Best ways to use YPO frameworks in the public sector

YPO stands for Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation. They were established in 1974 as a collaboration of local authorities to better leverage their purchasing power and economies of scale to get the most value for money possible, ensuring they could do the most good for the people in their area.

Over the years they have grown to become one of the UK's largest public sector procurement organisations, specialising in serving local authorities, schools, emergency services, and other publicly funded bodies across England, Wales, and Scotland.

Key facts about YPO:

• 100% publicly owned by 13 local authorities, meaning profits are returned to public sector customers to deliver better services at improved value
• National reach with over 30,000 customers across the UK
• Over 100 compliant frameworks 
• 50+ years of procurement expertise supporting public sector buying
• Primary aim is to streamline procurement processes, save costs, and ensure regulatory compliance
• Compliant routes to market through pre-approved framework agreements with vetted suppliers

YPO operates as a trusted procurement partner, creating solutions that allow customers to access goods and services more efficiently and safely through established framework agreements.

Framework agreements are procurement tools designed to simplify and streamline the buying process whilst ensuring compliance with procurement regulations (now consolidated under the Procurement Act 2023).

How frameworks work:

• Create an umbrella agreement between customers and suppliers
• Provide a legally compliant route to market with pre-approved suppliers
• All suppliers undergo rigorous screening to demonstrate capability, experience, competence, and value
• Customers can "call-off" from frameworks through direct award or further competition (mini-competition)
• Standard terms and conditions available, with dedicated YPO support throughout the process

This comprehensive framework provides software application solutions across a range of functions for the public sector. The Access Group is listed on both Lot 11 - Vendor Management Systems, and Lot 12 – Health and Social Care Systems, which includes Access Adam, our care commissioning platform designed to streamline adult social care procurement and provider management.

Lot 11 covers Access Synergy, our education management system that links educational institutions with child services. Lot 12 covers far more: Mosaic, Core+, Assure, CM, PAMMS, and of course Adam.

• Mosaic: The only online digital system providing adult and children's social care case management and finance in one platform.
• Core+: A fully web-based, single database solution for Integrated Youth Support.
• Assure: Our technology-enabled care solution. It combines a proactive, preventative approach with a reactive alarm safety net; physical devices to help with day-to-day independence, and data analytics to flag when something is wrong with a client and to get them help.
• CM: Our care management module, delivering real-time care monitoring, mobile monitoring (CM mobile), scheduling, invoice & payroll, outcomes measurement, and business intelligence reporting.
• PAMMS: Our Provider Assessment and Market Management Solution, designed for data collection, analysis and reporting. This helps predict demand, manage quality, and enables better commissioning.
• Adam: A  web-based platform consolidating all processes from provider onboarding through to contracting and payments, significantly reducing the administrative burden for local authorities. Its integration and automation then frees staff up for strategic commissioning, rather than performing administrative tasks.

The 1095 framework offers flexible procurement options. Local authorities can direct award to Access products within the framework or further explore the market. Multi-lot call-offs are permissible, enabling you to combine two or more lots and meet multiple software needs through a single procurement exercise, reducing both time and procurement costs.

Danny Ridley and Robin Budd from The Access Group recently sat down with Zoe Morgan Kriek, Category Buyer – ICT at YPO, to discuss how the 1095 framework operates and what the procurement process looks like for customers.

This fourth-generation framework goes beyond technology access to deliver operational automation and streamlined processes that create genuine efficiencies for public sector organisations. The framework covers any area of spend within public sector or health settings, including health and social care, transport, housing, and construction categories.

The Access Group is the single provider on this framework, which means you can direct award to us without running any further procurement or competition. This significantly reduces the time and resource required to implement Access Adam and start realising benefits immediately.

Access Adam offers compliant procurement solutions that adapt to multiple contracting methods including frameworks and zoning arrangements, providing the flexibility different authorities need. The solution is fully integrated and aligns with the CQC regulations, reducing compliance risks for organisations whilst improving efficiency through consolidated market engagement.

The collaborative platform enables shared provider bases across organisations, giving you enhanced control and oversight of market share and provider performance. Access actively engages with providers throughout the process, ensuring they understand the system and meet requirements, which simplifies onboarding and increases visibility of procurement opportunities for the supply market.

Ben Cater and Maria Booth from The Access Group joined Claire Thornton and Andy Perrins, Category Buyers – Social Care at YPO, to discuss the framework's development and how the procurement process supports customer needs.

Through this partnership, we've helped many local authorities overcome procurement challenges and transition to e-procurement methods with minimal disruption. Councils using our solutions achieve cashable savings through increased competition whilst massively reducing time spent on administrative tasks through automation and centralisation of information.

Most importantly, streamlined procurement processes mean shorter waiting times for residents who need services. The highly flexible commissioning solutions adapt as both support needs and legislative requirements change, ensuring your authority remains compliant and effective.

Through this partnership we have been able to help YPO and their many local authorities overcome the challenges of procurement, and make the transition to e-procurement methods as smooth as possible with minimal disruption and continuous improvement for better outcomes.  

This article has highlighted that through our partnership we have not only be able to help reduce costs significantly as soon as a council uses our solutions, but we have also been able to massively reduce the time spent doing administrative tasks by automating all the process and centralising all the information you need in one place.  

This has allowed our customers to improve the services they procure for their local communities by shortening the procurement process and prevent individuals waiting longer for the services they need. Through working together with YPO, local councils can also benefit from using highly flexible commissioning solutions which can adapt as both support needs and legislation needs change.