On 14 May 2026, the East of England NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub (the Hub) held its first regional Estates Category Forum. The session brought together estates and procurement colleagues from member organisations, responding directly to requests from heads of procurement across the region. It created a dedicated space to share challenges and find practical solutions.
A forum shaped by regional priorities
The forum focused on pressures estates teams are managing right now, where rising costs meet limited routes to act. Discussion centred on:
- fuel surcharge requests and contract implications
- the use and future of computer-aided facilities management (CAFM) systems
- below-threshold works and routes to market
Bringing these conversations together let attendees compare experience and test ideas with colleagues facing the same pressures. This shared insight is helping teams build more consistent approaches across the region.
Creating a shared approach to common challenges
Many teams face these pressures alone, often duplicating effort or reaching different conclusions on similar problems. The forum is closing this gap by supporting:
- shared understanding of regional challenges
- opportunities to collaborate on future procurement activity
- exchange of lessons learnt and best practice
As a result, teams are moving faster, avoiding rework and gaining more confidence in decisions on complex estates requirements.
Supporting faster, compliant routes to market
The session also explored how teams can reach compliant routes to market more quickly. Discussion covered dynamic purchasing systems (DPS), including those run by the NHS London Procurement Partnership (LPP) and the NHS North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative (NOE CPC). These included the LPP Works and Maintenance DPS and the NOE CPC Minor Works, Trades and Associates Services DPS.
These routes give teams flexibility to procure below-threshold works, including:
- access to a wide range of suppliers across multiple categories;
- the ability to onboard new suppliers at any time;
- alignment with recognised procurement standards and contract forms.
This approach helps organisations respond quickly to local needs, while maintaining compliance and building supplier resilience.
Building momentum for future collaboration
The first forum marked the start of a regular series for estates and facilities professionals across the region. Future sessions will continue to focus on practical challenges, including CAFM, waste, authorising engineers and asset verification.
The next forum will take place in September, with further details to follow.
A collaborative platform shaped by its members
Thank you to everyone who attended the first East of England Estates and Facilities Forum. We hope this first meeting provided a useful space to share challenges and start building a more consistent approach across the region. We look forward to building on this progress in future sessions and welcome your feedback to help shape the forum around your needs.
– Patrick Pereira, Procurement Specialist, Estates, Digital and Transport
Get involved
If you would like to contribute to future discussions, or ensure the right people from your organisation are involved, get in touch.
We welcome your input on:
- the challenges you are currently managing
- topics you would like to explore in future sessions
- how the forum can best support your organisation
This forum continues to evolve based on your feedback, so it stays relevant, practical and aligned to the pressures you face.
To help shape future sessions around the pressures your team is managing, email: [email protected]