WIREDGOV

eAuction set to deliver significant savings

OGCBUYING.SOLUTIONS News Release (Ref. EAU16/07) issued by The Government News Network on 21 July 2008

OGCbuying.solutions is taking part in an eAuction by reverse auctioning a requirement for 5,000 laptops and 5,000 desktop PCs. The eAuction which is facilitated by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) will take place on 24 July 2008 and is part of a programme of eAuctions being held on behalf of the public sector. Using innovative technology, suppliers will bid in real-time for the supply of these goods. Significant savings are expected; the previous eight eAuctions that OGC have run have resulted in 34.5% savings which amounts to £27.65 million.

Terry Love, Senior Category Manager responsible for client devices at Buying Solutions, said today:

"I am very excited about this latest eAuction. We are able to offer high specification PCs and laptops and early indications suggest that prices will be approaching 40% lower than the current benchmark, offering significant savings.

"The PCs and laptops will be available to all public sector bodies. There is no minimum order quantity so this event will be of particular appeal to smaller organisations that can not normally benefit from highly competitive prices achieved through aggregation."

Chris Chettle, ICT Commercial Delivery Manager of OGC, commented today:

"The previous eight eAuctions that we have run have been extremely successful. We are keen to continue facilitating collaborative IT projects and drive down prices so as to deliver savings to the public purse. We strongly recommend that public authorities consider this mode of procurement for their IT hardware requirements."

To register an interest in this eAuction please contact the Buying Solutions' Service Desk on 0845 410 2222.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The eAuctions run by OGC are 'reverse' auctions, so suppliers are bidding decreasing prices for the contract offered. Tenders are assessed in advance against all relevant criteria, from which a provisional ranking is formed. During the auction, which is conducted online using specialist software, sellers continually lower their prices in response to competitors' bids. Only the buyer can see who is offering each price. After the auction has closed, the final contract will be chosen, taking into account both the price offered and the previous evaluation.

The specifications for the hardware can be viewed at Buying Solutions' website: http://www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk/specification. In addition to the base specification there will also be a range of upgrades available. These will also be offered at discount prices. OGCbuying.solutions is the trading arm of the Office of Government Commerce, which is itself an office of HM Treasury.

It provides public sector procurement professionals with a route to the products and services they need to maximise procurement efficiency and value for money. Its contracts and framework agreements offer substantial savings through significant buying power, economies of scale and strategic partnerships.

Rigorous tendering and evaluation processes ensure that products and services are checked for quality, price competitiveness, fitness for purpose and compliance with statutory requirements. These products and services are available through OGCbuying.solutions' framework agreements, managed services and other procurement arrangements.

More details are available on the website: http://www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk

The Office of Government Commerce is an independent office of HM Treasury, established to help Government deliver best value from its spending. The OGC works with central Government departments and other public sector organisations to provide policy standards and guidance on best practice in procurement, projects and estate management, and monitors and challenges Departments' performance against these standards, grounded in an evidence base of information and assurance.

It promotes and fosters collaborative procurement across the public sector to deliver better value for money and better public services; and it provides innovative ways to develop Government's commercial and procurement capability, including leadership of the Government Procurement Service.

More details are available on the website: http://www.ogc.gov.uk