Commercial Services is one of the largest trading organisations of its kind in the UK with a turnover currently in excess of 600 000 000 GBP pa and employing over 800 people from its base in Kent. With its Schools Supplies Division set up nearly 70 years ago by Kent County Council, it has grown organically since then to supply an ever-increasing range of best value goods and services to other publicly funded organisations. These include local government, education establishments, the care sector and emergency services.
KCS is a trading unit of Commercial Services and provides a purchasing, warehousing and distribution service to a wide ranging customer base within local government and associated public bodies in Kent, neighbouring counties and across the UK.
Kent County Council (the Council) is the largest local authority in England covering an area of 3 500 square kilometres. It has an annual expenditure of over 1 000 000 000 GBP on goods and services and a population of 1 300 000. The Council provides a wide range of personal and strategic services on behalf of its residents, operating in partnership with 12 district councils and 289 parish/town councils.
The Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO) is a Local Authority purchasing and distribution consortium jointly owned by Leicester City Council, Peterborough City Council and by the County Councils of Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Warwickshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. ESPO was established by the Member Authorities to provide a comprehensive procurement and supply service to their spending departments and other eligible customers. ESPO has an annual turnover of approximately 600 000 000 GBP across a whole range of goods and services purchased on behalf of its customers.
The Central Buying Consortium (CBC) is a group of County, Borough and City Councils. The purpose of which is to improve the effectiveness, by co-ordination, of local authority purchasing with the object of effecting savings in public expenditure for the benefit of its members. CBC procures approximately 750 000 000 GBP goods and services per annum.
In accordance with best procurement practice, EU and UK Procurement Directives and Regulations, the CBC and ESPO, through KCS, has created a Framework Agreement (the Agreement) for the supply and delivery of Cleaning Chemicals, Soap and Sanitisers.