The public sector should save time and money thanks to the first European pan-government procurement framework for public sector fleets.

The new framework, which was established by Buying Solutions, gives the public sector access to a one-stop-shop for their fleet requirements.

Until now there has been a multitude of agreements across the public sector focussing on a range of services within fleet management. However, none of these offered organisations the ability to draw all the benefits from these agreements through one source.

“The law states that all public sector organisations are required to go through a full European tender process known as the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), if they wish to purchase goods or services over the current threshold value either in one transaction or over a period of time,” explained a spokesman from Buying Solutions.

“By using a framework agreement or other procurement arrangement from Buying Solutions, the public sector can bypass OJEU for the procurement of many goods and services.”

Undertaking the OJEU process can be both costly and time consuming for public sector organisations. However, a framework agreement provides a set of pre-tendered contracts with a range of suppliers from which the public sector can purchase goods and services with ease.

A small commission averaging 0.6% is collected from the suppliers for each sale they make under the framework.

The new framework agreement covers three ‘lots’:

• Fleet maintenance services; roadside assistance; administration; accident management; fuel card administration; insurance management; fines management; acquisition and disposal of vehicles; and the provision of management information.

• Fleet audit and consultancy such as policy development; duty of care; and technology.

• The third is similar services as lot 1, but also includes the potential for contract hire with guaranteed maintenance and will require suppliers to have a higher level of security clearance.

Following a competitive tender process, Inchcape Fleet Solutions has secured a place on the three separate ‘lots’.

“The rigorous tendering and evaluation process that we have been through over many months means that our wide range of products and services have been checked for quality, price competitiveness, fitness for purpose and compliance with statutory requirements,” explained Terry Bartlett, managing director of Inchcape Fleet Solutions.

Other organisations which are part of the agreement include, Arnold Clark, Automotive Leasing, Leasedrive Velo, Arval and Fleet Audits.

Buying solutions was established in 2001 in the wake of the Gershon report and is an executive agency of the Office of Government Commerce in the Treasury.