Shortlist 2025

Holland & Barrett (H&B) excels in supply chain risk management by leveraging AI-powered tools such as EiQ and using proactive strategies. Their approach includes horizon scanning for emerging risks, supplier collaboration and comprehensive ESG training. H&B's initiatives have strengthened governance, improved supplier compliance and enhanced worker protections, ensuring a resilient and sustainable supply chain. Their commitment to responsible sourcing and ethical practices sets new standards in the health and wellness sector, demonstrating leadership and innovation in managing complex global supply chain risks while promoting sustainability, transparency and ethical business conduct.

A complete overhaul of risk management practices at Unibake has yielded great results, both in terms of availability of raw materials and commercial benefits. Our key achievements have been:
 – 500 suppliers risk assessed for supply, financial and ethical risks
 – Mitigations put in place for key supply risks
 – 87% high/medium risk suppliers with documented, signed contracts (versus 11% before the overhaul)
 – Over €2M savings delivered as a direct consequence of mitigation actions
 – A huge reduction in risk profile on energy portfolio, reducing open positions from 70% to 10% without impacting budgets

What if Lloyds was unable to enable its mortgage customers to get their house keys on time? The collapse of high-profile suppliers in the last couple of years in the financial services industry has been a wake-up call for Lloyds Banking Group. Fuelled by inflationary pressures, the financial stability of suppliers poses a risk to how Lloyds manages its operational resilience. The sudden and complete denial of service from a supplier could affect Lloyd’s ability to deliver to its customers, along with regulatory and reputational impacts. To mitigate this risk, Lloyds has taken an innovative cross- functional approach.

Lonza’s Responsible Sourcing Program was set up in 2022 to focus on sustainability risk management through two key initiatives: Supplier Sustainability and Supplier Decarbonisation. As part of the program, a dedicated team within procurement was established, Responsible Sourcing criteria and sustainability risk frameworks were integrated into systems and processes, and a capability-building platform was rolled out. In 2024, 80% of spend was covered by sustainability evaluations for sustainability risks screening, and suppliers representing 33% of Scope 3 emissions were engaged to set climate targets. Continuous improvement efforts led to 68% of suppliers enhancing their performance.

This project centres on managing the challenge posed by upcoming changes in F-Gas regulations (EU) 517/2014. The associated reduced future availability of propellant directly impacts the production and distribution of life-saving respiratory medicines. As the propellant becomes scarce, the organisation faces significant risks, including potential shortages of critical medication, disruptions to the supply chain and increased production costs. This regulatory shift could lead to delays in delivering essential treatments to patients, negatively affecting patient outcomes and the organisation's reputation. The risks, if not managed effectively, also include regulatory fines for non-compliance, reduced market share and long-term damage to stakeholder trust.

Project Blueprint is a transformative initiative aimed at reducing United Utilities' deliverability and supply chain reputational risk through standardising assets and creating seamless integration between engineering and commercial teams to implement market-led solutions. By focusing on standardisation, we are not only improving design efficiency but also significantly reducing costs and carbon emissions while ensuring security of supply for our critical assets. By building strong collaborative relationships with the supply chain, we are securing the capability and capacity needed to deliver our ambitious programme and driving economic growth in the North West.

Balfour Beatty’s (BB) Procurement SLT places strong emphasis on collaborative working. Aligning with this commitment, BB has recognised the alarming prevalence of modern slavery within the construction industry. Procurement led the design and launch of a Modern Slavery Audit Programme to assess and mitigate risk within the supply chain. Now into year three, the programme has embedded strong cross-functional collaboration, ensuring shared accountability, consistent processes and improved capability across the business. This initiative reinforces BB’s position as a sector leader, using procurement as a strategic lever to strengthen supply chain integrity and advance sustainable practices across the wider construction industry.

Challenges that the bp Value Engineering Team faced in 2024 included:
 – Supplier dependency
 – Limited visibility/cost control
 – Multitude of store standards to manage
 – Safety and quality risks
 – Inability to assess new sourcing models, suppliers or procurement levers
 – High TCO and lack of cost breakdown

The internal teams across all EU countries were not aligned to one standard shop or canopy design, so additional challenges were faced in finding a solution to fit all site layouts and sizes. The project team had to redesign the total value chain with limited internal information and no standard approach to use as a baseline.

bp plc launched the Total Resource Management initiative to tackle inefficiencies in managing their non-employee workforce, which suffered from poor data availability, varied sourcing processes and subjective decision-making. The goal was to improve visibility, compliance and operational performance while reducing costs and optimising skilled resource supply. The initiative addresses three key challenges: cost, compliance and capability. With organisations spending $3.7T annually on non-employee workforces, it was crucial to develop models that offer faster, cost-effective talent connections, robust safety and compliance checks and an attractive talent experience.

CymruSOC was a key part of the Cyber Action Plan for Wales and had the following aims:
 – Grow the Welsh cyber ecosystem
 – Build a pipeline of cyber talent
 – Protect public services by ensuring continuity against cyber attacks
 – Strengthen cyber resilience through threat monitoring and data safeguarding across

The main challenge for Wales was how to procure a national Security Operation Centre that could support the public sector and be capable of onboarding over 20 member bodies with different cyber maturity levels. Achieving a solution that would meet the requirements of all member bodies was also a challenge.

After a 17-year partnership with the facilities management (FM) supplier providing EDF’s nuclear power stations with £40M in FM services and an additional £50M in FM and engineering projects annually, a change in the supplier’s parent company led to revised profit margin expectations. Simultaneously, there was a decline in safety performance. EDF faced a critical decision: renegotiate with the current provider or implement the FM category contingency plan. This plan involved terminating the agreement and negotiating with an EDF-owned provider to quickly step in, deliver the services under the existing commercial model and mitigate the budgetary impact of the changes.

Linefeed is one of the largest contracts held by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), spanning five plants in the UK. The primary objective of any Linefeed sourcing project is to ensure production stability, as uninterrupted car production is vital for a car manufacturer. For over 15 years, JLR did not seek competition for this service due to the risk presented to production, resulting in a single incumbent for most of the plants. Through a meticulously planned and collaborative strategic approach, JLR proactively set out to challenge the status quo of the incumbent whilst ensuring production stability, operational efficiency, future flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

Pepco Group's existing supply model for consumables (stationery, coffee, cleaning products) relies on a warehouse located in Eastern Europe delivering goods from Poland to 18 Pepco markets. This leads to:
– High transport costs and long lead times for basic consumables (up to 14 days)
– Extensive manual work around invoice handling, cost allocation and reinvoicing between Pepco entities
– Frozen working capital tied up in two months’ stock
– A fragmented supplier base with inconsistent service and pricing
– Limited transparency, data and control over spend

These inefficiencies highlighted the need for a more scalable, efficient and cost-effective solution.

Primark has over 200 stores across 14 countries in mainland Europe, with distribution to these stores from four key European depots. Ongoing expansion, coupled with challenging market conditions, led to the following issues:
 – A highly fragmented carrier base with inefficient supply routes
 – Escalating costs driven from rising inflation
 – Significant driver labour shortages in many markets
 – A diverse carrier network with inconsistent standards and procedures across various markets

The project aimed to address these issues to meet our existing business needs and support the growth of Primark in Europe in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

As Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion headed towards a third year, UK MOD recognised that to keep Ukraine in the fight and position it in any future peace negotiations required more than the rapid procurement and gifting of equipment – it needed a solution which was sustainable and scalable. Thus, Task Force Hirst was established in 2024 to develop UK/Ukrainian industrial cooperation, using procurement as the engine for strategic change. Hirst delivered a series of major capability contracts that will support Ukraine, as well as driving long-term economic benefit to the UK defence industry and the Armed Forces.

