IT-procurement deal to save Wales £6m

• Tags:
• Sector,
• Delivery,
• Public Sector,
• Assembly

Kable

Published: 10 Aug 2007 09:30 BST

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The Welsh Assembly Government announced a new IT framework agreement on Wednesday that will enable public-sector organisations across Wales to join forces and buy common items, such as PCs, laptops and printers. It is forecast to generate average savings of 39 percent, the equivalent of an extra 180 teachers or nurses for Wales.

The agreement was reached after a two-day e-auction, and ensures that all of the equipment involved is "Energy Star" compliant, which means it uses 70 percent less electricity than other computers. Product quality and service were also considered, alongside issues such as the use of recycled materials and ethical supply chains.

A spokesperson for the Welsh Assembly told GC News that the framework includes 17 suppliers, including Computacenter, Equanet and Dell.

Announcing the deal, Welsh finance and public service-delivery minister Andrew Davies said: "This new agreement is going to make a big difference to organisations all over Wales, from the largest local authorities, through to the smallest primary school."

"This framework is exactly the kind of result our 'Making the Connections' policy aims to achieve. It will provide real value for money for the people of Wales and improve the delivery of services."

The agreement was led by the Welsh Further Education Purchasing Consortium (WFEPC), in conjunction with Value Wales, a division of the Welsh Assembly set up to promote best-practice procurement among public-sector bodies in Wales.

Mike Evans, chair of WFEPC, said: "The benefits we can get by working across Wales are outstanding. For this type of commodity, this has to be the way forward for all public-sector organisations in Wales."

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