We took part in a workshop on Monday as part of Future of London’s Better Procurement research project, joining sponsors and industry stakeholders to examine how a stronger procurement system could unlock value for Londoners.
The session forms part of a wider programme looking at how commissioning and bidding for construction contracts could work better for everyone involved.
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A better procurement system for London
Procurement is a powerful lever in the built environment sector, but it’s often seen as a blocker rather than an enabler, weighed down by complexity and a focus on short-term savings over long-term gain. With a new legal framework now in place, the Better Procurement project sets out to examine how a better system could unlock real value for Londoners, moving towards an approach that is more effective, transparent and open to innovation.
Monday’s workshop brought together stakeholders from across the commissioning and bidding process, including clients, consultants and procurement professionals, to test ideas and share experience directly with the people who will need to put any changes into practice.
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Insight from the workshop
Our Director Nicola Tilbury took part as a sponsor facilitator, drawing on her background in public procurement, her LLM in Construction Law and her role on the project’s steering group. The discussion covered the practical challenges local authorities and housing associations face in current procurement processes, and what a genuinely innovation-driven approach might look like in practice. Much of the discussion highlighted the importance of early engagement with supply chain and local stakeholders as well as provide clear accurate and concise information at ITT.
The workshop is the first output from a project that will also include a written summary, a full procurement playbook and a launch event later in the year.
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Our long-standing partnership with Future of London
We have sponsored Future of London for ten years, supporting its Leaders Programme, sitting on its expert panel and steering groups, and contributing training and mentoring to urban professionals across the public and private sectors. Nicola’s involvement in Better Procurement builds on this wider relationship, which has included mentoring on the Leaders Programme and chairing sessions for Future of London’s wider network.
A write-up of the workshop will be published in early August, with registration for the project’s launch event opening in September ahead of the report launch in November.
