UKUPC comprises of 8 consortia; APUC, HEPCW, LUPC, NEUPC, NWUPC, SUPC, TEC, and TUCO, who share knowledge and best practice, to support each other and the wider community. For information go to http://ukupc.ac.uk.
Day 1 - Achieving a Sustainable Energy Future
To kick off the UKUPC festive campaign we will be demonstrating how TEC is providing our Members and the Sector with sustainable energy solutions highlighting responsible procurement and social and environmental value.
Day 2 - Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity in Procurement
The festive season often brings to mind feelings of togetherness, but the reality is that within societies we all rarely have access to the same opportunities or advantages. This leaves tangible and lived experiences of inequality that we must address. Today’s post is actually not about giving. It’s about taking necessary action to ensure the diversity of people and experiences in the procurement profession and our wider communities are effectively represented. This goes further than our teams and organisations. It also extends to the organisations with which we work and those we contract with. How are we making sure that our organisations and our supply base is diverse and representative of society?
Day 3 - The road to sustainability in the food industry
Sustainability has quickly become a prime concern not only for businesses, but also for individuals. Over the years we have seen a huge increase in activities related to climate change and environmental issues. One of the big challenges for the food and hospitality industry has been the reduction in plastic, especially as so many food and drink products traditionally use plastic packaging. Here, we set out the issues and give you ideas on how to tackle them.
Day 4 - Supporting the needs of our members through collaborative procurement
In this #SeasonOfGiving, we look towards the true spirit of the holidays and the importance of togetherness and how collaborative procurement can best support the needs of you, our members.
Day 5 - The Real Value of Using UKUPC Frameworks
There are several ways that savings from procurement can be obtained and as the influence of procurement in the sector increases, there is a trend towards reporting ‘Delivered’ savings that have a direct impact on the bottom line. Through a single methodology UKUPC have developed a savings and benefits process calculated on a realistic and prudent basis. This is evidenced with a clear audit trail to support decisions and assumptions.
Day 6 - Mental Health and Wellbeing
As we approach Christmas and New Year and reflect on the last 18 months, it’s been a period that none of us would have previously experienced nor predicted. Changes in working practices as organisations adapt to new blended working arrangements have resulted in significant changes for staff, academics and students. Notwithstanding the challenges that have been presented by Covid-19, the impact of the loss of loved ones, social distancing requirements, and the need for self isolation have all had a bearing on mental health and wellbeing.
Day 7 - Making 'good' easier
This year saw environmental sustainability brought to the fore of many conversations and debates in our personal and professional lives with the arrival of COP26 in Glasgow. With most of our members engaging in the event in lots of exciting ways, it was great to see all the great work our sector is doing to pushing the agenda forward on climate.
Day 8 - How UKUPC supports SMEs
At the start of 2021, there were just under 6m Small or Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the United Kingdom. Members of the UK Universities Purchasing Consortia (UKUPC), recognise the valuable contribution these businesses make to our society and their local communities and the responsibility we hold in supporting them.
As consortia, our primary work is to deliver compliant framework agreements which meet the needs of our members, through this work we regularly engage with all of our suppliers. This can be through pre-tender engagement, throughout the tender process, during contract management activity or just generally in our market research. At every stage we have opportunities to learn but also to impart our knowledge to help develop our supply base.
