SUPC Organisation

Our Structure

SUPC is an operating unit of Southern Universities Management Services and is wholly financed by member subscriptions. Purchasing Managers represent their institutions on the SUPC Council which is responsible for overseeing the operational activities of SUPC. The SUPC Board determine strategy and assess the resource requirements taking full account of the views expressed by Council. The Board reports to the Southern Universities Management Services Management Committee. Contracting activity is guided by various commodity groups which normally comprise professional procurement staff as well as technical users drawn from SUPC members. Members are encouraged to participate in these groups.

Our Vision

Our vision is to be the "Consortium of Choice" for its members, for procurement staff and for HE suppliers.

Strategic Objectives

To become the consortium of choice through:

  1. Developing and delivering focussed contracting strategies which meet the demands and expectations of a diverse customer base
  2. Building and maintaining successful relationship management with customers (members), relevant supply markets and other HE and public sector procurement agencies
  3. Recruiting and retaining sufficient professional staff with appropriate skills and capabilities to meet the SUPC vision and the requirements of a broad customer base
  4. Developing and delivering robust quality assurance mechanisms to deliver continuous improvement in the services provided
  5. Determining a strategy for dealing with Further Education institutions and other public sector bodies who may wish to join the consortium
  6. Ensuring that the contracts awarded and the services provided by the consortium consider all aspects of the sustainability agenda

Consortium Collaboration

SUPC works very closely with the other regional purchasing consortia so that when appropriate supply markets can be approached on a national or inter-regional basis. SUPC together with the other three English regional purchasing consortia is a member of the English National Purchasing Consortium. SUPC also, when beneficial to its members, works with other public sector purchasing consortia.

For further information please contact supc@reading.ac.uk