New Supplier Agreement Creates Level Playing Field for SME’s

ProcServe Agrees Revisions to the Zanzibar Managed Service Supplier Agreement

11th SEPTEMBER 2008, LONDON, UK - ProcServe, a leading provider of procurement and marketplace connectivity solutions, today announced significant improvements to the Zanzibar Supplier Agreement.

In developing the award winning Zanzibar Marketplace Solution, ProcServe and OGCbuying.solutions designed a system which supports and encourages Government procurement objectives as well as driving through procurement efficiencies and savings.
The revisions to the Zanzibar Supplier Agreement bring a crucial component of the supplier adoption process in line with these objectives.

The government's approach to procuring goods and services is on a value for money basis, opening up the government market to all suppliers and benefiting the taxpayer and wider economy. The revised Supplier Agreement now mirrors this approach by creating a fair and level playing for suppliers on the Zanzibar Marketplace. The language of the Supplier Agreement has been revised to create a more collaborative environment whilst retaining controls for both the Supplier and the Service Provider.

Many suppliers provide savings to the Public Sector, but among the Public Sector supplier community the following are among the first to provide those same savings along with the additional benefits of transacting online: Carlton Fuels Limited, E.ON UK PLC, Intellego Health, James McNaughton Paper Group Ltd, and St. John Supplies. These suppliers are among the first to take advantage of the new Supplier Agreement by joining the Zanzibar marketplace, helping more Government departments reach their procurement objectives.

Veera Johnson, CEO of ProcServe says "By re-writing the Supplier Agreement we have been able to help OGCbuying.solutions deliver the public sector's value for money ethos. The new Agreement also means thousands of small and medium enterprises can readily access public procurement contracts on a level playing field with larger competitors,"

Robert Knapman, Director of eCommerce, OGCbuying.solutions, said "The Supplier Agreement was a potential barrier to competition, because among other things, it led to higher

insurance costs for suppliers and may have discriminated against smaller suppliers. The revised Supplier Agreement is consistent with existing guidance about opening up competition for Government contracts."

Media Contacts:
Cora Byrne, ProcServe
T: +44(0)20 7881 3445
E: cora.byrne@procserve.com

Hannah Ampleford, OGCbuying.solutions
Tel: +44(0)16 0370 4581 
E: hannah.ampleford@ogcbus.gsi.gov.uk

Notes to Editors

About ProcServe
ProcServe provides fast, flexible and secure electronic marketplaces and trading connectivity solutions. ProcServe's hosted, custom-branded solutions provide customers with the unique ability to leverage a software-as-a-service solution and maintain their own uniquely branded and configured marketplace. Customers enjoy a faster solution set up, lower cost of maintenance, and a secure environment. ProcServe delivers Zanzibar, OPEN and xchangewales on behalf of the UK Public Sector.

About OGCbuying.solutions
OGCbuying.solutions is the trading arm of the Office of Government Commerce, which is itself an office of HM Treasury.

It provides public sector procurement professionals with a route to the products and services they need to maximise procurement efficiency and value for money. Its contracts and framework agreements offer substantial savings through significant buying power, economies of scale and strategic partnerships.

Rigorous tendering and evaluation processes ensure that products and services are checked for quality, price competitiveness, fitness for purpose and compliance with statutory requirements. These products and services are available through OGCbuying.solutions' framework agreements, managed services and other procurement arrangements.

The Office of Government Commerce is an independent office of HM Treasury, established to help Government deliver best value from its spending. The OGC works with central Government departments and other public sector organisations to provide policy standards and guidance on best practice in procurement, projects and estate management, and monitors and challenges Departments' performance against these standards, grounded in an evidence base of information and assurance.

It promotes and fosters collaborative procurement across the public sector to deliver better value for money and better public services; and it provides innovative ways to develop Government's commercial and procurement capability, including leadership of the Government Procurement Service.