Please note: This article was written by Bloom.

Supporting supply chain growth

London Borough of Newham (LBN) had implemented a new social care system and needed further work undertaken to evaluate and expand the DataMart for Adult Social Care and Children Services. Working with oneSource, a specialist procurement support service for LBN, they turned to Bloom and NEPRO for help to find the right supplier to achieve the desired outcomes.
LBN needed a new supplier with niche capabilities and a proven track record. Through a Bloom mini-competition, LBN were able to choose from a wider supplier base and compliantly appoint the right supplier for the project.
“ Bloom helped us find suppliers in a rather niche market with the skills and expertise we required, which we would have otherwise found very difficult to source.”
Colin Ansell, Director of Commissioning Support Unit, London Borough of Newham

The challenge

LBN needed fast and compliant access to a specialist supplier with the right knowledge and experience to deliver the desired outcomes.
LBN was aware of only one suitable supplier so was looking to expand their supplier base to include more niche SME suppliers.
In particular LBN required a specialist supplier to review the current DataMart system, extend the data held within the Mart and then write additional management reports for the services, including the delivery of management and user dashboards.
The DataMart is used to provide information for efficient reporting throughout LBN from local KPIs to Statutory Return preparation.

Our solution

The Bloom Client Services Manager first worked with LBN to review the project requirement and determine the best route to market. It was then recommended that the procurement be run as a mini-competition to encourage competition and expand LBN’s supplier base.
Bloom invited a pre-qualified shortlist of 11 suppliers with proven capabilities to bid for the requirement. This shortlist included local SMEs as well as larger corporations.
The successful supplier, Key Intelligence, is a UK-based SME that was introduced to LBN as a direct result of the mini-competition.
Bloom went from receipt of project requirement to service delivery by Key Intelligence in just 34 days.

The outcome

Key Intelligence’s wealth of experience and knowledge in Health and Social Care, meant they have been able to successfully deliver LBN’s projected outcomes within budget and the required timeframe.
Through NEPRO, Bloom has helped LBN achieve an average of 14% savings for mini-competitions and has significantly expanded LBN’s supplier base, with more than 80% of all projects being completed by SME suppliers to date.