The Cabinet Office has today announced that the go-live date for the Procurement Act 2023 has been postponed to 24th February 2025. The statement issued explains that this delay is to better align with the new Government’s manifesto and policy priorities, including a new National Procurement Policy Statement.

We understand that the Central Digital Platform may now be available for buyer/supplier registration prior to the new February go-live date.

The full statement can be found here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-09-12/hcws90.

What does this mean for clients? The new date offers an extended window for public sector organisations to:

• Refine procurement strategies in line with new policy directions
• Ensure internal teams are fully trained on the upcoming changes
• Additional time to publish tenders under the PCR2015
• Take full advantage of the earlier availability of the Central Digital Platform for smoother registration

If you would like further information or advice on the changes to public procurement please contact our consultants:

Claire Paton on 07828 143935 or cpaton@cirruspurchasing.co.uk
Tashi Jackson on 07904 674499 or tjackson@cirruspurchasing.co.uk

As we approach the Procurement Act go-live date of 28th October, the Cabinet Office has continued to release a series of guidance documents for public sector buyers to understand the new act in greater detail. While not all the key guidance documents have been released, those that have been published provide important insights into the new procedures and rules.

Today a further 8 have been released:

• Guidance: Exclusions
• Guidance: Debarment
• Guidance: Procurement Termination Notices
• Guidance: Contract Award Notices and Standstill
• Guidance: Assessment Summaries
• Guidance: Remedies
• Guidance: Procurement Oversight
• Guidance: Contract Termination

The publication of these latest documents takes us to 37 of the 48 planned guidance documents due to be issued prior to the go live date. You can view the documents here:

Procurement Act 2023 - Guidance documents - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Cirrus will continue to monitor the release of new Guidance and examine the impact on our clients. Please keep your eye out for further updates in the coming weeks and months.

The Cabinet Office has released a new National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) setting out “strategic priorities for public procurement and how contracting authorities can support their delivery”.
This will replace the current NPPS and come into effect on 28th October 2024, in line with the new Procurement Act.

In addition to the existing focus on social value, commercial and procurement delivery and skills and capability for procurement, the new NPPS adds value for money and small and medium-sized enterprises as specific national priorities.

The new statement, applicable from 28/10/2024, is available here. The existing NPPS, published in June 2021, can be found here.

If you would like further advice on the NPPS please contact Claire Paton on 07828 143935 or cpaton@cirruspurchasing.co.uk.

After 3 years of consultations, speculation, discussion and plenty of draft legislation, the Cabinet Office have officially announced the ‘go-live’ date for the new procurement regime as Monday 28th October 2024. This announcement marks the beginning of the six-month preparation period. The ‘go-live’ date will be formalised in Commencement Regulations which are likely to be made in May.

Today also marked the launch of the official Procurement Act 2023 e-learning, comprising 9 learning modules and a final certification module aimed at operational procurement staff. Modules cover details such as the general procurement principles, procedures, supplier selection and remedies. The modules are available via the Government Commercial College, click here to register: www.govcommercialcollege.co.uk. Procurement staff successfully completing the course receive certification evidencing the completion of the e-learning and then have access to the deep dive training sessions.

Finally, on what has been another busy day for procurement practitioners, another guidance document has been published to cover transitional arrangements. The full suite of guidance documents can be found here: Procurement Act 2023 guidance documents - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If you would like further information or advice on the changes please contact Claire Paton on 07828 143935 or cpaton@cirruspurchasing.co.uk.

The second set of Procurement Act 2023 Guidance was published today covering:

• Guidance: National Procurement Policy Statement
• Guidance: Pipeline Notice
• Guidance: Technical Specifications
• Guidance: Planned Procurement Notice
• Guidance: Preliminary Market Engagement

The documentation can be found at: Procurement Act 2023 guidance documents - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Cabinet Office has today issued the first set of guidance documents for the Procurement Act 2023 covering:

• Guidance: Contracting Authority definition
• Guidance: Covered Procurement definition
• Guidance: Valuation of Contracts
• Guidance: Mixed Procurement
• Guidance: Exempted Contracts
• Guidance: Thresholds

The documentation can be found here: Procurement Act 2023 guidance documents - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The guidance documents will be published in separate batches with an aim to conclude by June 2024.

The 6th succession of our highly regarded Building Materials Framework provides quick and flexible access to the full range of materials required by consortium members in full compliance with the relevant public procurement legislation.

Jewson Partnership Solutions (JPS), part of The STARK Group, are ranked 1st on:

• Lot 1: Managed services
• Lot 2: General building materials
• Lot 3: Plumbing and heating materials
• Lot 5: Highways & civil materials,

and are also available to trade through:

• Lot 4: Electrical materials
• Lot 6: Painting and decorating
• Lot 7: Tool and plant hire.

JPS offered the following insight:

'We support the Social Housing sector by partnering with Registered Providers and Public Sector organisations to create bespoke solutions for materials supply that helps them to efficiently maintain and develop their housing stock.

