Price vs. purpose in Education procurement

Ethical and sustainable procurement is reportedly a top priority for procurement teams, but rising costs, supplier issues and weak spend controls routinely prevent schools from making more responsible choices. Our new report offers practical guidance for teams to embed sustainable, audit-ready practices whilst meeting regulatory demands and sustaining broader, economic conditions. “There’s a growing expectation that school budgets balance the books but also deliver on wider objectives such as sustainability, inclusion and equity. Procurement decision-makers must navigate both immediate financial constraints and longer-term policy ambitions.” — Professor Jens Roehrich and Dr Christoph Schmidt, University of Bath, UK