Purchasing scheme

Assessed through the ABCEurope Project Cluster Management Special Interest Group - Heidelberg May 2011 'Building value for cluster actors'

The service

One Nucleus, the CEBR Member for London and Cambridge, delivers a purchasing programme for all UK Gold members of its private, fee-paying non-profit Network.

A slide presentation of the show is available for CEBR Members here in the CEBR DropBox. If you are a CEBR Member but do not have access to the DropBox, please contact info@cebr.net for an invitation.

The scheme includes:

Preferred supply agreements (tendered and exclusive)

Stationery and consumables
Pipette maintenance and calibration
Bulk gases, bottled gases and dry ice
Laboratory consumables and chemicals
Life science products
Laboratory equipment maintenance

Support supply agreement (not tendered or exclusive)

Courier services, stationery, hotels, insurance, travel, cleaning
One Nucleus holds the contracts, manages the tendering process and has dedicated staff to manage and promote the scheme.

Service assessment

Criteria

Evaluation

Value to cluster actors

High: A large company example saves €250,000 per annum on lab consumables

Value to cluster as a whole

Medium: The scheme is not intended for development of the cluster as a whole

Impact on quality of services in cluster

High: Competition for tenders and service agreements has impacted costs and service quality

Cost

Medium: The scheme required significant personnel resource to develop and launch but now is self funding through commission payments to One Nucleus

Ease of implementation

Low: This scheme requires long term resource and commitment

Size of cluster

Medium to large

Suitable for...

Medium to large cluster or network with R&D intensive companies

Skills required
High: professional contract management, purchasing and business development - this is a critical requirement for professional and successful implementation to companies.

Value for cluster management

High: Builds trusted partnership with companies plus direct revenue generation

Value in wider networking

Medium: Cannot be implemented beyond national boundaries. Possible for extension of scheme to other clusters within same country.

Barrier to entry

Skills: Must have professional experience in contracts and purchasing

Start up finance: Scheme will take at least 12 months to develop and launch and requires up front resources

19 Aug 2011

Criteria	Evaluation
Value to cluster actors	High: A large company example saves €250,000 per annum on lab consumables
Value to cluster as a whole	Medium: The scheme is not intended for development of the cluster as a whole
Impact on quality of services in cluster	High: Competition for tenders and service agreements has impacted costs and service quality
Cost	Medium: The scheme required significant personnel resource to develop and launch but now is self funding through commission payments to One Nucleus
Ease of implementation	Low: This scheme requires long term resource and commitment
Size of cluster	Medium to large
Suitable for...	Medium to large cluster or network with R&D intensive companies
Skills required	High: professional contract management, purchasing and business development - this is a critical requirement for professional and successful implementation to companies.
Value for cluster management	High: Builds trusted partnership with companies plus direct revenue generation
Value in wider networking	Medium: Cannot be implemented beyond national boundaries. Possible for extension of scheme to other clusters within same country.
Barrier to entry	Skills: Must have professional experience in contracts and purchasing Start up finance: Scheme will take at least 12 months to develop and launch and requires up front resources