Spark Supplier Newsletter

www.crowncommercial.gov.uk

RM6094 Spark Q2 August 2019Welcome to the first edition of the Spark supplier newsletter. This newsletter will be published on a quarterly basis to all Spark suppliers and will provide news and updates from the Spark team.

Spark OverviewFollowing the launch of Spark, The Technology and Innovation Marketplace, at Tech UK in July, the team has been busy promoting the Marketplace to both customers and suppliers. We have met with a number of Central Government customers including the Home Office, DSTL, DCMS and MOJ. The team are in the process of arranging further meetings and we will keep you updated as these progress. As of 22nd August 2019, 21 suppliers have been appointed to Spark, of which 15 are SMEs.

Spark webinars for newly appointed suppliersWe are excited to offer monthly webinars for newly appointed suppliers. The webinars cover a number of topics including:

● How do customers award contracts?● What to expect when you join the DPS● Supplier contractual responsibilities● Working together ● Support and training, feedback and communication

You will need to register to attend a webinar with registration closing 2 days before each webinar. Once registered you will receive a link to access the webinar by email the day before it takes place. The webinar is not recorded but we will send out a copy of the slides, together with any Q&A after the webinar.To register, please follow this link: Spark DPS Webinar for newly appointed suppliers

Suppliers GuideA Spark Suppliers Guide is currently being developed and we hope to publish this next month on the CCS Spark webpages. The guide will cover the major contractual obligations relating to the DPS agreement such as MI reporting, production of case studies and continuous improvement plans. It will also explain how you can make updates to your Spark service offering and how customers can run further competitions using Spark. The guide will provide information on the additional support available to suppliers and communication with CCS. Please do let us know if there is anything else you would like the guide to cover.

Spark Supplier Newsletter

www.crowncommercial.gov.uk

Promoting your appointment to SparkYou are no doubt keen to promote that your services are available through Spark to prospective public sector customers. When you do, please ensure that you adhere to the Supplier Marketing Toolkit, which includes logos and guidance. To request a copy please contact the Spark category manager (Lucy McCormack) or email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk

Supplier Profile DetailWe invite each appointed supplier to provide a supplier profile, summarising the innovation they provide through Spark and how this could help customers.The supplier profiles will be published on the CCS Spark webpages.

Thank you to the 10 suppliers who have provided their profiles, which were included in a blog published on 16th August and shared on LinkedIN. The blog will also be included within CCS’s September customer newsletter - Spark supplier innovation offerings blog

If you have not already provided your supplier profile, it’s not too late. Not only is it a great opportunity to be included in our marketing but we will use that information to talk about the types of innovation provided by suppliers, on our monthly customer webinars.Don’t forget to provide us with a case study after signing your first call off contract so that we can share them on social media, LinkedIN and in customer newsletters.

Shared Supplier Contact List We are creating a shared Spark supplier contact list. You will have been asked by email whether you are happy for your contact details to be shared with other Spark suppliers. If you agree, you will be added to the Spark supplier contact list. The list will be shared and maintained by CCS and will enable suppliers to liaise with each other about collaboration opportunities for Spark. Permission must be given to CCS in writing before any supplier contact can be added or removed from the contact list.

LinkedIN Group MembershipCCS is in the process of creating a pilot of a closed LinkedIN group for suppliers who have been appointed to Spark. Once this group has been set up, all newly appointed suppliers will be invited to join. Membership is optional but highly recommended. It is envisaged that the group will be used for a number of purposes including:

● discussing opportunities for collaboration● sharing knowledge of relevant events with the group● providing feedback about Spark and potential changes they may like to see in

future iterations

Spark Supplier Newsletter

www.crowncommercial.gov.uk

● sharing experience about using the Spark platforms e.g. making updates to their offerings on the SRS platform - how to do it, how long it takes etc

● sharing useful, relevant CCS updates e.g. replacement of esourcing platform● sharing details of events that might be of interest to suppliers

Further guidance for current Crown Commercial Service suppliersGuidance for current Crown Commercial Service suppliers This guidance covers submission of MI, promoting your place on a CCS agreement, supplier audits, expiring agreements and forthcoming tender opportunities, improving public procurement practice, the Bribery Act 2010 and Government Security Classification Schemes

FeedbackFeedback helps us get it right. If you can think of any improvements or if there’s anything you would like to see in your supplier newsletter, please get in touch.To contact the team, email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk using “Spark newsletter feedback” as your subject.

Spark teamThe Spark team, available to support you and answer any queries you have, comprises:

Lucy McCormack Rob Whitehead Peter Kirwan lucy.mccormack@crown robert.whitehead@crown peter.kirwan@crowncommercial.gov.uk commercial.gov.uk commercial.gov.ukCategory Manager Senior Category Lead Deputy DirectorSpark: The Technology Technology Products TechnologyInnovation Marketplace and Services SRO for Spark Looks after all customer Responsible for the Sparkand supplier support and strategy and acts as a pointeducation of escalation when required