Procurement Progression

In today’s complex education landscape, procurement isn’t just about getting a good deal.  It’s about making smart, ethical and strategic decisions that support young people, improve outcomes and stand up to scrutiny.  Schools must navigate evolving legislation, deliver sustainable value, and manage contracts confidently, often with limited capacity and time.

This session focuses on making procurement compliant, defensible and impactful without adding administrative burden. You’ll leave with practical approaches that save time, reduce risk, and deliver better value for your school.

In this session we explore

• What compliance really looks like and why it matters (from thresholds to publishing notices and audit trails)  

• How to balance compliance, complexity and school capacity without overload

• Choosing the right route: frameworks, direct procurement or formal tendering  

• How to build procurement timelines that avoid bottlenecks and what to do when they slip

• Using frameworks effectively without losing control

• Common pitfalls schools run into (inadequate research, poor documentation, unclear quotes)  

• Contract management fundamentals: kicking off, performance monitoring and change control  

• How to get value for money and quality, not just the lowest price

Take home points

• Clear steps to stay compliant with procurement law now and into 2026

• Practical ways to document decisions and evidence value for auditors and governors

• Templates or approaches for structuring a timeline that actually works

• How to manage a contract after award so it delivers what you need

• A de-mystified view of frameworks and when to use them

This session is for

School business leaders, finance and operations leads in maintained schools, academies and smaller trusts who handle procurement alongside their other priorities.

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