The 2026 Public Procurement Squeeze: Why "Box-Ticking" is Dead and How Local SMEs Are Holding the £7.4bn Answer

The 2026 Public Procurement Squeeze: Why "Box-Ticking" is Dead and How Local SMEs Are Holding the £7.4bn Answer

Posted inAlways-On, Avon & Som, Beds, Business, Cambs, Chesh, Cleveland, Derbyshire, Devon & Corn, Dorset, Dual Impact, Durham, East England, East Mids, Essex, Glouc, Gtr London, Gtr Man, Gwent, Hants & IoW, Herts, Humb, Kent, Lancs, Leics, Lincs, Main News, Mersey, N Wales, N Yorks, Norfolk, North East, North West, Northants, Northern Ireland, Northumb, Notts, Powys, S Wales, S Yorks, Scotland, South East, South West, Staffs, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley, W Yorks, Wales, Warks, West Mercia, West Midlands, Wilts, WMids, Yorks & HumberTags:
The landscape of UK public sector procurement has hit a point of no return. As we move through 2026, the traditional playbook used by Tier-1 contractors and public buyers is no longer just outdated—it is a compliance liability.
Pluggin Marketplace Launches National Apprenticeship Levy Hand-off Campaign

Pluggin Marketplace Launches National Apprenticeship Levy Hand-off Campaign

Posted inAlways-On, Avon & Som, Beds, Business, Cambs, Chesh, Cleveland, Derbyshire, Devon & Corn, Dorset, Dual Impact, Durham, East England, East Mids, Essex, Glouc, Gtr London, Gtr Man, Gwent, Hants & IoW, Herts, Humb, Kent, Lancs, Leics, Lincs, Main News, Mersey, N Wales, N Yorks, Norfolk, North East, North West, Northants, Northern Ireland, Northumb, Notts, Powys, S Wales, S Yorks, Scotland, South East, South West, Staffs, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley, W Yorks, Wales, Warks, West Mercia, West Midlands, Wilts, WMids, Yorks & HumberTags:
Having successfully tested the way for the large Tier-1 suppliers to seamlessly offset their unused, expiring Apprenticeship Levy funds directly into grassroots organisations within public contracts, the Pluggin Marketplace is now scaling this radical way for all major suppliers to creatively deliver their social value commitments.
Does AI Know About Your Social Value?

Does AI Know About Your Social Value?

Posted inAlways-On, Avon & Som, Beds, Business, Cambs, Chesh, Cleveland, Derbyshire, Devon & Corn, Dorset, Durham, East England, East Mids, Essex, Glouc, Gtr London, Gtr Man, Gwent, Hants & IoW, Herts, Kent, Lancs, Leics, Lincs, Main News, Mersey, N Wales, Norfolk, North East, North West, Northants, Northern Ireland, Northumb, Notts, Powys, S Wales, Scotland, South East, South West, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley, Wales, West Midlands, WiltsTags:
The new public sector sales battleground is social value, the 10-30% weighting on supply tenders. So why does AI need to be a marketing and sales focus, how will this ensure your business stands-out for its social value?
Why Tier-1 Value Added Reseller IT Suppliers are Risking a "Strategic Miss" on Social Value

Why Tier-1 Value Added Reseller IT Suppliers are Risking a "Strategic Miss" on Social Value

Posted inAlways-On, Avon & Som, Beds, Business, Cambs, Chesh, Cleveland, Derbyshire, Devon & Corn, Dorset, Durham, East England, East Mids, Essex, Glouc, Gtr London, Gtr Man, Gwent, Hants & IoW, Herts, Humb, Kent, Lancs, Leics, Lincs, Main News, Mersey, N Wales, N Yorks, Norfolk, North East, North West, Northants, Northern Ireland, Northumb, Notts, Powys, S Wales, S Yorks, Scotland, South East, South West, Staffs, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley, W Yorks, Wales, Warks, West Mercia, West Midlands, Wilts, WMids, Yorks & HumberTags:
For the UK’s Tier-1 technology giants the rules of social value leadership in the UK public sector just changed... The eye of Mordor has moved!
The HBS Scheme Playbook

