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NEPO has contributed to an independent review to establish a new ‘Gold Standard’ in public sector construction frameworks

Published by the Cabinet Office, Constructing the Gold Standard identifies 24 recommendations to help the public sector drive efficiency, value and innovation when using collaborative frameworks.

During the development of the Gold Standard, NEPO took part in workshops and surveys offering its unique perspective as a buying organisation owned by the public sector, delivering for the public sector.  In particular, NEPO’s commitment to engaging with SMEs was noted within the new Gold Standard.

Laura Kyle, Procurement Specialist at NEPO, said:

“During the consultation process NEPO highlighted the importance of engaging with the regional SME market to harness their significant insight and expertise. For example, NEPO offers free training to help SMEs compete for public sector opportunities, we hold market engagement sessions to foster mutual understanding, and crucially, we structure our framework agreements in a way that encourages bids from smaller consultants and contractors.

“It is really encouraging that our approach has been referenced in the Gold Standard to help the public sector unlock value from the contributions of SMEs.  NEPO welcomes the new standard and looks forward to working with the wider public sector and industry partners to continue to remove duplication, drive value and innovation, and support a profitable construction industry.”

NEPO has a range of Construction solutions available for use by the public sector, including Building Construction Works, Building Materials and Construction & Civil Engineering Consultancy. A full list of solutions is available on the NEPO website.