We spend over £13m each year on goods, services and works, providing businesses of all sizes with a wide range of commercial opportunities.
Our priority is to achieve best value for money for the College whilst aligning to the Colleges core values:
We are committed to raising aspirations and expectations, motivating each other to achieve our full potential. Our procurement activities will seek suppliers who share this ambition and can provide innovative solutions that help us reach our goals.
James Aldred MCIPS
James joined the College in February 2025 as Procurement Manager following a career in both public and private sector procurement. His public sector procurement experience includes working for 4 local Councils, the NHS and Research Councils.
James was runner up the GO Awards innovation of the year for his work with West Lancashire CCG in 2019 and was a finalist in the GO Awards Covid 19 Outstanding response in 2021 for his work with Sefton Council.
James has recently presented details of the College’s procurement approach to Public Sector Buyers throughout the UK in sessions run in collaboration with Government Commercial Function and Cresent Purchasing Consortium.
Contact Email: procurement@sthelens.ac.uk
Telephone: 01744 623397
Annmarie Orchard
Annmarie has over 20 years’ experience with the college which stems back to her training & employment up until 2022.
Annmarie then joined the NHS and obtained her CIPS Level 4 qualification. She has recently rejoined the college as Procurement Specialist.
Annmarie has over 10 years experience in Public Sector procurement within NHS & FE Education
Contact Email: procurement@sthelens.ac.uk
Telephone: 01744 623359
Our Procurement Team have all received CIPS Ethical accreditation and have completed the Government Commercial Function Procurement Act 2023 training.
Changes to public procurement regulations came into force on 24 February 2025.
The Procurement Act 2023 aims to deliver a more transparent process, delivering better value for money for business and the public sector.
The following short guidance videos are available from the Government Commercial Function, designed to provide an overview of the new legislation, we encourage all suppliers to view these using the link below:
Please contact our College Procurement team if you have any questions on procurement@sthelens.gov.uk.
We do not operate an approved supplier list. Open Tenders for goods and services above an estimated value of £214,904 light touch services £663,540 and for works above an estimated value of £5,372,609 will be advertised on Find a tender or managed via Public Sector Frameworks.
Tenders valued between £50,000 and the above thresholds may also be advertised on Find a Tender or via Public Sector Frameworks.
All figures include VAT.
Each tender package will have detailed information on what our requirements are and how we will assess your bid. Here are some tips on how to support your company deliver a quality bid:
The College utilises MultiQuote as its e-tendering system, suppliers can register for MultiQuote opportunities here. Guidance on registering on MultiQuote is available in the Policies and Important Documents section.
In compliance with Procurement legislation recent Contract awards can be found on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder. Links to these portals can be found in the Policies and Important Documents section.
If you require assistance with making your submission, contact the MultiQuote eSender helpdesk
at support@elcom.com or telephone 020 3920 8054.
If you require assistance with making your submission, contact the eSender helpdesk
at support@elcom.com or telephone 020 3920 8054.
James Aldred, Procurement Manager