Relationships are one of the fundamental building blocks of any business. Healthy and long-lasting relationships deliver for you and deliver for us, that’s why our strategy is built around creating relationships that deliver people who are unequivocally focused on delivering efficiency, innovation and value to your organisation. Each of our customers have different pressures, priorities and objectives. Key to the success of our partnership is getting to know you and understanding your vision and strategy. We then align our solutions in a way that will help you. Communication is key after all.'

Scott Cooper, Managing Director at JPS, said:
“It’s amazing to have this framework recognise the strength of our offering in this way. This is a fantastic win for the whole JPS team and I want to extend my thanks to all the team who continue to make awards like this possible.”

For more information on JPS please contact the JPS Team or visit their website here.

The Clean Heat Market Mechanism (CHMM) has now been launched by the UK Government. Under the scheme, boiler manufacturers are required to meet quotas for the proportion of heat pumps sold in comparison to fossil fuel boilers, with the introduction of penalties for boiler manufacturers who do not meet their quota of heat pump sales.

The aim of the mechanism is to increase the installation of heat pumps and reduce the dependency on traditional heating systems.

The Government has said manufacturers must hold low-carbon heat pump credits corresponding to 4% of their relevant gas boiler sales above 20,000 units and 4% of their relevant oil boiler sales above 1,000 units in the first year of the scheme. This quota will then rise to 6% in year 2 of the scheme. A £3,000 fine will be charged for every missed heat pump sale.

As a direct result, manufacturers have implemented price increases applicable on boilers purchased from 1st January 2024, typically referring to this as the 'CHMM Levy', (or similar).

You can read the Clean Heat Market Mechanism Consultation in full here. However if you would like to discuss this further with a member of our team please contact Claire Paton on 07828 143935 or cpaton@cirruspurchasing.co.uk or Tashi Jackson on 07904 674499 or tjackson@cirruspurchasing.co.uk.

The Cabinet Office has announced the updated financial thresholds under the various UK procurement regulations. The new thresholds will apply to contracts advertised from 1st January 2024.

The change will see all of the thresholds increase slightly, except for the Light Touch Regime which will stay the same. The new procurement values will continue to be calculated inclusive of VAT.

It’s worth noting that the increases in the thresholds are below the level of inflation since the last update in Jan-22. This makes it likely that more contracts will be covered and must therefore follow the above-threshold procedures.

Contracting authorities will need to:

• Ensure the new values are circulated to staff
• Review expenditure for any contracts that will now fall under the new thresholds
• Update company policy documentation

If you would like further information or advice on the Public Procurement (Agreement on Government Procurement) (Thresholds) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 please contact Claire Paton on 07828 143935 / cpaton@cirruspurchasing.co.uk or Tashi Jackson on 07904 674499 / tjackson@cirruspurchasing.co.uk.

It’s official! The Procurement Bill has today received Royal Assent. The Bill has completed its passage through the House of Lords and the House of Commons and is now an Act of Parliament (law).

While the Procurement Act is now law, it will not come into effect immediately. The new rules are likely to be enforced from October 2024, however there is plenty of preparation to be done before that date.

This is guaranteed to be an interesting period within procurement where organisations across the country get to grips with the changes and continuity within the new regime.

If you would like further information or advice on the changes please contact Claire Paton on 07828 143935 or cpaton@cirruspurchasing.co.uk.

Cirrus are happy to announce that we’ve remained a completely carbon negative company for the 13th consecutive year. We’ve now planted 213 trees, and donated to various environmental charities across England, Scotland and Wales, offsetting more carbon each year than we’ve produced.

We have also continued our ethos to prioritise the use of public transport where possible when travelling for business, resulting in over 70% of our business travel having been made via public transport in the last year.

As part of our annual contribution to environmental charities, this year we have planted trees with Make it Wild who work across England, and Trees for Life in Scotland as well as donating to Keep Wales Tidy.

Make it Wild offer tree and other dedications as well as nature connected activities. They planted their 60,000th tree in March 2023, dug ponds, restored wildflower hay meadows, protected ancient woodland and created many different habitats across nine sites.

The Trees for Life mission is to rewild the Scottish Highlands by enabling the restoration of the globally unique Caledonian Forest which once covered much of Scotland.

Keep Wales Tidy is a charity committed to working with local communities across Wales to protect the environment now and for the future. Their vision as a charity is for a beautiful Wales cared for and enjoyed by everyone.

We have a diverse client base with consortium members across England, Scotland and Wales. In recognition of our members continued support we wanted to again donate to green charities across the three nations.

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the 6th succession of our highly regarded Building Materials Framework tendered by the Cirrus Consortium. The framework is now live and available for use by contracting authorities across England, Wales and Scotland.

The latest arrangement builds on the success of the previous 5 frameworks as well as consortium member feedback, extensive pre-engagement and our insight into the wider market.

Key focuses include greater flexibility for conducting direct awards under the framework and assessing the environmental and social value commitments of our suppliers in more depth.