Whitbread operates Premier Inn, the UK’s largest hotel brand. Following our collaborative approach to transforming the guest bedroom experience last year, this year we needed to rebase every major category for hotel and restaurant services, ensuring we are fit for the years to come. Each major service contract had to be fundamentally renegotiated, meeting ambitious financial targets while improving the guest experience and advancing our ESG agenda. Our board set a target of £19M annual savings while also challenging us to ensure that the staff and customer experience was not negatively impacted by value-engineering, but actively improved by innovation.

In 2022, World Rugby, in partnership with the Rugby Football Union and UK Sport, established a Local Operating Company to deliver the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup event. Key metrics included supporting and identifying opportunities for women-owned businesses and local businesses in host cities to participate and benefit from the tournament's success. The team also prioritised environmental sustainability, learning from previous events and aligning with World Rugby’s 2030 Environmental Sustainability Plan. The project coincided with a new centralised approach to procurement for World Rugby, focusing on sustainable, long-term strategic partnerships with host countries and suppliers.

Aviva’s ambition is to become a Net Zero company by 2040, including our supply chain. In 2022, we set a target for 70% of suppliers by spend to have their own Net Zero targets by the end of 2025. Aviva was the first insurer and second financial services company globally to include a supply chain target as part of its SBTI. By adapting our processes, upskilling our people and engaging our supply partners, we have increased aligned suppliers from a low base in 2021 to 51% as of year-end 2024, helping to drive year-on-year decarbonisation in alignment with SBTI’s methodology.

CBRE knew that, as a services supplier controlling a large portion of the real estate supply chain, it could not achieve Scope 3 emissions reductions on its own. Indeed, most of its suppliers are also services suppliers, including painters, cleaners and general contractors. To drive real emissions reductions, CBRE established a program that engaged its clients (the end user), its suppliers and supplier’s suppliers. This three-tier engagement would be the key to unlocking real supply chain decarbonisation. An early participant in the program, Bagnalls, demonstrated this would be possible as they developed their sustainability program in response to CBRE’s request.

The Libellula project is an Engie-led initiative to reduce the carbon footprint of solar trackers. These trackers, which follow the sun’s movement, are made with green steel produced using electric arc furnaces powered by non-fossil energy sources and recycled steel. This approach reduced CO2 emissions by 35%, from 70 to 45 TCO2e/MW. Although green steel is more expensive, Engie minimised cost increases through supply chain optimisations, leading to an overall cost increase of $178,000. This project is the first international implementation of this decarbonisation technology and sets a precedent for future renewable energy projects.

Committed to reducing supply chain emissions by 50% by 2030, Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) recognises the importance of working collaboratively with suppliers to achieve this ambition. By setting clear expectations through our Emerald Standard and having regular engagement with our top c160 suppliers, we’ve created opportunities to collaborate and share learnings. In 2024 we’ve seen positive progress in suppliers disclosing their Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and committing to decarbonise their business. As a result, the number of suppliers with Net Zero commitments now total 77, and LBG’s supply chain emissions intensity has reduced from 132tCO2e/£m to 121tCO2e/£m.

Sustainability is central to Severn Trent's corporate strategy, "Performance Driven, Sustainability Led", which acknowledges the importance of delivering operational performance in a way that has a positive sustainable impact. The strategy depends on striking the right long-term balance between customers and communities, the environment and their workforce and investors, all reflected in increasingly ambitious targets and commitments. The project focuses on procurement teams playing a crucial role in facilitating, engaging and collaborating with a complex supply chain to achieve the ambitious goals that Severn Trent have set themselves.

UK Power Networks is committed to reaching Net Zero for both its own business carbon footprint and that of its supply chain. By leveraging an industry-leading carbon reporting platform and a pioneering embodied carbon tool, UKPN is leading the way in sustainability. The reporting platform pinpoints carbon hotspots across its supply chain, resulting in a much more accurate carbon submission from c160 suppliers. In 2024, this approach resulted in a c20% reduction. Furthermore, UKPN’s embodied carbon tool resulted in a c19% reduction across completed major projects. This company doesn’t just measure, it takes real actions to reduce supply chain emissions.

A diverse supply base fuels innovation by drawing on a wider range of perspectives, capabilities and creative solutions. However, a significant barrier for SMEs is the lack of accessible platforms to connect with large buyers such as Heathrow. Without clear visibility and engagement opportunities, many SMEs struggle to navigate complex procurement processes or showcase their capabilities. Bridging this gap is essential to unlocking their potential. Heathrow Lift Off addresses this by creating a more accessible pathway for SMEs to engage with our supply chain, driving innovation, promoting supplier diversity and ensuring sustainable growth for our ecosystem.

As a global leader in data, insights and consulting, Kantar recognised that its supply chain had yet to fully reflect the diversity of the communities it serves. The challenge was clear: how could Kantar create a scalable, data-driven approach to supplier diversity that aligned with business, societal and regulatory expectations? Tackling this required systemic change, shifting from transactional supplier management to a values-led, inclusive procurement model that champions equity and innovation. Kantar needed a robust framework that could identify, engage and grow diverse suppliers across global markets – without compromising on quality, cost or risk.

Nestlé UK & Ireland upholds core corporate social responsibility values focused on being the best for people, pets, planet and the community. They also promote diversity, inclusion and belonging to ensure everyone can be themselves at work. A key initiative within procurement is to increase spending with diverse suppliers, fostering new ideas and solutions while supporting the wider community and enhancing inclusivity. Since starting this journey in 2021, Nestlé UK & Ireland have focused, both directly and through our supply chain, on boosting our spending with accredited suppliers, ensuring representation from minority-led organisations and those with a social value mission.

Sellafield Ltd spends over £1.8B per annum in the supply chain, delivering one of the UK’s most complex and high-risk missions. We introduced the OAS to align our sourcing to strategic capability needs. It created structured, accessible routes for niche suppliers, supporting long-term planning in areas such as thermal treatment and DDP. These programmes highlight the complexity that made building a broader, more capable supply chain essential. Our Supply Chain Development Strategy turned this into delivery. Supplier diversity is now embedded into governance, R&D and sourcing. It’s building a resilient, innovation-led supply chain and directly supporting safe mission delivery at scale.

Sky launched its first Supplier Diversity Strategy as part of a broader £30M commitment to inclusion. What began as a traditional supplier diversity project quickly evolved into a holistic, inclusive procurement strategy, recognising procurement's role in enabling broader inclusion objectives across the business. Sky’s strategy was grounded in the realities of the UK and European markets. Our aim was to unlock innovation, drive fair access for diverse suppliers and ensure that our supply base better mirrors the customers and communities we serve. Inclusive procurement became not just a social priority but a strategic lever for competitive advantage and growth.

Transport for London (TfL) recognises the value of supply chain diversity to support social value outcomes, demonstrate value for money and provide innovative and flexible suppliers. TfL set out to understand the challenges for SMEs and diverse-owned businesses in entering our supply chain while making sure we were compliant with procurement legislation to establish fair, competitive and transparent public sector procurement. TfL has committed, via the RP Implementation Plan, to baselining our spend and work towards 20% spend on goods and services with SMEs. In 2023-24, this was 9% (£400M) and we can now accurately track our expenditure with SMEs.

