Press Releases

New IT hardware deal now saves up to 49% on public sector purchases

Even better deals on IT hardware, of up to 49 per cent savings on purchases, with average savings of over 25 per cent are now available for the whole of the public sector to take advantage of as part of the Winter Great Deals Initiative which runs until the end of March 2007.

The Office of Government Commerce and its trading arm Buying Solutions have again worked together to deliver further savings on a range of IT hardware products with a common set of specifications, covering the supply of quality desktop PCs, laptops and screens.

Savings have improved from 45 per cent in the Autumn Great Deals offer to up to 49 per cent in the Winter Great Deals initiative meaning that IT hardware products will be available to the whole of the public sector at improved discounted rates because of the agreement struck between the government and suppliers.

Derek Rothwell, Director of Procurement, OGCbuying.solutions said: "We are very pleased to be able to offer the public sector products via the Great Deals initiative. Limited period deals are the best way to promote IT products because prices for the specifications quickly become outdated. This is a real opportunity for public sector organisations to make significant savings on their IT goods especially with desktop prices starting around £268."

The OGCbuying.solutions Catalist framework for IT Goods and Associated Services acts as the commercial vehicle for the initiative and the products will be supplied by companies on the framework.

Great Deals are available via the OGCbuying.solutions website, www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk

Download the Press Release document (PDF, 40KB)

Notes to Editors:
The Great Deals initiative is designed to provide public sector customers with an efficient, straightforward procurement route, combined with the lowest total cost of ownership. The specifications have been developed with the help of numerous public sector organisations. Specifications and pricing are reviewed and updated regularly, in consultation with public sector customers. Specifications can be provided upon request. Pre-qualified suppliers were asked to provide prices against these specifications and the competitive responses identified savings of over 49 per cent per unit.

Furthermore, the highly competitive pricing applies regardless of the volumes purchased. Customers can compare suppliers' offers and conduct their own analysis of the pricing and products. A range of competitively priced upgrades and downgrades is also provided, ensuring that buyers' sourcing decisions are the most economically advantageous for their particular organisations.
The Great Deals are available to all public sector customers, who have the assurance of a professionally managed procurement process and the robust Terms & Conditions which apply to all OGCbuying.solutions frameworks.

The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) works with public sector organisations to help them improve their efficiency, gain better value for money from their commercial activities and deliver improved success from programmes and projects.

OGC is an office of HM Treasury, with its own Chief Executive, John Oughton. OGC works as a catalyst across central and local government to achieve best value for money in commercial activities and support government departments in successfully delivering major acquisition programmes and projects. Its remit encompasses support for the implementation of the Lyons Review on relocation. As announced by the Chancellor in the 2004 Budget, OGC's Chief Executive is also responsible for implementing the Government's public sector Efficiency Programme to deliver £21.5bn of savings by 2007 - £8.7bn of that figure will come from better procurement practices.

In addition, OGC has a PSA target to secure £3bn of value for money gains in central civil government by 2006 and achieved £4.3bn by the second year of the spending review period 2002 (03/06).

www.ogc.gov.uk
T: 0845 000 4999
E: ServiceDesk@ogc.gsi.gov.uk

OGCbuying.solutions is the trading arm of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), which is itself an office of HM Treasury. OGC was launched on 1 April 2000 as a result of a review of civil procurement in Central Government. Its aim is to achieve substantial value for money improvements in the Government's procurement budget and to oversee and implement the Government's wider Efficiency Review across the entire public sector. OGCbuying.solutions, launched in April 2001, 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. Once again, these savings are counted towards the Efficiency Review target. 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 Catalist framework agreements and Managed Services.

The Catalist brand is designed to unify the framework agreements under one identifiable and recognisable brand name. Catalist incorporates a series of framework agreements which have been developed to offer our customers a broad range of goods and services aligned to their particular needs.

Managed Services are predominantly more sophisticated, requiring expertise and additional support from OGCbuying.solutions.

For press enquires contact:
Holly Riggs at OGCbuying.solutions on
Tel: 01603 704742 or 07900 162 195 or Email: holly.riggs@ogcbs.gsi.gov.uk