The following suppliers have been awarded a place on the framework:

• Alliance Tool Hire
• Bradford & Sons Ltd
• Brewers Decorator Centres
• City Electrical Factors Limited
• City Plumbing Supplies Holdings Ltd
• Crown Paints
• Edmundson Electrical
• Huws Gray Ltd
• Jewson Partnership Solutions
• Keyline
• UK Plumbing Supplies (including Plumbase) Ltd
• PPG Architectural Coatings UK Ltd
• Robert Price BM Ltd
• Sovini Trade Supplies
• Sunbelt Rentals Limited
• Travis Perkins Managed Services
• Wolseley UK Ltd
• YESSS Electrical

Congratulations to all of the suppliers who have been awarded a place on the new framework, we are very much looking forward to working with you all.

As pioneers in the building materials framework sector, we're proud of our heritage, having published our first Cirrus Consortium framework 14 years ago in March 2009. This framework keeps maximum flexibility, value for money and compliance at its core whilst also combining our in-depth procurement knowledge that has seen us lead in the building materials framework realm for over a decade.

We look forward to continuing to build more successful partnerships and setting the bar high for public sector frameworks.

Please get in touch with our Consortium Lead, Lucy on 07983 532407 or ljackson@cirruspurchasing.co.uk if you would like to discuss the new framework.

As pioneers in the building materials framework sector, we're proud of our heritage, having published our first Cirrus Consortium framework 14 years ago in March 2009.

Our frameworks were originally set up to assist our consultancy clients and therefore have always been designed with value for money, compliance, maximum flexibility, supplier choice and social value in mind and, as a result, we have been market-leading since the Consortium’s inception. Our first Cirrus Consortium framework was designed to streamline the procurement process, saving time and resources. This unique blend of deep-rooted expertise and a genuine commitment to our clients sets us apart in this increasingly crowded market.

We have always believed it is best practice to be open and transparent about our 0.5% management fee with all of our members – it’s the lowest in the market on a materials framework nationally and it has been at this market leading level since 2009, something which we pride ourselves on.

As we roll out our latest framework in the coming weeks, we stay true to our values - combining our in-depth procurement knowledge with the innovation that has seen us lead in the building materials framework market for over a decade. Here's to the future, where we continue to leverage our building materials experience to forge more successful partnerships and set the bar high in the public sector framework realm.

We will release further information on the latest materials framework once it is live. All Cirrus frameworks are available for use by all contracting authorities including Local Authorities, Registered Providers of Social Housing, Police & Emergency Services, NHS Trusts, Schools & Universities and Registered Charities.

Please get in touch with our Consortium Lead, Lucy on 07983 532407 or ljackson@cirruspurchasing.co.uk if you would like to discuss the new framework.

The Cirrus Consortium Waste Management Framework offers members access to a range of services including (but not limited to) total waste management, waste drop off solutions, recycling services, skip hire services, the provision of waste receptacles, office waste collections, hazardous waste management, clinical waste management and waste management consultancy & advice services.

The Waste Framework includes a selection of 12 leading suppliers to the housing and public sectors who have been chosen via a tender conducted in full compliance with public procurement legislation.

Go Green Ltd are ranked 1st on:

• Lot 1: North East
• Lot 2: North West
• Lot 4: East Midlands
• Lot 5: West Midlands
• Lot 6: East of England
• Lot 7: London
• Lot 8: South East
• Lot 9: South West
• Lot 10: Wales
• Lot 11: Scotland

Go Green Ltd are also available to trade through Lot 3: Yorkshire & the Humber, they have offered the following insight:

"Go Green Ltd are an ever-evolving business leader in outsourced waste management and recycling solutions, utilising innovation and sustainability to develop our bespoke services. Whether you’re in need of a quick skip hire, internal segregation bins for recycling or the removal of hazardous waste streams; with a flexible and customised approach to waste management, our bespoke services mean Go Green can tailor the right solution to each customer’s individual needs.

Go Green Ltd was the progressive solution to a family led business who, in 1968, existed in the exact site where our Headquarters stand today. Through identifying the need for locally minded values, Go Green was established in 2000 to offer complete waste management and recycling options.

With over 50 years’ experience, we have been able to share our expertise with our customers regardless of the complexity of a required provision. To provide a service in which our customers trust us to deliver compliance, customer service and sustainability goes to show that you really can do it all.

We offer simplified and practical solutions which support a range of businesses; this is managed by utilising our customer focused teams both in the office and on site. Our business operations encapsulate three core values:

• Innovation
• Sustainability
• Legal Compliance

Go Green are proud to have expanded a further three business divisions: WasteOnline, GB Waste and The Green Scheme. Each have their own focus, targeting sections of the market previously untapped by Go Green, and making a service available to customers with niche requirements.

For more information on this offering please get in touch via:
Email: sales@gogreen.co.uk
Tel: 01302 861 130
Website: Go Green"

Please get in touch with our Consortium Lead, Lucy on 07983 532407 or ljackson@cirruspurchasing.co.uk if you would like to discuss awarding to Go Green through the Cirrus Consortium Waste Management.

The Cirrus Consortium Agency, Labour & Recruitment Framework covers the provision of temporary and permanent staff, including interim placements in full compliance with the relevant public procurement legislation.