In 2024 Co-op launched a new vision, "Co-operating to build more value for our member-owners every day". It defines value in three ways; economic, ownership, and social value. Once social value became an integral part of the strategy, Co-op wanted to ensure that suppliers were aware of what they could do to support this approach to social value in a way which resonated with their skills and experience. And Co-op wanted their buyers to integrate social value into their day-to-day procurement activities as organically as possible, in a way which also supported Co-op's organisational goals and ambitions.

As a provider of social housing refurbishment and repair and maintenance services to local authorities and housing associations across Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Equans regularly engages with the communities we work in to deliver a variety of social value projects. We would usually take on the responsibility for delivering these projects ourselves, with varying degrees of support from our supply chain. Over several years, the requests and expectations to provide social value commitments have increased significantly, which in turn has led to us having to put more onus on a small number of ever less willing suppliers.

London & Quadrant Housing Trust are investing £3B in planned works over 15 years. A key objective is ensuring we deliver more than just improvements to homes. Previous procurement processes focused on cost/technical delivery, missing chances to create social impact. We have changed this by using:
 – Greater value weighting in our evaluation approach
– The Social Value Portal and the National Themes, Outcomes, and Measures framework to benchmark and measure impact
– Placemaking assessments to understand residents’ needs in priority boroughs
– A culture of collaboration with supply chain partners

Our approach has turned a major investment into a vehicle for social change.

This initiative aimed to address two key challenges: the lack of employment opportunities for individuals leaving the prison system, and the critical skills shortage in the highways and construction sectors. The initiative sought to create a socially valuable solution to both issues by offering practical skills training and tangible career pathways within prisons. We are now:
 – Working with our supply chain to adopt a shift in recruitment strategies
 – Focusing on rehabilitation potential rather than traditional hiring
 – Integrating structured pre-release training, with the possibility of post-release employment support
 – Developing a model that’s scalable and repeatable across the industry

The initiative sought to address the challenge of building a broad and resilient supply chain within Defence and National Security, a sector traditionally dominated by large, well-established companies. Our goal was to shape a more inclusive supply chain by embedding social value principles directly into the sourcing and contracting process. This meant ensuring that smaller suppliers could engage fairly in procurement activity while upholding high security, quality and collaboration standards. A key focus was removing barriers in the sourcing process by proactively identifying and engaging with smaller suppliers. We also addressed contracting challenges by implementing tailored agreements with appropriate flow-down clauses.

For this project, the challenge was to secure social value benefits that provided tangible value to sectors in need. The 7F Team, responsible for a wide range of diverse categories of spend, manage multiple contracts providing services which support Victims of Crime. Many of these services are grant funded and/or have reducing budgets, at a time when service user numbers are increasing. Hardware that would significantly benefit service users, for example mobile phones, are simply too expensive for providers and charities to offer and are not core to the service commissioned. These services would benefit from support with technological equipment.

In 2018, AIB faced a significant challenge: we had over 2,000 third-party providers with limited centralised oversight, inconsistent segmentation and inadequate risk and performance tracking. Our existing processes did not provide the transparency or control needed to manage supplier-related risk proactively. This created an unacceptable level of risk exposure, so this programme was designed not only to meet regulatory expectations but also to lead in supply chain oversight across European financial services. Our goal was clear: to move from fragmented oversight to a future proofed, integrated third-party risk and performance model that would enable visibility, accountability and compliance at scale.

bp primarily use a category-led approach to supply chain management to identify shared requirements across our operations, standardising and consolidating spend into strategic suppliers where possible. If a potential solution to an emerging or persistent operational challenge doesn’t naturally fit into the pre-existing category structure, it is far less likely to be identified and explored. That is why we are supplementing bp’s category-led procurement model with a new approach which uses different kind of engagement with the supply market, allowing bp’s diverse businesses to evaluate new approaches to persistent and emerging operational challenges. We call it Market Solutions as a Service (MSaaS).

CBRE Global Workplace Solutions provide facilities and project management services to building owners and occupiers. Many of their clients are multinational companies with large property portfolios. To meet their requirements, CBRE self-delivers core engineering services and purposefully partners with a range of suppliers, including cleaning, catering and security firms. In fact, CBRE choose to outsource over 60% of their work. This Integrated Supply Chain Model enables CBRE to develop and deliver innovative solutions for its clients. The success of the Integrated Supply Chain Model depends on CBRE's ability to establish mutually beneficial relationships with its suppliers. So, in 2022, their UK local business introduced initiatives aimed at strengthening cohesion.

In 2022, the National Audit Office (NAO) identified the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) site in Weybridge as in need of significant investment. The timeline of getting the site redeveloped while also maintaining its science capability was key to the programme’s success. As the NAO report noted, "any delays or difficulty completing the programme may expose APHA's operations to greater risk." To meet these challenges, the National Biosecurity Centre programme put in place a collaborative delivery model to plan and manage the services needed to transform the site within a short period of time.

We’re in a world of next day delivery – to enable this, businesses must hold stock somewhere. But what do we need to procure? How much stock is needed to exceed customer requirements? Where to store stock? How to manage risks, while optimising inventory? This is all incredibly complex, expensive and risky for Oxford Nanopore. They make an innovative, disruptive, new way of DNA & RNA sequencing. Their products, used in over 120 countries, work on a mixture of software, hardware, biologics and chemistry. This results in lots of variables/unpredictability and a large supply chain network to manage.

Pearson had a longstanding warehouse arrangement in India with a divested entity. Despite the loyalty of local Pearson business stakeholders and the continued support of central functions for a trusted partner, the incumbent supplier’s efforts to reduce costs and meet Pearson's required service levels consistently fell short. Given the imperative to drive efficiency and increase capability, it became apparent that Pearson would have to move to a new provider, but this involved complex internal relationship management mediated by Global Procurement, transition planning with a ripple effect across other supplier relationships, and considerable risk of disruption in sales.

The SABIC supplier performance transformation journey was initiated to resolve several key challenges:
 – Lack of standardised approach: inconsistent practices made it difficult to compare supplier performance objectively
 – Limited real-time visibility: the absence of a system to capture performance records created challenges in monitoring suppliers
 – Limited scalability: it was difficult to manage large number of suppliers globally with the available resources
 – Manual and time-consuming processes: the reliance on manual processes required substantial effort and resources, causing delays

These challenges highlighted the need for a systematic approach to enhance real-time visibility, standardise evaluations and ultimately drive improved performance and integration across the supply chain.

Charlotte Tilbury is a fast-growing beauty brand with global reach, including boutiques, beauty counters in premium department stores, and a strong e-commerce business. The Procurement Team, established in 2021, has transformed significantly over the past year. The new procurement function aimed to address the lack of structured processes causing inefficiencies, financial risks and poor visibility over company spending. Key issues were:
 – Uncontrolled spending
 – Lack of spend visibility
 – High contract risk
 – Operational inefficiencies
 – Limited stakeholder engagement

A phased approach was adopted to establish the procurement function, focusing on immediate stabilisation, long-term governance and strategic value creation, combining best practices with business objectives.

Following Deliveroo’s IPO, the business faced a significant profitability gap. Procurement lacked capability, credibility and sponsorship. Transformation was urgent. Deliveroo needed to reset its entire procurement operating model and deliver tangible outcomes at pace. The cost base had to be addressed, but also governance, efficiency and credibility. The legacy technology platform was reaching end of life and unable to support future digital innovation and AI investment. The challenge was not just sustainable cost reduction. It was to create a function the business wanted to work with and to lay the foundation for a future-focused, digitally enabled procurement capability.

