Procurement within EEAST
Information on procurement at EEAST, including processes, current tenders, and market engagement events.
As one of England’s largest ambulance services, EEAST relies heavily on its suppliers to support us to provide exceptional emergency care across our six Integrated Care Systems (ICS): Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, Herts and West Essex, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Mid and South Essex, Norfolk and Waveney, and Suffolk and North East Essex . Annually, we allocate around £120million (non-pay spend) on various goods, services and works ensuring that public funds are utilised efficiently and deliver the best value for money.
The Procurement Department at EEAST offers a range of services to ensure the efficient and effective use of public funds. These services include:
Supplier management
Establishing and maintaining relationships with suppliers to ensure the timely delivery of high-quality goods and services.
Contract management
Overseeing contracts to ensure compliance with terms and conditions and managing any changes or disputes.
Tendering and bidding
Conducting competitive bidding processes to select the best suppliers based on quality, cost, and reliability.
Social value and sustainability
We prioritise today’s needs while ensuring a sustainable future by balancing economic, environmental, and social factors, positively impacting the communities we serve.
Compliance and governance
Ensuring all procurement activities comply with relevant laws, regulations, and internal policies.
We procure a wide range of services and products to support both our frontline services and back-office support teams. Some of our main spending categories include
- Building and Estates: Buildings, Rent, repairs and maintenance across our estate
- Information Technology: Software and communication technology including telephone and IT networks
- Fleet and Logistics: Emergency Vehicles, Accident damage and routine repairs, servicing and Fuel
- Professional Services: Services for instance, Insurance, HR Recruitment and Travel and Accommodation
- Supplies, Drugs and Medical Equipment: Ambulance equipment like Defibrillators and stretchers, medical consumables like syringes, drugs and medical gases
We work closely with a variety of partners to ensure effective public sector procurement and to ensure outstanding care is delivered to our patients.. Our collaborations range from central procurement hubs to other public sector bodies and include:
- Our Suppliers: The Trust works with over 2,000 suppliers to deliver frontline services to patients
- East of England Procurement Hub: Partnering to leverage collective buying power and achieve cost savings across all UK Ambulance Services.
- Crown Commercial Services: the UK’s biggest public sector buying organisation and executive agency of the Cabinet Office
- Southern Alliance: Collaborating to streamline procurement processes, share best practice and deliver shared savings,
- National Ambulance Procurement Group: Engaging with national partners to standardise procurement and improve efficiency.
- Fire Brigades: Collaborating on procurements to enhance emergency response capabilities.
- Police: Working together to procure essential services and equipment that support public safety.
- 6 ICBs across our geographical footprint: Working with Integrated Care Boards in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk to align procurement strategies with regional healthcare needs.
- Other Public Sector Organisations: Engaging with various entities to share best practices, streamline processes, and ensure the efficient use of public funds.
These partnerships enable us to deliver high-quality services and products while maximising value for money and improving overall public sector efficiency.
For more information on how we spend our money, visit our page on what we spend and how we spend it.