Reed are ranked 1st on:

• Lot 2a: Manual services - recruitment of temporary workers
• Lot 4: Neutral vendor
• Lot 5: Master vendor

Reed are also available to trade through the following lots of the Cirrus Consortium Agency Labour & Recruitment Framework:

• Lot 1a: Professional services staff - recruitment of temporary workers
• Lot 1b: Professional services staff - recruitment of permanent workers
• Lot 2b: Manual services staff - recruitment of permanent workers
• Lot 3a: Executive and management level staff - recruitment of temporary workers
• Lot 3b: Executive and management level staff - recruitment of permanent workers

Reed have offered the following insight:

"'Whatever your workforce challenge, our experts can help design a resourcing solution that secures you the talent that you need. Tell us your problem, and we can help you solve it.'

As the number one ranked supplier from the recent Cirrus framework renewal for the delivery of Neutral and Master Vendor recruitment models, we can support you to access and unlock the talent your organisation needs to grow and succeed in an ever-changing world.

As an integral part of your company’s talent strategy, we ensure your workforce solution not only accesses the skills you need - no matter how niche - but reflects your employee value proposition (EVP), equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDI&B) programme, and supports talent mapping for your future needs. With the talented professionals you need at your fingertips, managed services with Reed can reduce your time to hire by up to 70%.

We manage your sourcing, engagement, administration, and pre-employment vetting through a single process, creating a supply chain that’s streamlined, engaged and stress free. Our solutions help you make the right workforce decisions for your business, from deployment to people strategy and cost management. We can deliver on average, 18% savings on your total recruitment spend.

For more information on this offering please visit Reed Talent Solutions or contact our Framework Manager Stephanie Grandon at Framework.Support@reed.com"

For the full story visit Reed's supplier landing page here.

The tender for the 6th succession of our highly popular building materials framework is now live. The new framework will replace the existing Cirrus Consortium arrangement due to expire in August 2023.

Our team has conducted extensive pre-engagement with both our current consortium members and suppliers, as well as future members and suppliers, in order to design the most user-friendly and flexible framework possible. Key focuses include greater flexibility for direct awarding under the framework and assessing the environmental and social value commitments of our suppliers in more depth.

We hope these additions will be useful to our current and prospective consortium members. The new framework covers the following lots:

• Lot 1: Managed Services
• Lot 2: General building materials
• Lot 3: Plumbing and heating materials (including gas spares and renewables)
• Lot 4: Electrical materials
• Lot 5: Highways and civil materials
• Lot 6: Painting and decorating supplies
• Lot 7: Tool and plant hire

The Cirrus Consortium has been an effective and compliant route to market for contracting authorities nationwide over the last decade. The Consortium currently consists of Registered Providers of Social Housing, Local Authorities, ALMOs and NHS Trusts. The new framework will be available for use by all Cirrus Consortium Members and contracting authorities across England, Wales and Scotland.

Suppliers can express their interest in the opportunity and view the tender documents here.

The deadline for tender submissions is 12 noon, Monday 22nd May 2023.

Please get in touch with our Consortium Lead, Lucy on 07983 532407 or ljackson@cirruspurchasing.co.uk if you would like to discuss the new framework.

The revised Standard Selection Questionnaire (SQ), which the Cabinet Office published earlier this year via Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 03/23, should be in use from tomorrow (1st April).

The PPN, which replaced PPN 08/16, updated the Selection Questionnaire (SQ) and accompanying statutory guidance to reflect amendments which have been made based on feedback from buyers and suppliers in order to improve the supplier selection process.

Contracting authorities and suppliers bidding for public sector tender opportunities should familiarise themselves with the updated SQ and ensure the new version is circulated within their organisations.

If you would like further information or advice on this PPN please contact Claire Paton on 07828 143935 or cpaton@cirruspurchasing.co.uk

The full PPN is available to view here.

Our new waste management framework has landed! We are very happy to announce that the Cirrus Consortium Waste Management Framework is now live and available for use by contracting authorities across England, Wales and Scotland.

The newest addition to our framework portfolio provides our Consortium members quick, flexible and Public Contracts Regulations (PCR) compliant access to a range of services across 12 leading suppliers including:

• Acumen Waste Services
• Biffa Waste Services
• Bywaters (Leyton)
• Circle Recycling
• Circle Waste
• City Centre Containers
• Enva England
• Enviro Skip Hire
• Go Green
• Reconomy
• Recycling Lives (Environmental Services)
• Suez Recycling and Recovery UK

After several direct requests from our members we have expanded our framework portfolio, working closely with Plus Dane Housing, we’ve created a user-friendly framework with maximum ease and flexibility in mind. The framework offers members access to a range of services including (but not limited to) total waste management, waste drop off solutions, recycling services, skip hire services, the provision of waste receptacles, office waste collections, hazardous waste management, clinical waste management and waste management consultancy & advice services.

We hope this new framework will be useful to our current and prospective consortium members.

As always, there are no joining fees or ongoing costs payable to become a consortium member or to use the framework. Framework suppliers are required to make payment of 0.5% of invoiced turnover from call-off contracts. To the best of our knowledge, this is the lowest fee charged to suppliers on a waste management framework nationally, something we pride ourselves on.

