A new Innovation Procurement System (IPS) has been launched by the Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) in partnership with Crown Commercial Service (CCS).
The platform aims to accelerate the adoption of innovations at a lower cost by creating 'a dynamic route for LCRIG Members to access the market and engage with innovators nationally'.
It will also support access to innovation in categories that are not included in typical sector asset management, technology and highway services frameworks.
LCRIG said that not all categories will be launched at the same time on the IPS platform as it is using an agile approach to adapt the system over time, with new categories added as the system develops.
The IPS was launched with a trial of the Road Surface Innovation Category and Shropshire Council will be the first to trial the platform.
After that, the first category will be fully rolled out, bringing in multiple companies that provide solutions for road surface treatments.
LCRIG chief executive Martin Duffy said: 'It is these attributes that make the IPS stand out over a traditional framework, which once let, locks other potential providers out of that market for a four-year term. We have obtained support from the sector to progress this initiative and we will look to develop it with Shropshire Council and others.'
Sandra Sewell, head of account management at CCS, said: 'By ensuring we have a dynamic, industry-aligned procurement route, we will see the pace of innovation increase and the cost of procurement decrease. We look forward to realising the benefits of this partnership, as we also seek to develop strategic partnerships in other areas to add value to our public sector customers.’
The LCRIG IPS platform can be accessed here.
