STAFFORDSHIRE county council is set to save £18.5 million over the next three years after taking on a partner to improve the way they buy goods and services.
A team from Capita will work with the council’s procurement team to help find savings across the authority and secure better deals from suppliers.
Ian Parry, Deputy Leader of Staffordshire County Council, said: “As the cost will be covered by savings found, it is a win-win situation with no expense falling on taxpayers.”
One of the key objectives of the new partnership is to find ways to use the council’s purchasing power to help stimulate the local economy by using more local suppliers to provide goods and services to the county.
“This deal is further evidence of how Staffordshire is transforming the way it does business to deliver the very best value for money for our residents,” said councillor Parry. “We spend around £525m every year buying goods and services and I want to make sure we are getting the maximum value for our money.”
He said the county council was confident that a more commercial and stream-lined approach would deliver huge savings and that where possible they would be aiming to work with local suppliers and businesses to make sure as much money as possible was being returned to Staffordshire’s economy.
Ben Eggleston, head of local government at Capita’s consulting business said: “This partnership will deliver real benefits to Staffordshire’s residents by ensuring every pound spent on goods and services makes the biggest possible impact on their lives. This programme will deliver significant savings by leveraging our extensive procurement capability and experience across local government.”