For more information on the waste framework, visit our waste page or contact our Consortium Lead, Lucy Jackson via 07983 532407 / ljackson@cirruspurchasing.co.uk

It’s here! We are extremely excited to announce that the Cirrus Consortium Agency, Labour & Recruitment Framework 3 is now live and available for use by contracting authorities across England, Wales and Scotland. Our 3rd agency framework builds on the strengths of the previous 2 frameworks by taking on board our consortium member feedback, extensive pre-engagement with agency suppliers and also incorporating our insight into the wider market.

The replacement framework offers members quick, flexible and compliant access to 33 leading agencies nationwide.

What’s new?

We’ve created an even more user-friendly framework with maximum ease and flexibility in mind. This time, we’ve simplified the lot structure while retaining the broad scope of services as well as incorporating a neutral vendor lot.

We hope these additions will be useful to our current and prospective consortium members.

The new framework covers the following lots:

• Lot 1: Professional services staff (including, but not limited to, administration, contact centre, IT, finance, HR, legal, specialist consultant, housing services, asset management staff)
a) Provision of temporary workers
b) Recruitment of permanent workers


• Lot 2: Manual services staff (including, but not limited to, plumbers, joiners, electricians, labourers, ancillary, catering staff)
a) Provision of temporary workers
b) Recruitment of permanent workers


• Lot 3: Executive and management level staff (including, but not limited to, senior management, directors, board members, technical roles)
a) Provision of temporary workers
b) Recruitment of permanent workers


• Lot 4: Neutral vendor (service providers that can manage a supply chain of agencies to deliver all roles required by a consortium member including those covered in lots 1-3)


• Lot 5: Master vendor (service providers that can deliver all roles required by a consortium member including those covered in lots 1-3)

As always, there are no joining fees or ongoing costs payable to become a consortium member or to use the framework. Framework suppliers are required to make payment of 0.5% of invoiced turnover from call-off contracts. To the best of our knowledge this is the lowest fee charged to suppliers on an agency supply framework nationally, something we pride ourselves on.

For more information on the agency framework visit our agency page or contact our Consortium Lead, Lucy Jackson via 07983 532407 / ljackson@cirruspurchasing.co.uk

The Procurement Bill 2022 has now passed through the House of Lords and was presented to the House of Commons on 14th December. The Bill's passage through the House of Lords took 7 months in total but was impacted by a busy parliamentary period that included 2 changes of Prime Minister and the death of HRH The Queen.

This Bill's Second Reading debate in the House of Commons will take place on Monday 9th January 2023. We will continue to monitor the progress of the Bill as it moves through the stages, so keep an eye on our news page for the latest information.

The Bill as brought from the House of Lords is available to view in full here.

We are very excited to announce that the Cirrus Consortium is currently tendering for a brand-new waste management framework!

Following direct requests from several of our members we are expanding our framework portfolio to include a waste management offering. Working closely with Plus Dane Housing, this framework aims to provide waste management solutions that are suitable for housing associations and local councils across England, Scotland and Wales as well as contracting authorities from the wider public sector.

The Consortium is seeking bids from providers of waste management services across the following geographical lots:

• Lot 1: North East (UKC)
• Lot 2: North West (UKD)
• Lot 3: Yorkshire & the Humber (UKE)
• Lot 4: East Midlands (UKF)
• Lot 5: West Midlands (UKG)
• Lot 6: East of England (UKH)
• Lot 7: London (UKI)
• Lot 8: South East (UKJ)
• Lot 9: South West (UKK)
• Lot 10: Wales (UKL)
• Lot 11: Scotland (UKM)

The Cirrus Consortium has been an effective and compliant route to market for contracting authorities nationwide over the last decade. The Consortium currently consists of Registered Providers of Social Housing, Local Authorities, ALMOs and NHS Trusts.

Suppliers can express their interest in the opportunity and view the tender documents here.

The deadline for tender submissions is 12 noon, Friday 2nd December 2022.

The Cirrus Consortium Materials Framework provides quick and flexible access to the full range of building materials required by consortium members in full compliance with the relevant public procurement legislation.

City Plumbing are ranked 1st on Lot 2: Plumbing and heating materials and are also available to trade through Lot 3: Electrical materials.

City Plumbing have offered the following insight:
City Plumbing - National plumbing, heating, electrical and renewable technologies supplier have launched its new ‘Integrated Solutions’ brand.

We have been a leading established supplier to the sector for a number of years, and our new Integrated Solutions brand has opened the doors to a wider solution-based proposition with a range of value-added services.

• A team of experts providing repair and maintenance material supply chain solutions to the affordable housing sector with the ability to design customer specific solutions for all our partnerships


• Focusing on product supply, distribution, frameworks, IT, and administrative solutions


• Offering over 37,000 product lines through an excess of 357 branches (with another 50 planned over the next 5 years with 15 more in 2022) to fulfil contract requirements


• Delivering consultancy with an expert internal digital development team offering the latest systems and technologies to best support our customers


• Carefully curated systems and KPI portals monitor stock levels, sales, and purchases to support in improving first-time fix rates, jobs completed per day and most importantly resident satisfaction


• A dedicated Energy Efficiency team offering design support and distribution for renewable heating products, including heat pumps, biomass boilers and underfloor heating. The expert team also boast extensive knowledge on the decarbonisation of new and existing properties, government grants and industry awareness supporting to deliver Carbon Net Zero 2050

For the full story visit City Plumbing's supplier landing page here.

