Case Studies

Harrow Primary Cluster
Procurement of an outsourced cleaning contract

Two primary schools approached Schools’ Buying Club when the Local Authority announced that they were ceasing their cleaning service.  It was the first time the schools had gone to tender for a fully outsourced contract, and Schools’ Buying Club supported the end to end procurement process. The process resulted in savings of £84k against the most expensive bidder.

“Having been unsatisfied with our existing cleaning contract and contract performance, I was introduced to Schools’ Buying Club at an ISBL Conference. I have been working with them since the start of the year to run a joint procurement process in conjunction with another school in our West Harrow cluster. The process has been efficient and well led and we are very pleased with the outcome and contract award to our new provider. The procurement advice and support we have received during this process has been invaluable and we have felt well supported during the transitional period.” Kirsten Beaven, Schools’ Business Leader

Enfield Cluster
Procurement of an outsourced cleaning contract

Schools’ Buying Club helped a cluster of 4 primary schools in Enfield to go out to tender for their cleaning service. The new service is compliant, fit for purpose and has been tailored to each school’s individual needs. We also managed to secure a contract £293k less than the most expensive bidder.

“SBC made the process very straightforward and clear. Delighted with the outcome and would use SBC to support procurement again.” Sophie O’Shea, Office Manager

“In a large, busy primary school, running a procurement project alone seemed very daunting. Schools’ Buying Club were brilliant from start to finish with excellent support and proactive guidance. Thank you team!” Esther Campbell, School Business Manager

Havering Council
Strategic procurement partner

Schools’ Buying Club is the strategic procurement partner for Havering Council. It advises, adds capacity to the internal team at the Council and helps deliver with hands on support. Recently Schools’ Buying Club has put eight new frameworks in place for Havering Council including cleaning, security, telephony, small building works, waste management, MFDs (Multi-functional devices), EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) and educational supplies.

“Through their methodical and painstaking approach, SBC’s professional input over the past three years has made a significant difference in ensuring that we continue to provide a robust brokerage service to schools, enabling them to purchase goods and services cost effectively and compliantly. SBC’s willingness and readiness to collaborate in developing our service specifications continues to give us added value in ensuring that tender documents published are comprehensive and fit for purpose. A key strength of SBC is their personnel, they are very knowledgeable and can be completely trusted to deliver results.” Shola Omogbehin, Head of Education Traded Services

Newton Farm: Nursery, Infant & Junior School
Virtual procurement process for a new cleaning service

Newton Farm sought the help of Schools’ Buying Club when the annual cost for their cleaning service was due to increase. We ran a restricted OJEU procurement process for the school and were able to save almost £16k in the first year of the contract. The new contract includes additional items such as bin-liners and point-of-use consumables which will bring further savings to the school. Newton Farm has found a supplier who is looking to bring further innovation and support services if required, allowing for a greater partnership relationship with its supplier.

Due to the impact of COVID-19, we ran the procurement process virtually. We received site photos and ran a virtual Q&A session in lieu of the usual supplier site visit day and hosted virtual bidder presentations. Our client was kept informed of our scope of work and timeline throughout the whole process to ensure the school was fully aware of our progress at each stage.

“I couldn’t be happier with the service that SBC provided. I felt supported every step of the way to ensure that I was able to make the best decision for my school.”  Matthew Bradley, Headteacher, Newton Farm

River Bank Primary School
Procurement of a new outsourced cleaning contract

Schools’ Buying Club managed the tender process for River Bank Primary School who sought to outsource their cleaning function. The school had previously used a mix of in-house cleaners and agency staff but were seeking a more structured and manageable provision. We ran the procurement from start to finish and were able to appoint a supplier on a three-year contract offering best value to the school.

By outsourcing their cleaning function, River Bank Primary School will now benefit from having new cleaning equipment, an appointed supervisor to lead the onsite staff and a new time and attendance system. Furthermore, the revised shift pattern will ensure a wider pool of good candidates when recruiting, which is essential as the school grows.

“Schools’ Buying Club has been brilliant at helping us navigate the process of securing major contacts in the last twelve months. Their staff have been available, diligent and professional at all times and worked to make the process seamless and successful. We would recommend them to other schools and will certainly use them again for future procurement.”  Louise Marsden, School Business Manager and David Sansom, Headteacher

Kingsmead School
Procurement of a new, restructured and fit for purpose cleaning service

Kingsmead School wanted to restructure their cleaning service by moving the service from a predominately morning clean to the evening and introducing a new day-time janitor role to ensure general cleanliness is maintained during the day which had previously been a problem for the school.

Through a restricted OJEU procurement process, ran by Schools’ Buying Club, the school was able to achieve a fit for purpose cleaning service. The planned restructuring aims to spread the cleaning service across all hours of the day whilst also ensuring best value for money in terms of the cost. The tender process revised the cleaning service to fit around the after school and weekend lettings, ensuring the school is clean all week round. An improved attendance system was also implemented to enable better management of staff which was an issue previously.

“Schools’ Buying Club is entirely seamless in its processes. The hassle-free approach really makes you feel that they are working with you, not just for you. I would highly recommend them to any school looking for renew their contracts and save costs.”  Stephen Barrett, School Business Leader