

November 21, 2008

Transform Sandwell, the strategic partnership between Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, BT and Liberata, has been extended with the award of a new multi million pound procurement contract by the council.

Under the move, which is expected to deliver considerable savings for the authority, the procurement of a wide range of goods and services, from office supplies to building services, will be brought together to be sourced and purchased centrally. The council currently deals with 200,000 invoices from thousands of suppliers a year for goods and services currently worth £211 million. The new contract will allow the procurement team to secure the best possible deals in terms of price, cost, service and quality.

Under the contract over 60 staff will be managed by Transform Sandwell, while the procurement service will be fully in place within two years. The contract will ease the administrative workload in raising requisitions across the council for the goods and services the procurement service will source. In the longer term Sandwell may be able to sell procurement services to other authorities and organisations.

Sandwell council leader Councillor Bill Thomas said: "The contract will save the council time and money on buying a vast range of goods and services and is especially welcome during the current adverse global downturn. Importantly it will free up staff time so they can concentrate on delivering the best possible services to the people of Sandwell."

Steve Smith, chief executive of Transform Sandwell said: "This is a key step forward in the Sandwell story. I believe we will set the example for other councils to follow in the development of a fully integrated procurement service."

Transform Sandwell was launched as a partnership between Sandwell, BT and Liberata in March 2007 to deliver a range of council services on behalf of the authority. The ambitious move - a first in the Black Country - secured £45 million investment to improve council services, and will create hundreds of new jobs in West Bromwich.

Under the terms of the 15 year agreement, BT and Liberata have become the authority's private sector strategic partners, delivering a range of corporate and support services including ICT, HR, customer services, procurement and finance.