Project Connect was launched to address several challenges within the supply chain function. There was a lack of a unifying vision, which led to siloed working, limited data and insight and limited cross-functional collaboration. Employee engagement was also impacted, where the team had limited visibility of the broader function’s purpose or future direction. There were also challenges with data readiness and systems usage. Project Connect aimed to address these challenges by empowering teams to co-create a future-focused supply chain with one clear purpose, a strong focus on people, and greater visibility of the value the function delivers to the business.

In 2020, the Government Commercial Function was posed a unique strategic challenge – how are they going to transform public procurement so it works for the UK? This came about following the UK’s exit from the European Union (the previous procurement regulations were transposed from EU Directives and drafted for a single market). The Government Commercial Function also wanted to tackle criticisms of public procurement – that it is too rigid for procurement teams to navigate, presents barriers for SMEs, and needs to be less bureaucratic. This was a chance to address these issues while balancing the interests of the public and private sector.

Internal diagnostics revealed 183 unique gaps across our contract lifecycle, with 36% of findings directly attributed to process inefficiencies. These weaknesses were damaging supplier relationships due to delays, inconsistency and lack of transparency. To understand root causes, Maaden conducted extensive stakeholder interviews to assess the end-to-end contract management journey. The findings were categorised into three critical pillars: People (competency and accountability), Process (governance and standardisation) and System (automation and visibility). Maaden saw this as an opportunity to establish a world-class contract governance framework that would not only resolve immediate issues but also create sustainable value through enhanced contract performance.

MTN Group identified three broad challenges:
 – How to transform procurement operations from a cost centre into a value-generating function
 – How to bring ESG as part of our sourcing and supply chain strategy
 – How to bring resilience into our supply chain operations

These challenges are of significantly high complexity due to the scale of MTN operations. As Africa's largest mobile network operator, we manage over USD $6B in annual spend across 20,000 suppliers and complex supply chain operations around the globe. We rolled out multiple initiatives in parallel to address these challenges, involving hundreds of internal and external stakeholders.

National Grid’s Procurement Transformation was driven by the urgent need to adapt to a fundamentally changing environment. Historically, procurement focused on delivering efficiency and effectiveness through traditional levers. However, the scale and complexity of future challenges made it clear that a new approach was vital. With a growing workload and increasing complexity, we faced both capacity and capability gaps. Simply growing the team was not enough, a complete transformation was needed – one that redefined procurement’s role from strong but steady delivery to strategic business partnership, directly supporting National Grid’s ambition to lead the clean energy transition.

Pre-transformation, the Source to Exit (S2E) process in Nationwide operated across a fragmented technology landscape, and was not sustainable, scalable or efficient. Capacity had been stretched and the process contained multiple inefficient user journeys, which resulted in inconsistencies in outcomes and a lack of control/oversight. As a Financial Institution, we are subjected to rigorous audits and regulations. Manual processes made it challenging to adapt and meet obligations at pace. And a lack of automation and proportionate approach meant that focus was not spent on value-add activities or ensuring the right outcomes that align with our mutual values.

Virgin Media's transformation programme’s key points were:
 – Becoming one organisation by bringing together two individually successful but very different teams
 – Best practice, innovation and sustainability
 – Assessing and simplifying processes to ensure the business can compliantly move faster
 – Developing new tools such as Spend Cube and Activity Tracker to ensure the team could work more effectively and make data-driven decisions
 – Enhancing our supply chain policies and requirements to deliver against our sustainability goals
 – Proactively supporting our business stakeholders through effective sourcing of goods and services
 – Achieving best value from contracts and our strategic partners and suppliers
 – Transforming the team to support the business and our customers

On 1 February 2024, Allwyn UK took over as the operator of licence for The National Lottery (TNL). As part of the bid commitments to win the licence, Allwyn committed to transform TNL in terms of infrastructure, connectivity and innovation. To deliver this change, a group of colleagues were selected to be Transformation Champions across the Allwyn business, called “GameChangers”. Procurement played a critical role in ensuring the success of this transformation by actively engaging with strategic suppliers. Allwyn’s Supplier Relationship Management Team recognised the need to leverage supplier expertise and thought leadership to guide the GameChangers and accelerate delivery.

There are several challenges being faced across infrastructure. Kier Transportation set out to see what we could do to address them, hand in hand with their supply chain, for the benefit of the whole industry. In October 2024, as part of our ongoing Engagement Programme, Kier Transportation asked their supply chain to identify the challenges they faced daily during delivery of their work. The supply chain voted for their top three challenges and were then asked to pitch ideas about working together to solve these challenges. Kier Transportation offered sponsorship and support for the winning idea.

MTN encountered a substantial challenge managing its vast network of 20,000 vendors, so our Procurement Excellence Team initiated the Compliance Passport Project. The foremost aim of this initiative was to significantly enhance the risk monitoring for all MTN suppliers, ensuring thorough and continuous risk management. By combining internal and external data and streamlining the due diligence process, this project enabled real-time risk evaluation, ensuring every supplier adhered to MTN's rigorous compliance criteria. This project significantly accelerated MTN's journey towards an agile and responsive operational framework, emphasising the enhancement of governance mechanisms alongside operational efficiency.

A key element of the insourced transformation was the implementation of a formal Supplier Relationship Management Programme to foster collaboration, standardise processes, enhance engagement and provide dedicated resources through the creation of the Supplier Management Team. The goal was to align distinct but complementary elements within category teams, ensuring compliance, mitigation of risks, driving of performance improvements and reinforcing supply chain resilience. By creating and maintaining a structured approach, the organisation continues to deliver incremental value beyond contracts, offering a more resilient route for NHS customers and patients while supporting the overarching corporate objectives.

In response to feedback from over 700,000 passengers, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), the Department for Transport (DfT) and our supply partners developed the Welcome Point. This is an innovative, centralised solution designed to enhance accessibility, foster inclusion and drive meaningful impact across the rail network. Before the Welcome Point’s introduction, the absence of accessible features and visible help points made navigating railway stations a daunting task, resulting in many opting to avoid public transport altogether. The RDG and the DfT have responded with a commitment to create a system that sets a new benchmark for accessibility.

This project was looking to resolve the following challenges:
 – Suppliers lacking visibility into their strategic importance, leading to disengagement
 – No direct engagement between senior leadership and suppliers, leaving both sides disconnected
 – Suppliers frustrated with delayed invoice approvals and lack of payment transparency
 – Suppliers not having a formal way to escalate issues
 – A misalignment between procurement, finance and supplier relations, creating inefficiencies and delays

By addressing the root causes of these problems and setting a new standard for excellence, this project has transformed Tahakom’s supplier management into a more efficient, transparent and supplier-centric system.

Embedding sustainability into procurement practice was critical to tackling the confronting issue of modern slavery within Balfour Beatty’s supply chain. Recognising the social and governance risks posed by unethical labour in construction, Balfour Beatty Procurement Leadership developed a bold, impact-driven audit programme focused on lasting change. The function integrated supply chain governance, capability building and responsible sourcing into an approach that prioritised ethical performance and transparency. Since 2023, 308 audits have been completed, directly influencing over £690M of spend. The ongoing programme reinforces Balfour Beatty’s sustainability ambitions, positioning procurement as a driver of positive ESG outcomes across the industry.

The NEP/NZT project is pioneering the UK's first full-chain carbon capture and storage system in Teesside, aiming to decarbonise one of the nation's most carbon-intensive regions. By 2035, the East Coast Cluster is projected to transport and securely store around 23 million tonnes of CO2 annually, addressing approximately 50% of all UK industrial cluster emissions. The Project reached FID in December 2024 and the procurement team played a key role through implementing novel contracting strategies and awarding over $4B of supply chain contracts, with voluntary industry ambition of 60% UK content helping to stimulate economic growth by supporting thousands of jobs.

At Essex County Council, sustainability is about fulfilling the needs of the current generations without compromising the needs of future generations to come. We strive to deliver our Everyone’s Essex aims of a strong, inclusive economy, a high-quality environment, health and wellbeing for all ages, and a great place for children and families to grow. Thus, working collaboratively with our suppliers across our supply chains becomes imperative in realising a sustainable future for Essex residents by using procurement as a force for good and a tool for making a difference in our local communities and beyond.

This is Jazz's innovative initiative to switch 1,000 network locations to solar power using a deferred capex model. This first-of-its-kind large-scale solarisation in Pakistan's telecom sector addresses rising energy costs, environmental challenges and power outages. The project aims to save USD $8.5M annually, reduce carbon emissions by 27,340 tonness and generate 14 million kWh of clean energy. It employs smart power solutions, innovative monopole structures and local currency financing to ensure cost efficiency and sustainability, setting a benchmark for green energy adoption in telecom. The project is expected to be completed in eight months.

National Highways (NH) has a publicly stated commitment to plant an additional three million trees by 2030. This commitment required sourcing an unprecedented number of trees for us, and working in uncharted territory. Through our procurement approaches, this ambitious tree-planting project provides a sustainable legacy of newly established trees that bring environmental, ecological and community benefits while maximising the wider benefits as well. Procuring and working with SMEs and community organisations has unlocked a wealth of sustainable environmental, community and social value benefits too.

At Nestlé UK & Ireland, fresh milk represents their largest locally sourced raw material, integral to iconic brands such as KITKAT and Nescafé Frothy Coffee. The Regenerative Milk Plan, a game-changing project, successfully meets 100% of the demand for these brands, showcasing Nestlé's commitment to sustainable sourcing. This submission demonstrates the long-term commitment, innovative strategies and significant positive impact of the Nestlé and First Milk Partnership, making it a strong contender for the Best Sustainable Procurement Project of the Year Award. The project aligns with CIPS's goal to recognise excellence in procurement and supply chain management.

This project focuses on delivering supply chain decarbonisation at pace, breaking the link between increased spending and rising emissions by:
 – Leading Scope 3 reduction efforts from a position of maximum leverage through procurement
 – Integrating emission reduction into procurement processes with targeted contract terms
 – Taking a dynamic view of Scope 3 emissions by modelling future outcomes
 – Engaging both historically important suppliers and those identified as future priorities through modelling
 – Making Scope 3 impacts a routine business planning consideration
 – Collaborating to reduce supplier burden, maximise influence and enhance their capabilities
 – Introducing practices that accelerate the journey to Net Zero goals

VEON is a NASDAQ-listed global digital operator serving nearly 160 million customers. Beeline Kazakhstan, a VEON operating company founded in 1998, is the leading digital telecom operator in Kazakhstan, offering mobile and fixed telephony, data transmission, IoT solutions and digital financial services. The DO1440 Led Robotic Process Automation initiative within procurement aligns with VEON's objectives, incorporating cutting-edge technologies to boost productivity and yield cost savings. This project supports VEON's strategic initiatives directed at pperating companies by emphasizing strategic sourcing, and contributing to the digital advancement of Beeline Kazakhstan, VEON Group.

bp’s Procurement Digital Garage is a small team of people, conducting rapid small-scale pilots to explore emerging technologies that might provide a solution for existing procurement challenges. In doing so the garage also develops a fact-based understanding of the technology’s ROI potential (or lack thereof).

Experian’s global procurement operation spans across 39 countries engaging approximately 24,000 vendors, with an annual expenditure of around $3B. Our digital procurement transformation showcases innovation and efficiency through strategic use of digital technology, benefiting our business and suppliers. By adopting advanced AI solutions and intelligent automation, the team embedded a culture of continuous innovation. Key achievements include migrating to an AI-powered contract management system, automating several business-as-usual processes, launching a generative AI chatbot to assist with queries, enhancing performance monitoring, increasing compliance, and partnering with Blue Optima to improve productivity and quality metrics across our global software development resources.

The Cabinet Office partnered with Goaco to improve the Find a Tender service, delivering at pace a new central digital platform for UK public sector procurement. This new, innovative, user-centred platform simplifies supplier engagement, improves transparency and reduces procurement cycle times. Delivered through exceptional cross-functional collaboration between Cabinet Office, Goaco, hundreds of stakeholders and users, the service already supports over 2,200 contracting authorities, 18,000 suppliers and 30,000 users, helping to modernise £300B worth of UK public sector procurement annually. It marks a critical first step in transforming and future-proofing UK public sector procurement with enhanced digital capability.

HL Display, a global leader in store merchandising solutions, partnered with Kodiak Hub to transform its supplier relationship management (SRM) processes. Facing inefficiencies from manual workflows and decentralised supplier data, HL Display implemented Kodiak Hub’s strategic SRM platform to streamline supplier self-assessments, enhance compliance tracking and improve risk visibility. By centralising supplier data and automating compliance workflows, HL Display reduced assessment completion time from 8-10 months to just three weeks. This digital transformation has empowered HL Display’s procurement team with greater efficiency, transparency and strategic supplier engagement, setting a new standard for proactive supplier management.

MTN, a South African telecommunications company, has a multi-billion annual spend across its 17+ operating companies. With 20,000+ suppliers and 10+ ERP systems, MTN wanted its digital procurement transformation to align with overall procurement transformation strategy to bring actionable insights. MTN developed a neural engine for procurement by using machine learning. The neural engine is an ensemble of algorithms that leverages data from various tools and brings together one view for the whole organisation. Aptly named as Procurement Excellence 360 (Px360), the central procurement intelligence platform focuses on three principles:
 – Sourcing intelligence
 – Supplier governance
 – Knowledge library

With a large catalogue of purchased materials and finished products sold, Premier Foods teams wanted to work cross-functionally amongst procurement and sales to transform the way we present our cost forecasts. We exploited multiple business intelligence, data analytics and planning tools to create a forecasting approach in which the Procurement Team can plan, review and present the data. This is then transformed using a sophisticated allocation-based model from a commodity input-led view into a product/brand output-led view to enable the Sales Team to review and utilise the outputs in their strategic pricing and investment decisions.

Resolutiion partnered with a leading U.S. technology company to manage supplier disputes and support internal teams with conflict strategy. Facing delivery issues, performance breakdowns and rising tensions across its supplier environment, the organisation needed a rapid solution. Resolutiion’s AI-native platform identified early signs of conflict, guided resolution and empowered the leadership team with real-time, strategic support. By combining Agentic AI with expert human insight, the project accelerated issue resolution, improved supplier collaboration and reduced disruption and financial loss. The result: rapid and robust action, stronger relationships and more resilient operations.

Defra has led on a collaboration event with the Future Leaders' programme (FLP). Twenty-five young people visited Defra offices to learn more about a commercial career. The FLP was set with the desire to empower underrepresented young people to discover their ambition and advocate for a more equal and diverse society. It supports these young people in understanding and exploring a career in government commercial by giving them access to leaders and opportunities to explore a government career. The connection with the FLP has been developed by Defra to encourage other government departments and networks to get involved.

