The Procurement and Contract Management Team is pleased to announce that the proposed changes to the Procurement Policy (Finance Policy 15 or ‘FP15’) – shaped by your feedback and guided by our transformation principles – were approved by the University on Monday 7?July, marking a key milestone in our procurement transformation journey.?

The updated policy aims to streamline and simplify the procurement process –? enhancing purchaser autonomy and enabling faster execution where possible, while maximising value for money.?

Aligned with the University’s strategy and informed by purchaser feedback, the updated policy is designed to streamline and simplify the procurement process – enhancing compliance, increasing purchaser autonomy and speed to market, and maximising the effective use of University funds.??

What are the key policy changes??

Below is an overview of the key changes from the updated procurement policy, FP15:??

• Revised Procurement Thresholds – Thresholds have been amended to empower purchasers on low value, low risk procurements.? For more details on what the thresholds are, please check the updated policy. Procurement Thresholds are now inclusive of VAT, allowing for more accurate budgeting and ensuring requests fall within the correct threshold from the start.

• Exceptions – Exceptions have been redefined – exceptions will only be for genuine emergency situations OR where collaborative agreement on route to market can’t be found.

• Pre-Approved Sole Source List (PASSL) – to reduce the need for exceptions, the procurement team have developed a PASSL which will enable a more streamlined process for single source procurements.

• Contract Signatories – Greater delegation of signatories for contracts under ?1 million, enhancing collaboration and control on spend.

• Greater flexibility following the University’s exit from Public Procurement Regulations – the University is no longer a ‘Contracting Authority’ under the procurement regulations which govern UK public sector bodies, enabling more collaborative and agile procurement.

Alongside the updated policy, the introduction of ServiceNow as the ‘front door’ for requests that fall outside self-serve routes will further enhance the procurement experience.??

What won’t change is the dedicated support you receive from your procurement team. You can find their contact details below and they are ready to guide and support you on your procurement needs.??

If I am a purchaser or a budget holder, what do I need to do now???

1. Register for a procurement transformation roadshow in July?

• • These sessions are your opportunity to hear about key policy and process changes in more detail and ask questions to the procurement team?
  • You can register now by selecting the session that best suits your schedule: Procurement Transformation Sharepoint page?.??
  • Note that where relevant, some teams will be invited to additional, tailored sessions specific to their department.

2. Read Guidance materials on how to follow the new procurement process

• • Guidance materials will be made available to help you follow the updated procurement process via the Procurement Transformation SharePoint page.

What’s next??

BOB体育登录网址_欧宝体育官网平台-APP|下载 new procurement policy and process will be live in August, together with the extension of ServiceNow across the University. Further detailed guidance and updates will be shared as changes come into effect.??

In the meantime, for any procurement requests you may have prior to go live, please continue to use the University’s ePID system and refer to the latest procurement guidance on SharePoint.???

If you have any immediate questions, feel free to get in touch with the Procurement team (procurement@soton.ac.uk) or your category lead.??

Contact details for the procurement and contract management team can be found here:?Procurement and Contract Management.?