There are a number of websites you can access to find contracts, tenders and commissioning opportunities on.  These are:

CSW-Jets – a new electronic commissioning system shared by Solihull, Coventry & Warwickshire Councils.

Also …

Solihull Council – Tenders section for low value tenders not on CSW-Jets.

Solihull for Success – mostly aimed at businesses – goods and services

Contracts

Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group has issued a ‘partner newsletter’ which explains the NHS changes in Solihull to help make things clearer.

You can download the first two issues below:

CCG Issue 1 – July 2012

CCG Issue 2 – August 2012

The new Public Services (Social Value) Bill received Royal Assent on 8 March. The Bill is now an Act of Parliament (law).

NCVO has produced a guide to delivering public services and commissioning entitled “Before signing on the dotted line – all you need to know about procuring public sector contracts”

You can download the guide below or visit NCVO website for more information and detailed guidance.

Before Signing Guide

Below is the key text from the Best Value Statutory Guidance issued by Eric Pickles to Councils.  We have highlighted some key phrases.

Best Value Statutory Guidance
1. Best Value authorities are under a general Duty of Best Value to “make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions are exercised, having regard

Councillor Ken Meeson, Leader of the Council and Phil Mayhew, as Compact Champion have written again to all commissioning staff within Solihull Council “to remind commissioners of the need to work with the voluntary and community sector and to do all that we are able to do to ensure that the sector is informed and

An important bill for ‘not for profit’ voluntary, community & social enterprise organisations is going through the final stages of approval with the hope that it will get Royal Assent sometime early in the New Year.

The new bill:

Places a duty on the Secretary of State to publish a ‘national social enterprise strategy’ to encourage

Watch this space for details of any commissioning opportunities that become available to Third Sector organisations.

In the meantime, you can visit Solihull Council and Care Trust websites to find out what is current. In addition, it is possible to register for alerts directly via Supply2Gov for council contracts and Supply2Health for NHS contracts.