Kier Transportation Procurement and Supply Chain Team have taken action to address the advancing skills shortage across the infrastructure sector. With a proactive strategy to develop and retain an inclusive and diverse team, we have seen an increase in attraction and retention rates amongst our employees and a positive impact on how we procure and manage our supply chain. We are able to offer a market-leading approach to supply chain management and leverage strategic supplier relationships. This has also resulted in enhanced collaboration, increased innovation and greater efficiencies for our clients.

bp’s Procurement Accelerator Skills framework embeds eight future-focused capabilities into the heart of what it means to be in procurement and be relevant to our business. A clear frame, alongside blended learning and connection opportunities, has empowered teams with critical skills such as digital fluency, commercial acumen and transformation. Strong executive endorsement has reinforced strategic importance, driving over 80% engagement alongside record cost reduction and procurement ROI. Integrated into onboarding, recruitment and recognition, this initiative ensures long-term capability building, positioning procurement as a key business enabler. More than a training program, it is a cultural shift shaping procurement’s and bp’s future.

The Procurement Act 2023 will improve the way public procurement is regulated and support the government’s goal to speed up and simplify procurement processes. It aims to spotlight value for money and maximise opportunities for small businesses, charities and social enterprises to innovate in public service delivery. To successfully deliver this, the Transforming Public Procurement Design and Development Team created a learning package which has supported thousands of procurement professionals to develop the knowledge, skills, understanding and confidence to operate effectively within the new public procurement regime – driving increased value for money and social value for the taxpayer.

With the revival of the British nuclear industry and the associated skills gap impacting the market, the HPC Supply Chain Team recognised the need to create a bespoke People Strategy in order to attract, develop and retain nuclear supply chain professionals. We are setting the standard for excellence in procurement and supply within the nuclear Industry and our trailblazing People Strategy is the vehicle for success. Our mission is to be the employer of choice, attracting and retaining exceptional talent, by changing up the way we recruit and develop our employees. Alongside this we have reset our procurement function too.

Developing our people. Dialling up capability. Fit for the future. Lloyds Banking Group is going through one of the biggest transformations in UK banking, including “changing how we operate.”

Three people deliverables have transformed Group Sourcing & Supplier Management’s talent proposition:
 – Investment in people skills and competencies
 – Attracting and developing emerging talent into undergraduate and graduate roles
 – Building a pipeline of talent from colleagues across the Group

This people development evolution engages colleagues, develops the right skills and competencies, fosters the next generation of talent and mitigates losing great people – all making us fit for the future.

The Negotiation Excellence programme aimed to upskill our teams and transform the effectiveness of our negotiating capabilities. We needed to accelerate and improve negotiation outcomes, reduce value leakage and create a “value hungry” culture to combat significant resource challenges. The pandemic hit Rolls-Royce hard, forcing significant headcount reductions in procurement and causing significant supplier disruption. Negotiations became reactive and inconsistently managed. Supplier knowledge often left with ex-employees. Reverting to pre-pandemic resources wasn’t possible, so our more compact procurement function needed to work smarter with consistently applied processes, frameworks, training and intelligence – hence why the Negotiation Excellence Programme was born.

SABIC Global Procurement has achieved many successes across its strategy and on its transformational journey to be at first quartile in efficiency, performance and value added. Human capital remains a strategic foundation, allowing us to thrive, lead and deliver, and overcome any obstacles. We remain certain that our talented Procurement Team are enabled to meet our business needs. Investing in human capital is crucial for growth and leads to increased innovation, social wellbeing, equality and productivity, and improves rates of participation at overall strategic initiatives.

Severn Trent is embarking on a period of significant new investment, generating growth in demand for the strategic skills of our Commercial Team and requiring us to consider how we grow influencing and engagement skills at all levels. Developed with the Severn Trent Academy, The Procurement Personal Effectiveness Programme (PEPP) focusses on helping our people to grow their self-belief and become more resilient to change, more self-confident to integrate with business/project strategies, and more self-sufficient to manage upwards. PEPP is a six month programme combining in-person learning, on-job coaching and peer to peer support.

Convatec Strategic Business Plan aims to drive growth by improving efficiency, reducing costs and optimising operations. The objectives are to achieve a mid-20% operating profit margin by 2026-27, lower G&A costs and enhance gross margins. Procurement was identified as a key enabler, and ambitious cost savings targets were defined across the organisation. Just for Operations (Manufacturing), the goal was to achieve $3M in annualised savings, balancing quick wins with sustainable, recurring savings. Convatec wanted to assess external spend, analyse costs, engage stakeholders, identify savings opportunities and define the related procurement strategy and implement it quickly.

Not addressing supply chain emissions means that telecommunications operators (telcos) face very real impacts on the cost of capital. In addressing Scope 3 supply chain emissions, telcos have to influence suppliers who are some of the world’s biggest companies with strong supplier power. The challenge is, how do you engage with these suppliers when you have little buyer power, and the engagement will take a lot of effort and cost, not to mention expertise, to gain commitment from suppliers and drive emissions reduction. The project set up a collaborative initiative across the customer base to engage the suppliers and meet this challenge.

This project, delivered by ERA Group, set out to address two core issues: low recycling rates and high waste management costs across the estate. Despite sustainability being a priority at board level, frontline practices were not aligned. There was also no documented plan for performance improvement, and sustainability goals were not cascaded effectively to store level. This resulted in limited engagement from operational staff, who lacked both visibility of performance and clarity on expectations. The disconnect between strategic ambition and operational execution created a waste system that was both environmentally and financially unsustainable.

Bayer, a global pharmaceuticals leader, wanted to cut costs, improve operational efficiency and drive sustainability at two sites. At Dormagen in Germany, Bayer sought to switch from new pallets made of virgin timber to second-hand pallets. At the production plant in Nigel in South Africa, the focus was on speeding up the bag filling process. To address both needs, the Fortune Global 500 company partnered with GEP, a global procurement and supply chain solutions provider. The goals:
 – In Dormagen, use second-hand pallets without disrupting operations and compromising on quality
 – In Nigel, implement a more cost-effective bagging solution.

The project had to balance sustainable cost management and procurement efficiency in an inflationary market context. Stakeholder engagement was essential to implement change and secure buy-in from key functions to champion improvements. Repositioning procurement as an enabler rather than a barrier was a crucial goal, especially in some categories where operational teams previously operated autonomously, with no procurement involvement. To ensure long-lasting improvements, Barchester needed better data transparency, clear procurement processes and stronger supplier controls. Building a strategic Procurement Team to support broader business needs was key, requiring extensive training and embedding learnings to guarantee success way beyond Procure4’s involvement.

Yodel’s procurement function faced a series of challenges that hindered its ability to drive strategic value for the business. Historically, procurement operated in a highly reactive environment, where supplier relationships were fragmented and processes lacked standardisation. The Procurement Team was also under-resourced and lacked the necessary skills to deliver strategic outcomes. Additionally, Yodel struggled to build strategic partnerships with key suppliers, often being viewed as a “leveraged client” rather than a proactive partner. This prevented Yodel from leveraging its buying power effectively. These issues created significant barriers to cost control, supplier management and overall business agility.

Beeline Kazakhstan is part of VEON Group, a global digital operator headquartered in Dubai providing converged connectivity services to over 160 million customers in six markets. In 2023, our organization embarked on a transformative journey following an internal study that revealed our contracted prices and terms for strategic projects ranked least favorable within VEON Group. In reaction to this study, Beeline Kazakhstan created a new procurement strategy in 2024 and re-initiated tenders for all strategic domains. Leveraging on reverse auctions, we significantly outperformed targets to achieve up to 73% saving and set new price benchmarking standards for VEON Group.

