Demand on health and care services is rising, creating pressure on services, waiting lists, delays in accessing care and financial pressure. In response, there is a national and local drive to manage demand on health and care services, prevent development of escalating care needs and focus on promoting good health and wellbeing. Surrey County Council also recognise how this approach heavily relies on the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE). However this sector has faced increasing financial difficulty since the pandemic, with reductions in donations and constraints on grants from statutory organisations. Surrey County Council wants to understand the mos

About the buyer

Surrey County Council buys as a local government organisation, with procurement led by its own Director of Procurement. Suppliers register on the Proactis Supplier Network, the e-sourcing portal used for major tenders and requests for quotation. Registered suppliers can express interest and submit bids for live opportunities directly through that portal. The same Proactis system manages contracts, purchase orders and invoices once a contract is awarded. Larger procurements are advertised through the Find a Tender service under the Procurement Act 2023. The Surrey-i website separately lists the council's live contracts register for suppliers to check ongoing work.

UK local government drives £140bn in annual procurement, led by social protection (£66.6bn) and education (£57.1bn).

Over the past 5 years, most of Surrey County Council's contract awards have been in transport services, architectural and engineering services and business services.