School Supply Services

[switch10]

Has anyone had any dealings with a company called school supply services? http://www.edfirst.co.uk . They contacted me to say there looking for a company with in the gl area to be on there approved school contractor list and they would only have one company with in the gl post code area. This is for private schools, nurseries etc. £200 for the year and apparently all schools etc have to view this list meaning I should allways get work from it.

All seems a bit if a con to me tho and not one for buying work to be honest .

 

[Blue Duck]

Scam!

 

[switch10]

Scam!

Speaking from experience or gut feeling?

 

[Steve3948]

You will be wasting your money and never see a job, anyone who contacts you about paying them to give you work is all based on false promises, don't waste your money. Fact.

 

[kerching]

If they are reputable they will be MORE THAN HAPPY to supply you with a list of happy contacting members

HOWEVER i doubt you will,ever see a list

Tell,them you will,happily give them £200 out of your profits from the jobs WHEN your profit reaches such a level

 

[binky]

defo scam, along with anti-bullying campaigns etc etc. Most schools are through he local council which means you need to register with their local web portal something like 'sell to plymouth' for which you will need CRB checks, CHAS, evidence of registration (not domestic installer as you won't be insured for school work), or have gone acadamy status in which they appoint someone directly. In which case contact them directly.

 

[Andy™]

scam. most public work does go through a scheme as binky says, although some of them can get their own contractors in

i still get emails / letters from the local (genuine) scheme, but i dont work that way. im not paying to be on some list just to be able to quote for work. if anyone wants me to do work, then they have to come directly to me (and some schools do). all the scheme mean is the school etc ends up paying more for the work to be done

 

[Blue Duck]

Speaking from experience or gut feeling?

Like the others have said paying for the promise of work is usually a scam.

Councils usually have their own lists which 3rd party companies will not have access to.

 

[Evans Electric]

Its a Scammeroony  Switch , schools & councils usually compile their own lists of approved contractors , usually NICEIC , with premises etc who have applied to be added to their lists .

The likes of Birmingham have a huge list of builders , electricians etc  and invite quotes from these by rotating the list , so it can be two years before you reach the top again .

Just forget it Switchy  the only winner is the one with your  200   pounds      (  Strange ...the pound sign  comes up as a #   ...and cap lock is off )

 

[switch10]

Cheers all, really what I was thinking but was a new one not been contacted by before so just thought I would check if anyone else has had dealings with them

 

[M107]

I've just called one local company to me that are registered with them & he said stay well clear, no work has been forth coming in the period he has been suckered for.

As for all schools "HAVE"to go through them or view their listing that is out & out bollocks................And if you want death by boredom read on.

First thing to remember is the rules on procurement have recently changed (last March I think) under the need for efficiency of purchasing & procurement.

New EU limits were introduced (for schools it's £172.5K), this sparked off the need for schools & local authority bodies to implement new procurement procedures (we had training on it in April  :z ).

This involves a procurement tree showing lower & upper costing limits & the required procurement methods for each level (make any sense yet.....? I was sort of like  :C  I just install stuff not buy stuff on the training day)

All can still use the framework which is a form of approved contractor list I suppose 

Academy trusts (and any other school) can go to whoever they want & can spend their money however they want; they do how ever have to set up an internal procurement system so (i have it on good authority) most just use the system they had with central government before becoming academy trusts or free schools, they just tweak them here & there.

one trust I do work for has a system where:

• work up to £999 can be undertaken & contracted out to any contractor at Headteachers discretion & on a verbal quotation. Academy will retain written conformation of work request & acceptance of verbal quotation.
• work from £1k up to £4999 can go a chosen local contractor on supplied quotations. If the quote comes in above then the works are stepped up to the next level of procurement.
• work from £5k to £50K  three suppliers/contractors are asked to supply quotations & one is chosen.
• work above £50K goes to tender along with all contractual terms/conditions that are included to three contractors & the trust set up an evaluation committee 
• work above the EU directive go to full tender, where full EU rules apply & the services of a tendering specialist are used.

The schools here that I work at tend to use pro5 or cpc (http://www.pro5.org/servlet/Search   http://www.thecpc.ac.uk/ )for companies & procurement when tendering is required, as it is recommended by the Dept of Ed.

Another schools 2014 procurement policy http://www.seagry.wilts.sch.uk/attachments/Procurement_policy_2014.pdf

Dept of Ed doc for Academy procurement gives loads of details. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/191794/Academies_Procurement_Resource.pdf

Other schools (as in old style state/authority school) can do all the above but can also call on the local authority to supply services. All schools will use the "framework" for larger works or contracts as it takes all the hard work out of looking for suitable contractors.

