Sandwell launches online tool to help local construction firms win hospital supply deals
SANDWELL Council has launched a new digital procurement tool which aims to showcase the skills, knowledge and expertise of West Midlands’ companies to the UK and abroad.
The local authority said the West Midlands Virtual Hospital (WMVH) had already generated significant interest from local businesses, with over 400 companies expressing an interest in the initiative and/or creating profiles to showcase their ability to supply critical products and services for the design, manufacture and operation of a 21st-century healthcare facility.
The tool takes users on a tour of a 3D ‘walkthrough’ hospital and can be used by both suppliers and contractors. Suppliers can input profiles on their knowledge, expertise, skills and experience in building and operating a state-of-the-art hospital, and contractors can click on any part of the building, room or piece of technology to access details of a firm who can supply the required components.
The WMVH is also attracting the attention of businesses outside the UK looking to procure products and services.
Jan Britton, CEO of Sandwell Council, said: “Our region is fortunate to have some of the UK’s brightest minds in clinical design, advanced manufacturing, built-environment, and medical and science technologies. The West Midlands Virtual Hospital will create a visually appealing digital directory of our talented firms, which can be used by hospital and healthcare buyers across the world.”
The procurement tool is seen as having significant potential to create international growth opportunities for local businesses.
The council believes the WMVH could prove a catalyst for design and procurement best practice, allowing SMEs to grow their business both in the UK and abroad.
It is hoping that construction companies will use the tool to learn about the skills and expertise available in Sandwell and that local companies will then be used as suppliers.
The council is currently working with specialist partners to build the IT infrastructure for the WMVH – including the new website – which is expected to be completed in February. Upon completion, all firms that have expressed interest in the project will be able to register and create profiles.
Sandwell Council was awarded the Procurement Policy Award by the Federation of Small Businesses in November 2014. It has also been shortlisted in the 2014 Procurement Leaders Awards, alongside some of the world’s most recognisable brands.
It is working with local SMEs to develop the skills necessary for hospital work, and it has also partnered with firms involved in the design, build and operation of hospitals around the globe, such as Carillion, Interserve and Laing O’Rourke.
