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Scientific research is missing out on an additional £9.5 million because universities are not taking advantage of cutting-edge procurement techniques.

The National Audit Office (NAO) examined 68 grants totalling £38 million allocated by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to universities for research equipment.

Co-op raises green ante_2

The Co-operative Bank is leaning towards more renewable energy contracts as it seeks an electricity deal for its 500-employee Stockport call centre.

The bank recently negotiated a hydro contract for its Manchester headquarters, which means that 40 per cent of the company’s electricity consumption is from renewable sources.

Budgens joins web feast_2

Food retailer Budgens aims to roll out Budgens Direct, its website shopping service, by the end of August.

Church has faith in web_2

The Church Purchasing Scheme is stepping up the marketing of its website, despite the fact that it has had only 500 hits in five months.

“There is no question of pulling the plug,” said CPS’s Paul Playford, who helped to develop the site. The scheme is pushing ahead with a mailshot to its database of 20,000 ministers.

PFI guidelines launched_2

The government has launched a set of contract guidelines for private finance initiatives (PFI) projects, which it hopes will cut tendering costs and increase the number of deals under the scheme.

UK closes the gap on IT_2

The UK has almost caught up with the US in the business use of information technology, according to a report by the Department of Trade and Industry. In the past two years, the number of businesses with web sites has doubled, while buying and selling online has trebled. UK companies also come out above average in their use of information technology when compared with other G7 nations.

BMW pounds UK suppliers_2

British suppliers to BMW may lose out to foreign competitors because of the strength of the pound. Steven Gardener, BMW’s group chassis-purchasing director, said that while 83 per cent of Rover’s materials came from Britain - about £2.4 billion - sterling’s level had left local suppliers struggling to compete.

Reforms cut legal costs_2

Legal reforms unveiled last month could see civil cases brought by suppliers and contractors processed more quickly and at lower costs.

Brought in on April 26, the Woolf report will particularly affect SMEs and will increase the power of judges to set timescales, control costs and direct parties towards mediation, arbitration and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.

Limited take-up of Euro_2

Just 1 per cent of transactions by British companies used the European single currency in its first month, according to a survey by KPMG Consulting. “The adoption of the euro was clearly not going to happen overnight,” said Michael Littlechild, the KPMG partner responsible for euro issues.

Drive for green savings_2

British industry could save £450 million a year, and help the environment, by using “simple and straightforward green fleet management”, John Reid, minister for transport, told companies last week.