CASE STUDY: MTVH fire remediation works framework contract – preliminary market engagement

Start date	1 July 2024
End date	TBA
Contracting organisation	Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH)
Estimated contract value	£250m over 7 years

Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) used the ProcureCo platform to conduct preliminary market engagement for a new upcoming fire remediation works framework contract.  

ProcureCo provided MTVH with a digital preliminary market engagement space where they could interact and communicate with interested suppliers.    

MTVH were able to successfully engage with nearly 50 suppliers experienced in fire safety remediation and compliance with the Building Safety Act (2022) who were interested in fulfilling this contract across London, the South East, and the East Midlands.   

Key benefits of using the ProcureCo platform highlighted by the procurement lead included: 

• minimal resources required for MVTH to move swiftly from issuing the Prior Information Notice (PIN) to engaging with a group of suitable, interested suppliers. 
• document sharing – the ability to share documents and updates with all suppliers in the group feed. 
• offline discussions – the opportunity to engage in private conversations with individual suppliers directly on the platform. 
• the ease of the platform to facilitate preliminary market engagement activity requirements as outlined by the Procurement Act 2023.  

The challenge 

Engaging SMEs 

MTVH wanted to attract and engage new suppliers from across the UK to bid for the future contract, specifically small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a priority for many public sector and social housing buyers.  

SMEs make up nearly 99% of UK businesses and employ over 60% of the workforce, so involving them in procurement supports local economies, social value and the sector’s commitment to economic inclusivity.  

SMEs are often harder for procurement teams to locate and connect with, as they may lack dedicated bid teams and may be less familiar with public sector procurement processes.  

Small business owners typically have fewer resources, making it challenging for them to stay informed about upcoming opportunities or navigate complex procurement systems. 

The preliminary market engagement process 

Running preliminary market engagements can be challenging for contracting organisations due to the time and resources required to manage communication with multiple suppliers.  

Traditionally, procurement teams rely on a manual, email-based process that is highly administrative and can significantly slow down the procurement process, particularly for large-scale preliminary market engagements. 

The MTVH team were looking to improve and simplify the procurement process whilst engaging with suppliers in a meaningful way. One of MTVH’s goals was to facilitate more two-way conversations with suppliers and to incorporate supplier feedback where possible. 

The solution 

ProcureCo facilitated the preliminary market engagement for this contract by establishing a dedicated digital space (a ProcureCo group) where the engagement between buyers and suppliers would take place.  

In the group feed, buyers and suppliers could connect and interact by sharing questions, comments and documents relevant to the future contract.  

The platform enabled Procurement Lead Paul Lopez, MTVH’s Category Manager (Fire Safety & Safer Buildings), to communicate directly with interested suppliers about the contract. Suppliers could join the engagement directly from the prior information notice (PIN) and the process was streamlined from start to finish. 

By conducting this preliminary market engagement on ProcureCo, MTVH was able to: 

• extend supplier reach – ProcureCo connected MTVH with new suppliers they hadn’t engaged with before, including new SMEs that were new to the sector, which broadened their supplier pool and increased diversity 
• cultivate supplier relationships – more meaningful dialogue and efficient communication fostered stronger connections with suppliers 
• increase market influence – MTVH gained a stronger presence in the supplier market through ProcureCo’s network of public-sector-focused suppliers 
• access supplier information in one place – supplier profiles, business types and delivery postcodes were easily viewable, with supplier locations plotted on the interactive map 
• view a list of interested suppliers – MTVH could quickly see which suppliers were engaging with the future contract 
• centralise communication – the digital group served as the focal point for all supplier interactions, replacing traditional email chains and reducing administrative burden 
• streamline the process – from publishing the PIN to supplier engagement, the process was more efficient, saving significant time and resources. 
• ensure transparency – every supplier received the same communication via the group feed, ensuring fairness; and new members could access all past posts to stay up to date 
• maximise the benefits of preliminary market engagement – this less formal dialogue before the contract’s release facilitated buyers and suppliers to learn from each other and gave MTVH a valuable opportunity to refine the contract and optimise the process. 

The impact 

For MTVH, using ProcureCo as a digital solution for preliminary market engagement delivered: 

• engagement with nearly 50 suitable and interested suppliers from across the UK – all experienced in fire safety remediation and compliance with the Building Safety Act (2022)  
• improved two-way communication with suppliers – giving MTVH access to valuable supplier feedback and the opportunity to optimise the procurement process  
• streamlined workflow and increased efficiency – ProcureCo simplified MTVH’s procurement process by automating routine administrative tasks and creating a more efficient workflow 
•  centralised digital workspace – ProcureCo provided a dedicated digital environment for managing the preliminary market engagement that enabled the procurement lead to focus on strategic elements without being distracted by routine tasks 
• enhanced and faster communication channels – ProcureCo’s communication tools offered an alternative to traditional email, allowing the procurement lead to separate preliminary market engagement interactions from daily BAU emails, which reduced clutter and enhanced responsiveness. 
• reassurance that all suppliers were receiving the same information and communications – the centralised digital space enabled MTVH to distribute all documentation and information with an audit trail ensuring that all suppliers received equal and fair treatment  

Following on from the preliminary market engagement, MTVH plans to issue tender documents for this new contract towards the end of 2024. 

Lessons learned 

The ProcureCo platform provided MTVH with a digital space to establish two-way meaningful communication with suppliers during the preliminary engagement process. 

Feedback from colleagues at MTVH has highlighted the opportunity for ProcureCo to take this further and offer the functionality to host virtual preliminary market engagement meetings directly on the platform.  

The ProcureCo team will be looking at this as part of future development plans. 

We used the ProcureCo platform for preliminary market engagement for one of our upcoming contracts and were really pleased with the outcomes. Using ProcureCo ensured minimal resources were required from the issuance of the Prior Information Notice (PIN) to full engagement with suppliers.  We were able to increase our engagement with SMEs, share information easily and gain valuable feedback. 

Paul Lopez, Category Manager (Fire Safety & Safer Buildings) 
Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH)