Search Page

Central tender site


Public-sector tenders across 54 Commonwealth countries are soon to be posted on a central e-business website. The Dynamic Trade Centre was launched by the Commonwealth Business Council in conjunction with e-procurement company Elcom. It will offer the e-business platform on a subscription basis.
FE rejigs save cash


Further education (FE) institutions in Wales have saved £600,000 with improvements to procurement processes recommended by the National Audit Office in 1999. Five FE institutions now employ procurement officers, compared with just one two years ago. The new Welsh Further Education Purchasing Consortium contributed more than £47,000 of the total.
Gummer’s prediction


A former minister turned development consultant has claimed that purchasers suffer from undervaluation and are operating in a risk-free culture. John Gummer MP, chairman of the Sancroft Group, also told delegates to the Institute of Public Finance’s Procurement and Commissioning Forum that it will be increasingly risky for purchasers not to take an interest in sustainable processes.
Joint e-procurement
Kvaerner saves jobs


Anglo-Norwegian engineering and construction group Kvaerner has saved 1,500 jobs at its sub-sea equipment plant in Kirkhill. The company said it has negotiated an extended loan until the end of this year, as talks on long-term financing continue.
Smiths demand soars


Smiths Group said it has been “submerged” with requests for its security products after the terrorist attacks, despite its core customer Boeing slashing more than 30,000 jobs. It said demand for its products that detect chemical agents has risen in the US and the Middle East.
BMI British Midland


MoD overruns ‘worse’
Purchasing time and cost overruns are getting worse at the Ministry of Defence, according to the National Audit Office, writes Cathy Hayward.
Delays prove costly
Three-quarters of European companies experience delays in receiving imported goods, either finished or component, while 79 per cent experience delays in exporting goods, according to a recent logistics survey, writes David Arminas.
Company Barclaycard


Top