More news08 January 2008 | Jake Kanter
Whitehall buyers should increase their use of e-auctions, according to procurement minister Angela Eagle.
Eagle attended an e-auction organised by OGC's Collaborative Procurement Directorate, where 24 organisations from across the public sector joined together to secure IT hardware.
Speaking afterwards, she said: "I'm calling on all departments and agencies to look at how they might use e-auctions as part of their procurement strategy and how they can make even greater value-for-money savings by joining up with other organisations to buy collectively."
The auction was the eighth collaboration organised by the OGC and comes after a 2007 spending review revealed the government will have to meet tighter budgets in the new year. Eagle admitted "innovation in the way the government buys goods and services is key in securing value for money."
The IT hardware secured by the organisations had originally been valued at £13.7 million but following the e-auction this was reduced by £5.2 million. It is anticipated that with continued success, the OGC will run further e-auctions for the public sector.
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