Social Value and Net Zero Zone
The current UK target is to reduce carbon emissions by 80% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050. As one of the main drivers of change, public procurement will play a key role in helping to meet this target.
Understanding the social, economic and environmental requirements in the procurement process will be vital for suppliers looking to win more business in the public sector marketplace. With their own targets to meet, buyers need to be constantly aware of new practices and innovations to help them deliver on their social and environmental obligations.
The Social Value and Net Zero Zone at Procurex National will host several sessions dedicated to understanding the UK’s public sector procurement sustainability requirements and explore how organisations can bring social value into the process and use it to their advantage.
Confirmed speakers include
Daphne De Leener
Net Zero and Sustainability Senior Manager
Danielle Aberg
Head of Social Impact
Thrive is a flexible and intuitive software solution which enables organisations to better capture, manage and demonstrate their social value and corporate responsibility activities. Modules within the platform include Social Value Reporting, Employee Volunteer Management and Grants/Donations Management. Our clients include a diverse range of public and private organisations, all of which are keenly focused on differentiating themselves to clients, employees and other stakeholders based upon their sustainability and community investment credentials; including the NHS, City of London, Tesco, L'Oreal, Kier, Avanti Trains, Yorkshire Water and many more.
Darren Knowd
CEO
Darren leads a team of twenty-three procurement staff responsible for all procurement activity at Durham County Council. In 2016 Darren was awarded the Cabinet Office’s first ever award for Social Value Leadership for an Organisation. He is Chair of the Local Government Association’s National Advisory Group for Local Government Procurement and is the Chair of the National Social Value Taskforce.
Don Bowman
Director
UKUPC is a partnership between eight UK consortia who created a formal entity to support collaborative procurement within Higher and Further Education. All eight consortia work together to share knowledge and best practice, to support each other and our wider procurement community. The UKUPC Board is comprised of heads of the UK regional purchasing consortia (APUC, HEPCW, LUPC, NEUPC, NWUPC, SUPC), the head of TEC and the head of TUCO.
Gemma Waring
Procurement Consultant
Gemma Waring is a qualified bid writer, trainer, and coach. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Gemma has worked in the sector for 20 years and her career has been marked by exceptional achievements due to her determination to succeed and her passion for empowering others. A beacon of diligence and reliability, Gemma is recognised for setting and upholding high standards. Her enthusiasm for the procurement sector is infectious, propelling her to stay abreast of industry developments and generously share her knowledge, including being a key played in the roll out of the Procurement Act 2023. Gemma's dedication recently earned her the prestigious title of Runner Up in the APMP UK's annual awards in the Supplier of the Year category and seen her continuously develop her own skills as an advocate of life-long learning. At the helm of G Waring Consulting Ltd since 2019, Gemma orchestrates success in public sector tendering and procurement projects – securing new business and successful outcomes across the board. Notable accomplishments include bid writing endeavours for blue-chip companies, securing multimillion pound contracts, working with Scottish Government on a national training campaign, and securing successful outcomes in complex multi supplier / multi lot frameworks and DPSs. In her role as Lead Trainer and Skills Coach for the Bid Coordinator Apprenticeship, Gemma also runs multiple cohorts, shaping training content, and assessing learners for long term development and supporting new entrants to the sector to grow and flourish. Gemma Waring is not just a consultant and trainer; she is a driving force behind transformative change, infusing every project with unmatched enthusiasm and expertise.
Ian Schollar
Head of Teaching and Learning
Ian Schollar is the Head of CIPS Business Study Centre at CIPS and has had a progressive career in procurement and commercial roles spanning over 30 years in both public and private sectors. He started his career with Mallory Batteries (Duracell) in 1983, before spending 15 years working within both central and local public sector organisations. He was responsible for procuring a diverse range of categories from breathing apparatus for fire fighters to high tech radar systems for air traffic controllers. In 1998, Ian became a Senior Advisor for Crown Agents, an International Development Agency. He was project lead on numerous capacity building projects working in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and Eastern Europe and headed up the procurement and supply chain training at their Training Centre. Ian has worked at CIPS since 2005 and has a particular passion for professional development. Ian is a Fellow of CIPS and holds a Master’s Degree in Management, Learning and Leadership from Lancaster University Management School.
Julie-Ann Garton
Managing Director
UKUPC is a partnership between eight UK consortia who created a formal entity to support collaborative procurement within Higher and Further Education. All eight consortia work together to share knowledge and best practice, to support each other and our wider procurement community. The UKUPC Board is comprised of heads of the UK regional purchasing consortia (APUC, HEPCW, LUPC, NEUPC, NWUPC, SUPC), the head of TEC and the head of TUCO.
Natasha Jolob
Member Services Director
Natasha is a visionary social impact leader, serving as the Director of Member Services at Social Value UK and an Advanced Accredited Social Value Practitioner with Social Value international. She has experience in working with local government to develop outcomes-based funding and delivery models and social impact bonds that maximise social value. She brings decades of experience in building the new social economy in the UK and globally through working across sectors in policy development and planning, impact investment and voluntary and community sector development and growth.
Pauline Vella
Delivery Manager - Technical Support
At WRAP, we want to tackle the causes of the climate crisis and give the planet a sustainable future. We want to halt environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity and protect both our lives and the planet. In a thriving world in which climate change is no longer a problem, we will be able to provide for a growing population and raise people out of poverty. WRAP is at the forefront of making the world a more sustainable place. By bringing people together, acting on facts, we will drive change and protect our planet.
Peter Schofield
Chair - National Advisory Group
The Local Government Association is the national membership body for local authorities in England and Wales. Its core membership is made up of 317 English councils and the 22 Welsh councils through the Welsh Local Government Association.