The HBS Scheme Playbook

Posted inAlways-On, Avon & Som, Beds, Business, Cambs, Chesh, Cleveland, Derbyshire, Devon & Corn, Dorset, Durham, East England, East Mids, Essex, Glouc, Gtr London, Gtr Man, Gwent, Hants & IoW, Herts, Humb, Kent, Lancs, Leics, Lincs, Main News, Mersey, N Wales, N Yorks, Norfolk, North East, North West, Northants, Northern Ireland, Northumb, Notts, Powys, S Wales, S Yorks, Scotland, South East, South West, Staffs, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley, W Yorks, Wales, Warks, West Mercia, West Midlands, Wilts, WMids, Yorks & HumberTags:
This HBS Scheme playbook is a quick-step way for sales and marketing teams to take an early-entry position of founding member ahead of the main roll-out of the HBS Scheme; the scheme is creating a new brand differentiator by moving suppliers from a static vendor to an always-on, mission-critical strategic partner.
Mitigating the £3.3bn Retail Crime & Safety Risk: How Strategic Social Value is helping Reclaim the High Street

Mitigating the £3.3bn Retail Crime & Safety Risk: How Strategic Social Value is helping Reclaim the High Street

Posted inAlways-On, Avon & Som, Beds, Cambs, Chesh, Cleveland, Derbyshire, Devon & Corn, Dorset, Dual Impact, Durham, East England, East Mids, Essex, Glouc, Gtr London, Gtr Man, Gwent, Hants & IoW, Herts, Humb, Kent, Lancs, Leics, Lincs, Main News, Mersey, N Wales, N Yorks, Norfolk, North East, North West, Northants, Northern Ireland, Northumb, Notts, Powys, S Wales, S Yorks, Scotland, South East, South West, Staffs, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley, W Yorks, Wales, Warks, West Mercia, West Midlands, Wilts, WMids, Yorks & Humber
To protect the long-term viability of the high street, we must pivot from containment to structural prevention. The most potent tool for this transition lies within an unexpected quarter: Public Procurement.
Operationalising Contract Social Value – Part Two.

Operationalising Contract Social Value – Part Two.

Posted inAlways-On, Avon & Som, Beds, Business, Cambs, Chesh, Cleveland, Derbyshire, Devon & Corn, Dorset, Dual Impact, Durham, East England, East Mids, Essex, Glouc, Gtr London, Gtr Man, Gwent, Hants & IoW, Herts, Humb, Kent, Lancs, Leics, Lincs, Main News, Mersey, N Wales, N Yorks, Norfolk, North East, North West, Northants, Northern Ireland, Northumb, Notts, Powys, S Wales, S Yorks, Scotland, South East, South West, Staffs, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley, W Yorks, Wales, Warks, West Mercia, West Midlands, Wilts, WMids, Yorks & HumberTags: ,
In an era of tightening budgets and complex community demands, the Home Office and our police forces are facing a fundamental question: How do we fund long-term prevention while maintaining a visible frontline? The answer doesn't lie in waiting for the next grant cycle. It lies in our £330 billion UK supply chain.
Operationalising Contract Social Value – Part One.

Operationalising Contract Social Value – Part One.

Posted inAlways-On, Avon & Som, Beds, Cambs, Chesh, Cleveland, Derbyshire, Devon & Corn, Dorset, Dual Impact, Durham, East England, East Mids, Essex, Glouc, Gtr London, Gtr Man, Gwent, Hants & IoW, Herts, Humb, Kent, Lancs, Leics, Lincs, Main News, Mersey, N Wales, N Yorks, Norfolk, North East, North West, Northants, Northern Ireland, Northumb, Notts, Powys, S Wales, S Yorks, Scotland, South East, South West, Staffs, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley, W Yorks, Wales, Warks, West Mercia, West Midlands, Wilts, WMids, Yorks & HumberTags: ,
It's 2026, Police budgets are under unprecedented strain. Yet the demand for community safety and multi-agency collaboration and funding continues to rise.