DfES signs up to online procurement portal

'Zanzibar' marketplace will help schools to find suppliers

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) is the latest public sector organisation to sign up to Zanzibar, the e-procurement portal named after the biggest market in the world.

The department will use the service to develop a marketplace for schools, known as ‘OPEN’ (Online Procurement for Educational Needs). The aim is to simplify and improve schools' collaborative buying potential.

The project will provide all 23,000 schools in England with an electronic marketplace where buyers and suppliers transact and access national, regional and local value for money contracts.

'We expect to improve our procurement process with all our suppliers ,' said Vyv Game, Head Teacher of Teign School, which is participating in the OPEN pathfinder.

'OPEN will also help us and other schools across the country to achieve better value, by widening choice and allowing for more informed purchasing decisions,' said Game.

The first part of the project will involve a pilot with over 1000 participating schools.

Beginning in early 2007, the pathfinder schools will use the new system, integrated into their financial systems, for their day to day procurement activities.

OPEN will provide an opportunity for making savings through better access to collaborative arrangements and schools purchasers will have access to better information to help them make an informed decision that is right for their needs.

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