Some info here https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/342567/Effective_buying_for_your_school_Aug_14.pdf

So if you have bothered to read to the end of the boring bit my advice is (I've done it)

• write a letter of introduction to the head & bursar list a few basic prices below the £1K level for such things as lamp changes P.A.Ting (I know it's ***** but believe me it gets you in the door on small primary schools).
• Find out who the caretaker is & write to him listing your services.
• Offer out of school hours work (the schools I work at love this, to the point I have my own set of keys in the facilities office at one school now).
• Target the secondary Academies as they will take over the smaller local primary schools as feeders (they get more money for the more students they take on, so if they affiliate primary schools they have a captive student source)
• Once your in with a caretaker he will band your name around other schools so be willing to travel.
• Don't turn down any work no matter how small or trivial.
• Keep the prices realistic.
• You don't have to be vat registered.
• Advertise in the school mags/papers (cost me £30 a year) as parents we bin them but to the head teachers they see it as support from a local family company
• Christmas raffles/auctions offer your services as a prize, you get some free advertising to local parents for your support. (I've offered things like two hours free electrical work or a free visual inspection)
• Teachers will start using you for their own home electrical work so don't turn it away.

 

[switch10]

Thanks for that, appreciate you speaking to someone you knew who were using them. Glad I asked this question now

 

[M107]

I didn't know the fella but I knew his company was local to me so just rang him on the number given on the edfirst website...............nice bloke was waiting for his turn on the golf course, so spared a few mins for a chat, his words "******* **** don't bother with them, I've never had a call from a school yet"

 

[Blue Duck]

<p>

I've just called one local company to me that are registered with them & he said stay well clear, no work has been forth coming in the period he has been suckered for.

As for all schools "HAVE"to go through them or view their listing that is out & out bollocks................And if you want death by boredom read on.

First thing to remember is the rules on procurement have recently changed (last March I think) under the need for efficiency of purchasing & procurement.

New EU limits were introduced (for schools it's £172.5K), this sparked off the need for schools & local authority bodies to implement new procurement procedures (we had training on it in April :z ).

This involves a procurement tree showing lower & upper costing limits & the required procurement methods for each level (make any sense yet.....? I was sort of like :C I just install stuff not buy stuff on the training day)

All can still use the framework which is a form of approved contractor list I suppose

Academy trusts (and any other school) can go to whoever they want & can spend their money however they want; they do how ever have to set up an internal procurement system so (i have it on good authority) most just use the system they had with central government before becoming academy trusts or free schools, they just tweak them here & there.

one trust I do work for has a system where:

• work up to £999 can be undertaken & contracted out to any contractor at Headteachers discretion & on a verbal quotation. Academy will retain written conformation of work request & acceptance of verbal quotation.
• work from £1k up to £4999 can go a chosen local contractor on supplied quotations. If the quote comes in above then the works are stepped up to the next level of procurement.
• work from £5k to £50K three suppliers/contractors are asked to supply quotations & one is chosen.
• work above £50K goes to tender along with all contractual terms/conditions that are included to three contractors & the trust set up an evaluation committee
• work above the EU directive go to full tender, where full EU rules apply & the services of a tendering specialist are used.

The schools here that I work at tend to use pro5 or cpc (http://www.pro5.org/servlet/Search http://www.thecpc.ac.uk/ )for companies & procurement when tendering is required, as it is recommended by the Dept of Ed. Another schools 2014 procurement policy http://www.seagry.wilts.sch.uk/attachments/Procurement_policy_2014.pdf

Dept of Ed doc for Academy procurement gives loads of details. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/191794/Academies_Procurement_Resource.pdf

Other schools (as in old style state/authority school) can do all the above but can also call on the local authority to supply services. All schools will use the "framework" for larger works or contracts as it takes all the hard work out of looking for suitable contractors.

Some info here https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/342567/Effective_buying_for_your_school_Aug_14.pdf

So if you have bothered to read to the end of the boring bit my advice is (I've done it)

• write a letter of introduction to the head & bursar list a few basic prices below the £1K level for such things as lamp changes P.A.Ting (I know it's ***** but believe me it gets you in the door on small primary schools).
• Find out who the caretaker is & write to him listing your services.
• Offer out of school hours work (the schools I work at love this, to the point I have my own set of keys in the facilities office at one school now).
• Target the secondary Academies as they will take over the smaller local primary schools as feeders (they get more money for the more students they take on, so if they affiliate primary schools they have a captive student source)
• Once your in with a caretaker he will band your name around other schools so be willing to travel.
• Don't turn down any work no matter how small or trivial.
• Keep the prices realistic.
• You don't have to be vat registered.
• Advertise in the school mags/papers (cost me £30 a year) as parents we bin them but to the head teachers they see it as support from a local family company
• Christmas raffles/auctions offer your services as a prize, you get some free advertising to local parents for your support. (I've offered things like two hours free electrical work or a free visual inspection)
• Teachers will start using you for their own home electrical work so don't turn it away.

Very informative and useful post! Will be gold to the right person

Will scoob when I'm at the computer!

Similar process to the council grant schemes except they tend to lean towards cheap is best