For more information on this offering please visit Integrated Solutions or contact our National Business Development Manager, Claire Baron via claire.baron2@cityplumbing.co.uk

Benchmarx Kitchens and Joinery are ranked 1st and available to trade via the Cirrus Consortium Kitchen Supply Framework.

Benchmarx have offered the following insight:
Benchmarx has over 150 branches across the country, we have over £12m worth of kitchen materials stocked meaning we can be reactive to client needs. We are part of the Travis Perkins group which gives us the network support of the largest builders merchant in the UK.

Managing programmes require flexibility from a supply partner; as well as speed and accuracy, we structured our teams and processes from the ground up to meet these demands.

Our contract sales managers, who have a wealth of experience within the affordable housing market, work alongside our contract sales admin team, surveyors and our branches to ensure our client programmes are set up for success from the start.

You can use your Trade account at Benchmarx and Travis Perkins and get all your supplies under one roof.

For more information please visit Benchmarx Contract Kitchen Solutions.

Calling all recruitment agencies! We are thrilled to announce that the Cirrus Consortium is currently tendering for our new agency framework which will replace the existing arrangement due to expire in March 2023.

The Cirrus Consortium has been an effective and compliant route to market for contracting authorities nationwide over the last decade. The Consortium currently consists of Registered Providers of Social Housing, Local Authorities, ALMOs and NHS Trusts. The new framework will be available for use by all Cirrus Consortium Members and contracting authorities across England, Wales and Scotland.

What's new?
Following extensive pre-engagement with both our suppliers and members we have decided to simplify the lot structure of the current framework while retaining the broad scope of services, as well as adding a new neutral vendor lot.

We hope these additions will be useful to our current and prospective consortium members. The new framework covers the following lots:

• Lot 1: Professional services staff (including, but not limited to, administration, contact centre, IT, finance, HR, legal, specialist consultant, housing services, asset management staff)
a) Provision of temporary workers
b) Recruitment of permanent workers


• Lot 2: Manual services staff (including, but not limited to, plumbers, joiners, electricians, labourers, ancillary, catering staff)
a) Provision of temporary workers
b) Recruitment of permanent workers


• Lot 3: Executive and management level staff (including, but not limited to, senior management, directors, board members, technical roles)
a) Provision of temporary workers
b) Recruitment of permanent workers


• Lot 4: Neutral vendor (service providers that can manage a supply chain of agencies to deliver all roles required by a consortium member including those covered in lots 1-3)


• Lot 5: Master vendor (service providers that can deliver all roles required by a consortium member including those covered in lots 1-3)

Suppliers can express their interest in the opportunity and view the tender documents here.

The deadline for tender submissions is 12 noon, Monday 24th October 2022.

We are very happy to have been shortlisted for this year's UK Housing Awards for Professional services partner of the year!

The awards showcase the very best of housing in the UK and the organisations that are delivering high-quality homes and services in partnership with the communities they serve.

We have been recognised in this category for demonstrating how we have been effective in allowing housing associations to achieve their goals, and how we have contributed to more cost-effective and efficient processes for our clients.

We would like to congratulate all the other finalists and wish you all the best of luck.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) have launched a consultation today to explore the impact of temporarily capping annual rents for social housing at 3, 5 or 7% in the year from April 2023.

The proposed new cap would limit the permitted increase in rents for council and housing association properties, in an effort to support the most vulnerable households in the face of cost-of-living pressures and rising inflation.

The current maximum rent increase for social housing is set at Consumer Price Index (CPI)+1%, with inflation soaring this could mean a rise of around 11% would be permitted without the introduction of a lower cap.

The government have said a final decision on the cap will be taken later this year.

For more information on the consultation please view the government press release here.

The Procurement Bill 2022 has now reached the first committee stage and is therefore undergoing a line by line examination today in the House of Lords.

Committee stage usually takes up to eight days, but can go on for longer, with any member of the Lords able to take part. During this stage every clause has to be agreed to and votes on all amendments to the Bill take place.

We will continue to monitor the progress of the Bill as it moves to the report stage for further scrutiny, so keep an eye on our news page for the latest information.

The bill is available to view in full here.

It's landed! The Procurement Bill 2022 is here, after its first reading took place in the House of Lords yesterday. This first stage is a formality, signalling the start of the Bill's journey through the Lords.

The second reading is scheduled for 25th May and will be a general debate on all aspects of the Bill. We will continue to monitor the progress of the Bill as it makes its way through Parliament, so do keep an eye on our news page for the latest information.

The bill is available to view in full here.

We have an exciting new case study featuring a successful building materials contract with Livv Housing Group and Wolseley Managed Services under the Cirrus Consortium Materials Framework.

Cirrus Purchasing have worked with Livv as their outsourced procurement partner since 2011, providing strategic and day-to-day support for all of their procurement needs. In this role, Cirrus provided technical consultancy support for the reprocurement of the Livv building materials contract.

Of the 4 managed services specialist suppliers who submitted bids for the contract, Wolseley Managed Services were the successful bidder, with particular strengths in operational delivery and innovative solutions.

