What We Do : Partnerships UK - Supporting Projects, Developing Policies, Developing Models & Investing in Projects and Companies

What We Do

PUK only works with the public sector in five main areas.

Supporting complex procurement projects
Developing procurement and investment policies
Supporting individual infrastructure projects
Developing public service commissioning models
Investing in projects and companies

1) Customised support to individual project sponsors on complex procurements: Working alongside government clients we support individual project teams to deliver complex procurements and to help manage on going contracts. Advice can include:
·          developing and participating in project governance arrangements;
·          designing and implementing quality assurance regimes;
·          managing divergent stakeholders;
·          finding the right balance of quality, deliverability and cost to achieve Value for Money;
·          designing deal structures with efficient financing and risk sharing arrangements;
·          hiring and managing external advisors;
·          building commercial client capability;
·          structuring effective competitions and supporting negotiations with the private sector; and
·          providing specialist legal, financial, property and contract management expertise.

2) Support to smaller infrastructure contracts: Partnerships

UK’s public sector mandate extends to projects and services commissioned by the public sector in its widest sense not just Central Government. Many infrastructure projects are commissioned by local government, but supported by central government funds. Our general helpdesk service provides free advice to any

UK public sector organisation involved in procuring or managing complex procurements. The operational taskforce helpdesk provides free advice to English authorities managing operational PFI contracts.

In addition we also work with some of the largest local government investment programmes including the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) initiative, the Waste Infrastructure Development Programme (WIDP) and the Local Housing Company (LHC) programme in England, the Hub Initiative in Scotland, and a programme of waste infrastructure procurements in Wales.

3) Providing support for policy makers to develop and implement procurement and investment policies and programmes: Partnerships UK was responsible for developing standard terms and conditions for private finance and ICT contracts. We use our market knowledge to work with H.M. Treasury, the Office of Government Commerce and Devolved Administrations to ensure these standards are practical and utilised by the public sector.

We also sit on approval bodies such as the Projects Review Group and the Major Projects Review Group which oversee many of the major public sector investment programmes.

4) Development of public services contracts: Partnerships UK helps develop commissioner/provider models and new markets for public services. With public funds under pressure, there has been increased focus on improving the public sector skills required to commission public services effectively. This is matched by recognition that public services can be better delivered by a well balanced market of public, private and third sector suppliers. Partnerships

UK has been at the forefront on this thinking. We are working closely with many locally based organisations and health trusts with responsibility for commissioning public services and with public and third sector organisations structured to deliver these services.

5) PUK Investments: Partnerships

UK can also use its capital to invest directly in projects and companies. Partnerships UK Ventures is the venture capital arm of Partnerships UK plc. We invest in spin out companies from UK science institutions and universities. Our funding directly supports the commercialisation of public sector assets. PUK Ventures has invested £20m to date in 20 businesses.

Partnerships UK is also a partner in Building Schools for the Future LLP (BSFI), alongside DCSF. BSFI invests in the risk capital of Local Education Partnerships and schools projects, providing not just capital but a central resource for best practise and knowledge sharing.