The media industry’s complex, highly siloed and fast-paced environment makes procurement challenging. Mandated process and controls are difficult to implement, and with tight margins, a limited budget and minimal procurement and legal resource, Dentsu’s Procurement Team faced significant headwinds. Despite these obstacles, in just 12 months, they increased spend under management by 23%, delivered 7% cost savings and embedded robust supplier due diligence and sustainability practices. More broadly, the team’s overall remit has expanded eightfold, demonstrating their resilience, credibility and sustained commitment to delivering value. The team’s achievements are testament to perseverance, credibility and a thriving team culture.

At Etihad Airways, procurement is a strategic function with significant influence on corporate decision-making. Led by Cassie Mackie, the department plays a crucial role in driving financial performance and operational excellence. The team is structured to align closely with key business units, providing valuable input across all operations. Procurement's value proposition extends beyond cost savings, encompassing revenue enhancement, risk management and competitive advantage. Cassie’s remit includes informing business strategy, leading high-stakes negotiations and spearheading digital transformation initiatives. This strategic positioning ensures procurement is a key contributor to Etihad's success, with Cassie's insights regularly shaping critical business decisions.

After a significant update of working practices in procurement at Unibake, the team was under a lot of pressure to deliver on some big promises. Not only did they achieve this but exceeded expectations in many areas. Some of their achievements have been:
 – Over 500 suppliers risk assessed for supply, financial and ethical risks
 – 87% high/medium risk suppliers with documented, signed contracts (up from 11% in 2023)
 – Savings delivery increased from 108MSEK to 175MSEK
 – Procurement was the biggest contributor to Unibake's profitability in 2024
 – Widespread recognition of procurement value add, above and beyond financial

As MTN Group enters the second year of implementing our Agile Procurement Operating Model refresh, the transformation strategy comprises several key components:
 – Redesigning our procurement operating model to enhance its agility and ensure it meets future business needs
 – Amplifying cost-saving initiatives and bolstering EBITDA contributions to the business
 – Integrating AI and machine learning into our sourcing and supply chain management to enable informed, data-driven decisions
 – Implementing a sustainable sourcing strategy aimed at reducing Scope 3 emissions
 – Developing and enhancing the skills of our workforce to align with the new agile operating model

National Grid’s Global Procurement Team has undergone a major evolution, growing not only in scale but in influence, capability and strategic impact. Today, procurement sits at the heart of National Grid’s operations, enabling over £12B of investment annually across the UK and US. Through a relentless focus on culture, capability and collaboration, we have redefined our role from a “strong but steady” function to a trusted strategic business partner. Our achievements span savings, resilience, innovation and sustainability, supported by strong internal and external recognition. The Procurement Team’s contribution is now critical to delivering National Grid’s Net Zero ambition.

The Phillips Medisize Global Innovation & Development-UK Procurement Team has been instrumental in expanding the portfolio of inhalation drug devices and solutions for pharmaceutical customers. Their cross-functional collaboration, personal resilience and reputation for exceeding expectations have enhanced the value proposition and innovative capabilities of the organisation. The team's approach and insight towards new categories and rapid integration into the broader business has been remarkable. Achieving financial performance is noteworthy, but doing so amidst economic challenges and business integration is exceptional. The company culture has provided a platform for the team to perform at their best, benefiting its organisation and customers.

Over the past three years, the British Red Cross Corporate Procurement Team has gone through a significant transformation, from a small process-heavy function into a confident, values-led strategic partner. By investing in people, streamlining our approach, upskilling the wider organisation and championing smarter ways of working, we’ve driven up compliance, reduced risk and delivered tangible value. In a tough financial climate for charities, we’re making every penny work harder – directly supporting the organisation’s humanitarian mission.

Byoma’s Procurement Team has expanded from one to four people over the last 16 months, leading end-to-end procurement for a $200M business. Through innovative, self-built tools and agile processes, delivering over $1M in savings, reducing stockouts and eliminating airfreight for core lines, the business has grown exponentially. Proactive supplier management – built on trust, adaptability and collaboration – enables flexibility throughout the supply chain. There is an emphasis on sustainable, localised sourcing and reshoring major projects to UK partners. Recognised by the C-Suite as strategic problem-solvers, the team consistently exceed expectations, delivering impact and innovation far beyond their size.

In under two years, Pragmatic Semiconductor's Procurement Team has evolved into a high-performing strategic partner. The team of five introduced governance, risk management and supplier relationship frameworks, playing a central role in major business initiatives including the successful delivery of a new semiconductor fab and capacity expansion plans. Pragmatic Park is the UK’s first 300mm semiconductor manufacturing site, set to become the largest by wafer volume by late 2025. Procurement's influence extends across sustainability, compliance and corporate strategy. Recognised internally for excellence and impact, the team has transformed procurement into a value-driving capability, supporting ambitious growth plans and long-term success.

At the forefront of shaping the future of digital defence, intelligence and national security, Roke has revolutionised its supply chain function, transforming it into a strategic, high-impact capability. Through a business partnering approach and a culture of continuous improvement, the team has embedded earlier engagement, upskilled its people and streamlined processes. These efforts have driven cost savings, enhanced stakeholder satisfaction by 41% and secured a more prominent leadership role. Now a driving force in Roke’s success, the team remains committed to innovation, efficiency and excellence to support Roke’s critical mission.

Seven Force Commercial Services provides commercial and procurement services to seven Police Forces across the eastern region; Essex, Kent, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Our aim is to use the collaborative buying power of our forces to obtain better value for money from our contracts, enhancing inter-operability and efficiency across the wider police service, promoting innovation and technological solutions for modern-day policing. Aligned with national initiatives, yet providing support for victims of crime at the local level, this high-quality, value for money supply chain increases social value benefits.

In response to global supply chain shocks such as COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, The Global Supply Chains Intelligence Programme (GSCIP) was established in May 2021. Led by the Department for Business and Trade and used through partnership with other government organisations such as MoD, FCDO, CCS and NHS Supply Chain, GSCIP is transforming government understanding of supply chains through big data and AI. GSCIP is a pioneering initiative that integrates commercial and government data to provide new insights into supply chain risks and opportunities, through applying advanced data science techniques, thereby shaping strategic government policy and operational priorities.

The New Hospital Programme (NHP) is a long-term investment initiative, increasing up to £15B over each five-year wave, to deliver modern hospital infrastructure nationwide. In January 2025, Mace and Turner & Townsend were appointed as the Programme Delivery Partner to support the rollout of the standardised “Hospital 2.0” model and prioritise the replacement of RAAC-affected buildings. The procurement was praised by stakeholders and ministers as exemplary, and was completed to tight timescales amid political change. It demonstrated innovation across procurement, commercial strategy, social value and stakeholder engagement – delivering best practice, particularly in conflict of interest management and strategic resilience.

The Driving Spending Efficiency in KSA’s Government Fleet project, led by EXPRO, aimed to enhance the efficiency of vehicle procurement and fleet management across 600+ Saudi Arabia government entities. By implementing a comprehensive national fleet policy, developing technical decision-support tools and launching national framework agreements, EXPRO successfully enhanced the procurement process, achieving up to 32% savings in the total annual spend on the government fleet, along with 18% reduction in fuel expenses. This initiative promotes better resource allocation, greater transparency and improved decision-making, resulting in a more cost-effective and sustainable government fleet practices.