View the full case study here.


For more information on our frameworks contact our Consortium Lead, Lucy Jackson via 07983 532407 / ljackson@cirruspurchasing.co.uk

The UK Government began introducing financial and investment sanctions earlier this year in the hope that they can encourage Russia to cease actions which destabilise Ukraine. The cabinet office also issued a Procurement Policy Note (PPN) shortly after, on 28th March, advising how contracting authorities should consider further cutting ties with companies backed by the states of Russia and Belarus.

Following this advice, Cirrus undertook a review of our framework suppliers and can confirm that our frameworks fully comply with the guidance set out in the PPN.

If you would like further information or advice on this PPN please contact Claire Paton on 07828 143935 or cpaton@cirruspurchasing.co.uk

The full PPN is available to view here.

The Office for National Statistics has today reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased to 6.2% in February – a 30 year high. This latest increase is up from 5.5% in January and it isn’t likely to stop there. Last week the Bank of England predicted further rises next month to around 8%.

This is a particularly challenging time for everyone, but financial year end can also be a key time of year for clients with contracts that have annual price movement clauses. Clients are likely to see large increases to contract prices as inflation forces suppliers to pass on their increasing costs.

Organisations are encouraged to review contracts to understand the impact of the cost increases and check they are in line with price movement contractual terms. We would also advise to engage in conversation with suppliers, working in partnership to be able to plan for and mitigate further substantial increases, where possible.

The Cabinet Office has announced the updated financial thresholds under the various UK Procurement Regulations. The new thresholds will apply to contracts advertised from 1st January 2022.

This is the first update to the financial thresholds since the end of the Brexit transition period. Along with a move in the monetary values there has been another crucial change; the estimated procurement values will be calculated inclusive of VAT rather than the current method of calculating exclusive of VAT.

We are excited to announce that the Cirrus Consortium Kitchen Supply Framework 2 is now live and available for use by contracting authorities across England, Wales and Scotland.

The framework offers members quick, flexible and compliant access to 10 leading kitchen manufacturers and suppliers.

What's new?

We’ve listened to our members and have created an even more user-friendly framework that builds on the success of our last kitchens framework. This time, after supplier pre-engagement we’ve also incorporated installation services, the option of set framework rates, the ability to purchase modular kitchens and a choice of either an off the shelf social value package or a tailored solution. We hope these additions will be useful to our current and prospective consortium members.

Materials and services available:

• Readymade (pre-assembled) kitchen units
• Flat pack kitchen units
• Adapted kitchen items
• Modular kitchens
• Kitchen unit doors
• Worktops
• Kitchen components and accessories
• Kitchen wall and floor tiles and associated products
• Kitchen appliances
• Kitchen design service
• Kitchen supply and installation services

When selecting a framework provider contracting authorities may consider a number of factors including value for money, compliance, flexibility, supplier choice, social value, how well the framework meets client needs, and the support provided by the framework provider team.

Cirrus frameworks have always been designed with these factors in mind, and as a result have been market-leading in many of these areas since their inception in 2009. Our large-scale national frameworks have the lowest framework fees in the sector, 100% compliance, maximum flexibility by design, a wide range of top quality suppliers, bespoke social value delivery and a suite of ongoing contract support services tailored to suit the unique requirements of each consortium member, because we believe one size does not fit all.

Our contract support services, such as benchmarking, cost control and invoice validation, tender management, range analysis and contract management, are delivered by our tightly focused, highly efficient procurement consultancy team.
We are an SME business by design to ensure a personal touch for our clients, we consider this a strength as it allows us to be nimble, innovative and customer focussed. Our technical skills and approach to process efficiency enables us to deliver more and justify our nationally recognised reputation.

We don't take on work we can't deliver to a very high standard, so if you want something – just ask!

When you pick up the phone you will get a friendly, familiar and knowledgeable team member who cares enough to find the perfect solutions tailored to your organisation. That's why our client feedback since 2005 has given us 100% client satisfaction rating for the quality of our work, and 100% have said they would use us again or recommend us to others:

“I would be very happy to recommend Cirrus to any parties that were interested”

“Our company, in its various forms, have used Cirrus on and off for the past decade. It is comforting to know Cirrus are always there in the background, able to assist us when we need them.”

“We were able to discuss what we needed and the service was then tailored to this.”

“Very professional services with unique approach”

“We used Cirrus, because we have engaged them before - They deliver what we want. The team fully engaged with us, gave us advice when needed and played 'devil’s advocate' on certain scenarios. Easy to work with.”

For more information on what we can offer as a team contact Claire Paton, Director of Consultancy, on 07828 143935 / cpaton@cirruspurchasing.co.uk or Lucy Jackson, Operations & Consortium Lead, on 07983 532407 / ljackson@cirruspurchasing.co.uk

We are excited to announce that the Cirrus Consortium is currently tendering for our new kitchens supply framework which will replace the current arrangement due to expire in October 2021.

The Cirrus Consortium has been an effective and compliant route to market for contracting authorities nationwide over the last decade. The Consortium currently consists of Registered Providers of Social Housing, Local Authorities, ALMOs and NHS Trusts.

