#EstatesMatter blog: We are engaging to support the implementation of more sustainable practices
Our focus as a category is providing a compliant, smooth process to service Capital, Estates and FM procurement requirements and objectives. Our frameworks offer a broad range of solutions to help ensure that facilities are safe, compliant, well-maintained and conducive to patient care and staff work. We can drive resource, time, risk, and commercial savings through our efficient procurement solutions that have been curated to suit the needs of our NHS and the public sector. Core to our wider values, our solutions can provide simplicity in what can be a very resource intensive area, with our fileshare area offering a wealth of resources to facilitate procurement activity across the category areas. We are working on some exciting developments to build upon our support offering and are continuing to work collaboratively with framework users and our supply chain to drive best practice across the function.
Sustainability and Social Value are core considerations for us when letting our frameworks, with these now applying the Social Value Model or being Social Value enabled. We are sure to follow the latest best practice when it comes developing our solutions. But it doesn’t stop there. We have been engaging with stakeholders across the board to better understand the opportunities and challenges around reaching the Net Zero target of 2040 for the NHS Estate and how we can facilitate the procurement activity required to get there.
We would like to remind our colleagues that guidance on accessing Government Funding for the decarbonisation of the estate under the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) is expected this Summer 2024. Whilst a number of NHS organisations have already obtained funding under this scheme, many are yet to submit applications for this crucial funding to futureproof and decarbonise our estates. The Low Carbon Skills Fund is now open for applications in Phase 5, this fund provides grants to access expert technical and specialist advice in order to pull together a heat decarbonisation plan (HDP) which can then be used to apply for the PSDS grant funding. The NOE CPC Consultancy Framework can assist in this process by providing access to the leading technical specialists in the development of applications to the PSDS. In addition to Property, Estates and Sustainability Consultancy, the framework also offers various other consultancy services to support the NHS and wider public sector, providing compliant access to technical expertise across disciplines.
Across the category areas we are also engaging to support the implementation of more sustainable practices, ranging from cutting Linen Losses, increasing reuse over single use Laundry, and reducing waste to landfill through effective collaboration in Waste Management. Our Hard FM Framework has naturally evolved to incorporate additional lots covering essential building improvements, renewables, and low carbon infrastructure. We are now in the process of developing the next iteration of our Total Waste Management Services II framework. This will focus on the updated Waste Hierarchy of Prevent, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover and Dispose (as a last resort). This framework will support the NHS and wider public sector to improve their waste management, focussing on eliminating waste to support the UK objective to reach net zero by 2050.
We are working with our supply chain and framework users to share success stories, best practice as well as lessons learned in our Fileshare area to facilitate future procurement activity, decrease duplication and wasted resource and efforts, in line with the NHS Commerical Strategic Framework.
As a Category team, we are also in active attendance of the National Performance Advisory Group (NPAG) Best Value Groups that cover Estates, Facilities, Transport & Logistics and Waste Management. This enables members to share information and experiences within these category areas in an open and honest environment to assist in identifying new innovations and good working practices.