London Stadium, built for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is now home to West Ham United and hosts various sports and arts events. As a publicly funded entity under the Greater London Authority, sustainability is essential, aligning with the Mayor of London's 2030 Net Carbon Zero vision. The Solar Membrane Project, funded by the Mayor's Green Finance Fund, is a key initiative. This £4.35M project will help the stadium save over 200 tonnes of carbon emissions annually and generate 10% of its electricity, supporting London's transition to Net Zero and showcasing the city's commitment to environmental sustainability.

Faced with declining recruitment numbers, evolving candidate expectations and outdated legacy systems, the Ministry of Defence embarked on a bold programme to reimagine how the UK armed forces engage, attract and enlist talent. The Armed Forces Recruitment Programme is a joint industry-military partnership that provides unified tri-service recruitment for the UK armed forces for the first time in history. A nine-year, £1.3B contract was awarded on schedule and within the forecast financial envelope which, through a world-leading, collaborative procurement model and the exploitation of technology and automation, will speed up recruitment, attract the best talent and boost national security.

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) might be a small organisation, but the Procurement Act 2023 still has a significant impact. To ensure readiness, the team pressed the reset button. While delivering innovative tools and learning on the act, they went back to basics, delivering key commercial messages and inspiring colleagues at all levels to engage and recognise the value of commercial. This collaborative project combined technical knowledge with soft skills, finding the sweet spot between passion and pragmatic legal acumen. Ultimately, it has earned the attention and respect of an organisation, successfully transforming the cultural landscape of commercial at TPR.

TfL has launched a game-changing procurement to unlock the full potential of its advertising estate, targeting £2.4B in future revenue. This initiative is already transforming how TfL maximises its assets, with digital upgrades and energy-efficient infrastructure being rolled out this year. By encouraging innovation and boosting competition, the approach is strengthening supplier partnerships and creating local jobs and apprenticeships. It’s more than just financial success – this bold move is driving sustainable growth and setting a new standard for public sector contracts. It’s a significant contribution to funding the continued evolution of London’s transport network.

The Tenders Prequalification Gatepass offers a prime example of how procurement teams can adeptly navigate the challenges and opportunities within the public sector, transforming obstacles into remarkable success stories. This initiative provides a thorough guideline for minimising risks, improving quality, reducing cost and increasing customer satisfaction. The Tenders Prequalification Gatepass Project not only surpassed our overall goals but also gained widespread attention, inspiring other organisations to adopt its model.

Alba Rodriguez joined Costa Coffee during a team restructure in 2023. With a mostly new team, she saw an opportunity to reset Costa's approach to sustainability. Alba led the creation of a four-pillar strategy, aligning direct and indirect teams and embedding sustainability into supplier audits, carbon tracking and innovation. She is a Mental Health First Aider and part of Costa’s Diversity & Inclusion network. After joining the Nudge Global Impact Challenge in 2021, Alba became a mentor in 2022, supporting future sustainability leaders. Originally from Spain, Alba built her career in the UK, always driven by the belief that procurement drives real change.

Jenna Sherratt is a dedicated leader in sustainable procurement at Manchester Airports Group (MAG). She drives the integration of MAG’s CSR strategy into procurement through a robust ESG programme, focusing on managing ESG risks across the supply chain. Jenna led the rollout of a third-party sustainability management system, significantly boosting supply chain transparency and accountability. Her efforts have inspired other departments to adopt similar practices. Jenna also champions labour and human rights as a Modern Slavery Champion. Her ethical mindset and results-driven approach have positioned procurement as a key driver of sustainability at MAG.

Matriarch is Pakistan’s pioneering platform dedicated to advancing procurement, supply chain and enterprise development through recognized education, strategic capacity building and inclusive industrial linkages. Founded by Sahar Malik, a leader in value chain consultancy and women’s empowerment, Matriarch bridges the gap between academic knowledge and practical business skills. As the first Authorized CIPS Study & Exams Centre in Pakistan, Matriarch equips women entrepreneurs, SMEs and procurement professionals with accredited qualifications from CIPS and ITC. Through training, advocacy and consulting, Matriarch transforms procurement into a space where women lead decisively, businesses thrive and Pakistan achieves sustainable, inclusive growth.

As a Category Manager for Corporate Services at Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH), Adam Bevan increased savings delivery from £50K to £2.2M over three years and embedded sustainable procurement practices. From October 2025, as Senior Sustainability & Supplier Engagement Manager, he led the development of a Supplier and Contract Management system, creating the 2030 Sustainable Action Plan and automating processes for substantial savings. His work has created MTVH’s sustainability objectives, driving financial success while prioritising innovation and sustainability. Adam aims to inspire the next generation of procurement professionals by promoting diversity, fostering cross-functional collaboration and making a tangible impact on MTVH communities.

Aimee Coutts is a rising star in Supplier Management, showcasing exceptional commitment, resilience and leadership. She successfully achieved the CertRBCB qualification and accomplished a Level 5 Financial Services Apprenticeship while working full-time. Transitioning from PA to Supplier Management, Aimee strongly exhibited her transferrable skills; achieved World Commerce and Contracting accreditation swiftly; led a Technology Capability Build workstream for 52 Supplier Managers; and managed critical supplier relationships. Aimee’s rapid progression highlights her adaptability, continuous professional growth and the ability to inspire colleagues, making her a strong candidate for the Young Talent Award while demonstrating her potential as a future leader.

Amy Gill delivers complex propositional programmes in the financial sector as a Procurement Manager at Nationwide. Her activity is key to enabling customer propositions, such as mortgage distribution, and contributes direct income generation via insurance propositions. Amy is integral in driving the Responsible Business agenda within procurement, especially in relation to our upstream Scope 3 science-based target. Completing CIPS Level 4 and 5, and being on track to achieve MCIPS during 2025, reflects Amy's ambition for professional growth and dedication to the procurement profession. Amy leads by example, as demonstrated in her support of the Procurement Summer Internship programme in 2024.

Daniel Randall isn't your ordinary young procurement professional. He's a sixth form drop out who couldn't read his first Biff and Chip book until the age of 10, struggling with dyslexia as a neurodivergent individual. Now at only 24, Daniel has rapidly established himself as a highly effective procurement leader within Coventry Building Society, managing a substantial £38M annual spend. His early achievement of MCIPS at 23 demonstrates a strong foundation of professional competency, further validated by his recognition as a trusted Procurement Manager from board level down. Daniel takes on every challenge with a tenacious mindset delivering procurement principles.

As a Procurement Manager, Lisa Massey exemplifies the CIPS values of ethical leadership, innovation and sustainable practice. Lisa built procurement functions that deliver strategic value, achieving over $1M in savings, reducing environmental impact through reshoring and improving supply continuity through proactive supplier collaboration. Her work at Byoma and Ooni showcases how agile, transparent procurement can drive commercial success and resilience. Lisa has successfully balanced career, study and motherhood, proving that determination and integrity can overcome any challenge. She aims to inspire future procurement leaders, champion inclusive workplaces and raise standards across the profession by driving positive, purpose-led change and challenging unconscious bias.

Matt Lowe is a dedicated professional in the procurement and supply field, recognised for his achievements and commitment to excellence. At 29, he has consistently delivered results that exceed expectations considering his age and experience. Matt's innovative approach, dedication to promoting diversity and ability to drive meaningful change have been acknowledged by his colleagues, who encouraged him to apply for this award. He is passionate about leveraging technology and fostering inclusive cultures to create sustainable value. Matt has successfully completed his CIPS Level 5 and is already halfway through Level 6, aiming to achieve MCIPS by the end of 2025.