^{Members of the Open team including (front row): Emanuela Codara, Data & Systems Officer and Ali Nabi, Design & Engagement Coordinator. (Back row) Georgia Smithson, Open Customer Services Coordinator, Graham Kelly, Open Product Owner, Joe Taylor, Open Customer Services Coordinator, Joanne Emery, Intelligence & Performance Specialist and Adam Smith, Head of Digital and eProcurement.}

This October, North East local authorities will transition to Open, a new procurement platform, developed by NEPO, to streamline procurement processes, enhance transparency and aid accessibility for local suppliers.

The first ever organisation to join Open was NEPO back in 2022 using the system to publish their procurement opportunities, followed by a successful pilot with the first local authority, Sunderland City Council in June 2024.

Following the initial success with both organisations, on 28 October 2024, the remaining 11  North East Local Authorities will officially transition to the revolutionary new platform. Since its launch, Open has facilitated several procurement projects, with over 7,000 suppliers registering since its inception.

Open marks a major step forward in public procurement, streamlining tendering processes and enhancing efficiency for suppliers engaging with the public sector. To ensure a smooth transition, NEPO has developed a 12-month implementation strategy featuring a range of activities designed to support the integration of Open across 12 local authorities.

With an average of 6,000 competitive opportunities published annually by NEPO and its members, the organisation encourages the North East’s business community, voluntary community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) to join the platform and access vital public sector tender opportunities.

Adam Smith, Head of Digital and E-procurement at NEPO said: “We are thrilled to announce that as a result of the successful pilot, from October all local authorities across the North East will be implementing Open. This milestone marks a huge step forward in streamlining procurement processes, increasing transparency, and driving greater efficiency across the region.

Since its successful launch with NEPO and Sunderland City Council, we’ve received a lot of positive feedback from users. This is just the beginning of our journey, and we have exciting ambitions and plans to continue improving and further developing Open to meet the ever-changing demands of public sector procurement head-on.”

Glenda Malone, Senior Manager – Procurement from Sunderland City Council added:
“We are thrilled to be the first local authority to adopt Open. Our commitment to improving and modernising service delivery is paramount, and the initial feedback from our procurement team has been very encouraging. We anticipate that this platform will greatly benefit our suppliers and contribute to the growth of the regional economy.”

The remaining local authorities—Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council, Gateshead Council, Hartlepool Borough Council, Middlesbrough Borough Council, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Council, Northumberland County Council, Redcar & Cleveland Council, South Tyneside Council, and Stockton Borough Council—will join the platform on October 28, 2024, transitioning all new procurement activities to the system.

If your business is based in the North East and interested in bidding for public sector opportunities, we encourage you to register on Open (www.open-uk.org). By registering, you'll receive notifications about relevant opportunities and gain the ability to compete for public sector contracts.