New procurement portal aims to help local firms win Mansfield Council contracts

A new portal on Mansfield Council’s website to make it easier for local companies and traders to win council contracts has gone live.

It is one of a number of projects planned in the coming year to expand the council’s procurement activities in ways that will boost the local economy.

The council changed its procurement strategy in 2019 to focus on appointing local companies to deliver goods, services and contracts wherever possible.

The council defines local spend as being within Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, with particular focus on Mansfield district.

It covers council goods and services purchased from either the public, voluntary or private sectors.

Figures from Nottingham Council’s procurement service, which delivers Mansfield Council’s procurement needs, show the council’s total spend in 2021/22 was £32 million.

Of that, £12.1m, 38 per cent, was local spend, including £4.3m in Mansfield district. The rest of the local spend saw £1.4m going to Ashfield, £5.4m to the rest of Nottinghamshire and £1m to Derbyshire.

Construction, property development and regeneration spending accounted for more than half, 57.7 per cent, of the local spend, totalling £7m.

Coun Craig Whitby, Mansfield Council portfolio holder for corporate and finance, said: “We are fully committed to the council’s new procurement objectives and it is great news that we were able to support and serve our local economy.

“We look forward to being able to see these objectives expanded and developed in the coming year.”

For details, see mansfield.gov.uk/procurementportal