The new framework will be available for use by all Cirrus Consortium Members and contracting authorities across England, Wales and Scotland.
While the arrangement will be predominantly for the supply of kitchen materials, installation and other associated services will also be available.

The new framework will cover the full range of kitchen and related materials required by consortium members including, but not limited to the following:

• Readymade (pre-assembled) kitchen units and accessories
• Flat pack kitchen units and accessories
• Kitchen unit doors and accessories
• Worktops and accessories
• Kitchen wall and floor tiles and associated products
• Kitchen appliances
• Adapted kitchen items and accessories

Suppliers can express their interest in the opportunity and view the tender documents here.

The deadline for tender submissions is 12 noon, Tuesday 14th September 2021.

Say hello to our new Consortium Coordinator, Lucy Jackson!

Since joining the Cirrus team in 2018 as Operations Coordinator, Lucy has worked closely with our framework suppliers and leads on marketing for the Cirrus Consortium frameworks. Lucy’s role has now expanded to looking after the Cirrus Consortium, including member liaison.

Lucy will be calling all current Consortium members to introduce herself so expect a call soon.

She is a very friendly face to go to so if you have any framework related queries do get in touch! You can reach Lucy on 07983 532407 or ljackson@cirruspurchasing.co.uk

The Cabinet Office has released a new National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) setting out strategic priorities for public procurement and how contracting authorities can support their delivery.

Cirrus are very happy to have remained a completely carbon negative company for the 11th consecutive year. Despite our carbon being next to nothing in the last year due the COVID-19 pandemic, we are demonstrating our ongoing commitment to the environment by offsetting the same amount of carbon that we would do in a usual business year.

This year we have supported The Mersey Forest Foundation and a hydro power project in Himachal Pradesh, India.

Mersey Forest helps support the work of the Mersey Forest Partnership who, over the last 25 years, have planted over 9 million trees across Merseyside and North Cheshire. Trees are planted on a range of sites including hospitals, schools, along roadsides, in city centres, and on public and private land.

We have a brand new case study featuring an exciting project we worked on with Craven District Council. Cirrus managed a two stage tender process to appoint a multi-disciplinary team to deliver a masterplan for the future development of the Skipton Station Triangle area.

The contract was successfully awarded through the height of the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, with all meetings and evaluations being conducted via Microsoft Teams and Zoom. View the case study in full here.

The end of the Brexit transition period at 23:00 on 31st December 2020 marked the end of an era for UK public procurement.

From this date forward, new public procurements subject to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 will no longer be advertised in OJEU/TED, but instead should be published through the new UK Find a Tender system (FTS).

Tenders already in progress that commenced through OJEU/TED notices prior to 31st December 2020 should continue on the European platform. For these tenders, statutory notices after this date should still be published through OJEU/TED. All new procurements are required to go through the new system.

Claire and the team would like to say Happy New Year to all of our clients, partners and stakeholders.

Despite unusual circumstances last year, we forged some great new relationships and further developed partnerships with our existing clients. We are excited to build upon these in the coming year.

We hope 2021 will bring you health, happiness and success; thank you for your continued support.

During our 10th anniversary of being a carbon negative company, Cirrus have decided to raise environmental awareness and discuss what we all can do to tackle the issues facing the planet.

As part of this, our suppliers have volunteered to share with us what they are doing to help the environment. This is the first of a new series of articles called Environmental Focus.

Thank you to Travis Perkins for providing this interesting piece about their environmental efforts: Read the full article here.

We have had an exciting reboot and decided to reshape our benchmark reports. The reports have a fresh look, format and content and we are very much looking forward to rolling them out to our clients!

There are communications circulating in the market at present that paint all framework providers with the same brush, particularly regarding transparency and fee structures. While it is true not all frameworks have the same levels of transparency, equally not all framework providers are the same.

Rexel are available to trade through Lot 3 (Electrical materials) of the Cirrus Consortium Materials Framework and have asked us to showcase their new Van Stock and Smartstores brochure.

Rexel’s Smart Stock Solutions are cloud-based inventory and asset management systems powered by market leading technology.

As we continue to celebrate our tenth year of remaining a completely carbon negative company, we have chosen an incredible local initiative to support. The Mersey Forest Foundation is a growing network of woodlands and green spaces across Cheshire and Merseyside.

Mersey Forest helps support the work of the Mersey Forest Partnership, who over the last 25 years, have planted over 9 million trees across Merseyside and North Cheshire. Trees are planted on a range of sites including hospitals, schools, along roadsides, in city centres, and on public and private land.

The trees provide a wide range of benefits to both the environment and to local people including:

• Better air quality
• Increased biodiversity
• Health and well-being benefits
• Flood risk mitigation
• Better, greener neighbourhoods

As you may know, we are celebrating our 10th consecutive year as a carbon negative company. As well as supporting our carbon offsetting programs, we actively promote initiatives to reduce carbon emissions within our business practices.

Take a look at our new case studies here featuring three of the successful partnerships that have been established through our frameworks and outsourced consultancy offering.

We will be adding more case studies to our website in the coming months so keep your eyes peeled!

Cirrus are proud to announce that we have remained a completely carbon negative company for the 10th consecutive year.