Procurement Consultancy Services

We help contracting authorities and publicly funded charities plan the route to market, publish tender packs that suppliers can price with confidence, run compliant evaluations and manage delivery with evidence. We tailor our work to the procurement rules that apply to your organisation and the contract in question. You can use a single service or ask us to operate as your outsourced Procurement and Contracts Manager. Find answers in our public procurement FAQs.

Procurement Compliance & Governance

Practical procurement compliance and governance for public & third sector buyers. Policies, controls, training, assurance and independent contract administration—aligned to the UK Procurement Act regime, social value and sustainability.

Options Appraisal

Independent options appraisal that compares routes like frameworks, DPS and open procedures, and tests in-house vs outsourced delivery. Evidence based, compliant, and built around social value, sustainability and value for money.

Value for Money Reviews & Benchmarking

Independent value for money reviews, procurement benchmarking and options appraisals for contracting authorities and publicly funded charities. Prepare for retenders, compare insourced and outsourced models, and evidence value, social value and sustainability.

Specification Development & Writing

Clear, enforceable procurement specifications that drive competition, value for money and performance. We develop and write output, performance and prescriptive specs, pricing schedules, KPIs and evaluation criteria that align with the Procurement Act, social value and sustainability.

Supplier Engagement and Performance Management

Practical supplier engagement and performance management for public and third sector buyers. We design SRM and SPM, run independent contract administration, deliver supplier development and make social value and sustainability measurable.

Training & Capacity Building

Practical, bespoke procurement training delivered around your procurement and contract management needs. Built for UK public and third sector teams to strengthen compliance, value for money, social value delivery and supplier performance from planning to contract close.

Procurement Recruitment Consultancy

Bespoke procurement recruitment delivered around your procurement and contract management needs. Permanent, interim and executive search for UK public, third sector and private organisations, with technical assessment, fast shortlists and transparent fees.

Procurement Optimisation

Contract management services for contracting authorities and publicly funded charities. Outsourced contract management, independent contract administration, supplier performance, social value and sustainability reporting, change control and value for money.

How the service set fits your goals

Service category	What it includes	Outcomes you can measure
Procurement consultancy	Planning, options appraisal, route selection, market engagement, tender design	Defendable plan, fewer clarifications, stronger bids
Procurement of consultancy services	Scoping specialist work, outputs and milestones, evaluation and award	The right expertise, clear deliverables, controlled cost
Contract management and administration	KPI frameworks, supplier reviews, action tracking, certification, change control	Better completion rates, faster fixes, clean approvals
Supplier engagement and development	Market mapping, pre-market engagement, onboarding, reporting standards	Better competition, improved service evidence, fewer disputes
Value for money and benchmarking	Spend baselining, peer comparisons, pricing structures, options and business cases	Savings explained, quality maintained, decisions that stand up at audit
Specification development and writing	Site walks, task mapping, pricing schedules, outcome measures	Bids priced on reality, fewer variations, smoother mobilisation
Governance and compliance	Compliance checks, evaluation models, score narratives, publication support	Complete audit trail, standstill ready, reduced risk of challenge
Sustainable procurement	Proportionate CRP requirements, social value measures, reporting design	Practical delivery of carbon and community goals
Training and mentoring	Buyer and evaluator training, contract management skills	Confidence in house, consistent practice across teams
Procurement recruitment	Role design, practical assessments, interim cover	Faster hiring, better fit, continuity of delivery

Our services at a glance

Sourcing and governance
Procurement Consultancy Services • Procurement of Consultancy Services • Procurement Compliance • Procurement Governance • Public Sector Procurement Consultancy • Sustainable Procurement Consultancy
Delivery and performance
Contract Management • Contract Administrator Support • Outsourced Procurement and Contract Management • Supplier Engagement • Supplier Development • Supplier Performance Management • Options Appraisal • Value for Money Reviews • Procurement Benchmarking • Specification Development and Writing • Training and Capacity Building • Procurement Recruitment Consultancy

Industries and specialist areas we support

If you prefer to enter by category, these pages show typical risks, routes and measures for your area.

Industry focus	Start here
Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) procurement	/industries/mro-procurement
Grounds maintenance procurement	/industries/grounds-maintenance-procurement
Facilities management procurement	/industries/facilities-management-procurement
Construction procurement	/industries/construction-procurement
IT procurement	/industries/it-procurement
Waste management procurement	/industries/waste-management-procurement
Catering procurement	/industries/catering-procurement
Cleaning and janitorial procurement	/industries/cleaning-janitorial-procurement
Energy and utilities procurement	/industries/energy-utilities-procurement
Transport and fleet procurement	/industries/transport-fleet-procurement
Security services procurement	/industries/security-services-procurement
Professional services procurement	/industries/professional-services-procurement
Health and social care procurement	/industries/health-social-care-procurement
FF&E procurement	/industries/ffe-procurement
Office supplies and printing procurement	/industries/office-supplies-printing-procurement
Education and learning resources procurement	/industries/education-learning-resources-procurement
Building compliance and statutory testing procurement	/industries/building-compliance-procurement
Cleaning and hygiene supplies procurement	/industries/cleaning-hygiene-supplies-procurement
Insurance procurement	/industries/insurance-procurement

Questions we are often asked

Can you draft a publish-ready tender pack and specification

Yes. We write specifications from site walks and data, create pricing schedules, set the evaluation model and deliver a pack your team can issue.

Do you provide independent evaluation moderation

Yes. We run the timetable, chair moderation, record rationales and produce complete score sheets and standstill content.

Can you run everything as an outsourced service

Yes. Many clients appoint us as the outsourced Procurement and Contracts Manager. We plan, publish, evaluate, mobilise and manage performance with a single monthly report.

How do you evidence value for money

We baseline spend and output, benchmark against peers, test options and quantify impacts. Benefits tracking is built into the contract management framework.

What is included in contract administration

Records, progress checks, payment certification and change control. We align evidence to the contract so approvals are clean.

Do you support supplier development

Yes. We set reporting standards, help providers implement them and coach both sides so reviews focus on actions. This helps SMEs compete and deliver.

How do you ensure compliance with the Procurement Act 2023

Short planning notes, proportionate routes, timely notices and complete records. Evaluation models and narratives are coherent before publication. Direct awards are justified with a transparency notice.

How quickly can you start

We begin with a short discovery that sets scope and a timetable. For urgent requirements we prioritise the tender pack and evaluation plan, then build the wider framework during the process.

Ready to talk

If you need support with a live procurement, a contract that needs attention or a value for money review, we can help.

Call 01204 238 046
Email hello@thorntonandlowe.com

Request a free consultation and we will agree the next step.