IPEC

Innovation-friendly procurement

The UK public sector spends £380bn a year in the private sector. UK local government procurement alone accounts for £60bn a year. This represents a huge market and a significant lever public authorities can use to create and shape markets.

Join the conversation

Our focus

Support Programme

Offering mission-led support for public authorities.

Thought Leadership

Conducting original research and evaluation.

Stakeholder Engagement

Activating and disseminating innovative procurement practices.

Latest from IPEC

End of Year Message from Rikesh Shah, Head of IPEC

As 2024 draws to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on a very productive year for the Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre (IPEC). It has been a year of significant progress, marked by collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and tangible impact across the public procurement sector.

The Art of the Possible in Public Procurement

The Art of the Possible unlocks the power of the Procurement Act 2023, empowering anyone engaged in making and executing public investment in new products and services to define creative & innovative strategies, while maintaining full compliance.

Unlock the Power of Procurement: IPEC First Annual Sentiment Analysis 2024

Procurement is a powerful lever for innovation, with the UK public sector spending £380bn annually and local government alone accounting for over £60bn. But how well is this potential being harnessed to drive innovation and create better public outcomes?

Procuring Innovation Playbook

The Procuring Innovation Playbook is your go-to guide for breaking down procurement myths and unlocking innovation opportunities. It provides practical solutions to overcome procurement barriers, explores innovation pilots, outlines diverse procurement routes, and offers insights on designing effective evaluation criteria—alongside successful case-studies and much more.

A practical guide to pre-market engagement

The incoming Procurement Act 2023 prioritises Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) to simplify processes, boost innovation, and enhance supplier diversity. Created by IPEC and Gardiner & Theobald, this guide provides the tools to stay ahead, ensuring your procurement practices align with future-focused policy goals like net-zero transitions and mission-focused outcomes.

Come see us at:

Connect Places Summit 2025 / March 19, 2025

View all events

Social

✨ Thank you for reading our posts, IPEC is now out of office and having a short social media break until Monday, 6th January 2025

2024 has been a year of growth and innovation, from the launch of The Art of the Possible to welcoming our Cohort Programme participants and releasing essential resources like the Practical Guide to Pre-Market Engagement and Procuring Innovation Toolkit.

🎄 For key highlights and resources, read Rikesh’s End of Year Message. Our website has everything you need while we’re offline: https://lnkd.in/dNnACbJ3

See you in January 2025!

@Sam Markey @Rikesh Shah @Malcolm Harbour CBE @Ben Hawes @Kayleigh Hadjimina MCIPR @[Olga Kuzmich](urn:li:person:6OhK_S2w8E) @James Cushing @Rachel Capstick @Nick Woodward @George Wardell @Zain B. // @Kevin Calder @Marut Gohil @Andrew Graves @Dr Colin Birchenall @Theo Blackwell MBE @[Emily Sullivan](urn:li:person:qa_3XuopoD) @Colin Wood @[Sarah P.](urn:li:person:WI_wH_LflU) @Daniel Clarke @Abdul Rahim @Ian Brotherston @Paula Claytonsmith @Helen Olsen Bedford @Eddie Copeland @Dr Rebecca Rees @Fumi Kitagawa @Elvira Uyarra @Annum Rafique @Matt Ziembla @Tina Holland @Robin Knowles @Robin Knowles @Robin Polding @Flora McFarlane @Peter Schofield @Johnny Hugill @[Lindsay Maguire](urn:li:person:sT1_MoBPMq) @Rebecca Riley @Elizabeth Vega OBE DUniv

🚀 Our website has had a makeover!

Another highlight for this year is that our website has undergone a major transformation to make it easier for you to access key information, explore valuable resources, and quickly find what you’re looking for.

📚 As part of this transformation, we’ve introduced new practical tools, including the Procuring Innovation Toolkit, Pre-Market engagement guide, a Sentiment Analysis Report, and six new research publications under the IPEC Research.

We invite you to explore the new site and resources and share your feedback in the comments.

🔗 https://www.ipec.org.uk/

@Sam Markey @Malcolm Harbour CBE @Ben Hawes @Kayleigh Hadjimina MCIPR @[Olga Kuzmich](urn:li:person:6OhK_S2w8E) @James Cushing // @Shailee H. @Kevin Calder @Jenny Beresford-Jones @Dr Colin Birchenall @Theo Blackwell MBE @Colin Wood @[Sarah P.](urn:li:person:WI_wH_LflU) @Daniel Clarke @Abdul Rahim @Dagmar Steffens @Ian Brotherston @Ellie Wetz @Paula Claytonsmith @Helen Olsen Bedford @Eddie Copeland @Dr Rebecca Rees @Fumi Kitagawa @Elvira Uyarra @Tina Holland @Robin Knowles @Robin Polding @Liz St Louis @Flora McFarlane @Peter Schofield @Johnny Hugill @[Warren Smith](urn:li:person:b27pD_CG03) @[Lindsay Maguire](urn:li:person:sT1_MoBPMq) @Rebecca Riley @Elizabeth Vega OBE DUniv @Andy Reed @💡Robert Cairns @James Lewis @Jade Cohen @Brittany Harris FICE

📢 Help shape the future of innovation procurement in the public sector!

Last year, our sentiment analysis survey revealed a critical gap: only 14% of public sector professionals were highly aware of innovation procurement, while 19% had no awareness at all. These insights have driven IPEC’s mission to empower public bodies with tools and support that deliver better, greener, and faster outcomes.

📝 This year, we’re launching our 2nd annual survey to:
◾ Measure the impact of our work
◾ Explore new challenges and opportunities
◾ Gather insights to improve future support

Your voice matters and will help shape the future support provided by IPEC.

📋 Please take 10 minutes out of your schedule to complete the survey here: https://lnkd.in/dbeeHRKH

@Sam Markey @Malcolm Harbour CBE @Ben Hawes @Kayleigh Hadjimina MCIPR @[Olga Kuzmich](urn:li:person:6OhK_S2w8E) @James Cushing // @Dr Colin Birchenall @Theo Blackwell MBE @Colin Wood @[Sarah P.](urn:li:person:WI_wH_LflU) @Daniel Clarke @Abdul Rahim @Dagmar Steffens @Ellie Wetz @Paula Claytonsmith @Helen Olsen Bedford @Eddie Copeland @Dr Rebecca Rees @Fumi Kitagawa @Elvira Uyarra @[Steven Sinclair](urn:li:person:_qMF2RKImB) @Tina Holland @Robin Knowles @Robin Polding @Liz St Louis @Flora McFarlane @Peter Schofield @Johnny Hugill @[Warren Smith](urn:li:person:b27pD_CG03) @[Lindsay Maguire](urn:li:person:sT1_MoBPMq) @Rebecca Riley @Elizabeth Vega OBE @Waleed Ahmed @Jay Shen @Theo Chapple @Layla C. @Andy Reed @Darren Divall @Claire Parsons @Cathy Burns

A practical guide to pre-market engagement

The incoming Procurement Act 2023 prioritises Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) to simplify processes, boost innovation, and enhance supplier diversity. Created by IPEC and Gardiner & Theobald, this guide provides the...

Sentiment Analysis

Procurement is a powerful lever for innovation, with the UK public sector spending £380bn annually and local government alone accounting for over £60bn. But how well is this potential being...