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Leveraging the Procurement Act for Place based Net Zero Innovation
A recent webinar in the series of Net Zero Living: Procuring for Net Zero explored the new Procurement Act which will come into force in February 2025. This change represents...
Event
Connect Places Summit 2025
19 March, 2025
At Connected Places Catapult we connect people, places and businesses for a future of sustainable growth and prosperity. To deliver jobs and growth for regional economies multiple stakeholders need to...
Publication
Leveraging Public Procurement to Drive Local Innovation
In an era of complex societal challenges and rapid technological advancement, governments are constantly seeking innovative ways to address public needs and stimulate economic growth. One powerful yet often overlooked...
Publication
Public Procurement of Innovation: Impacts, Evidence, and Methodological challenges
Public procurement, representing around 12% of GDP in OECD countries, is increasingly recognised as a powerful tool for driving not only innovation but also broader goals like sustainability and economic...
News
Navigating public sector procurement
At a recent panel discussion co-organised by IPEC and Digital Leaders, experts shared valuable insights on overcoming these challenges and driving successful outcomes. Effective governance is key to fostering innovation....
Case Study
Geofencing: innovative technology to improve trackside worker safety
Network Rail and Connected Places Catapult won the Safety Award at the Railway Industry Association’s Railway Industry Supplier Excellence awards on 29 June for their work to take forward a...
Case Study
EV Charging Programme Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet secured £12 million in grant funding to support four EV projects, covering 50-75% of the project costs. However, the procurement process faced innovation barriers due...
Case Study
How Belfast is using procurement to unlock economic value
Given that a substantial proportion of Belfast City Council’s public services are funded through these local taxes, it was clear that the city needed an up-to-date register of businesses. A...
Case Study
How SBRI helped Belfast City Council transform problem-solving
By leveraging the SBRI framework, the Council collaborated with small businesses to develop creative solutions for local challenges, driving efficiency and delivering impactful results for the community. Business rates provide...
News
7 Tips for Delivering Innovation in Local Government
I recently had the opportunity to participate in a roundtable on July 17th, where leaders from local government and the digital transformation sector came together to discuss the challenges and...
News
In-Conversation with Daniel Clarke
This week, we had the privilege of interviewing Daniel Clarke, Head of Innovation and Technology at Greater Cambridge Partnership, delving into topics on innovation, procurement, and how these strategies are...
News
Current Sentiment in the Procurement World
The Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre (IPEC) has been at the forefront of these efforts, aiming to embed innovative procurement practices within public sector organisations. A recent study sheds light on...