To ask the Minister of Education to detail any work that has been progressed to provide schools with greater flexibility, in relation to procurement spend, through existing frameworks.

The EA is considering the options available for providing schools with flexibility on the use of frameworks established for use by schools. This includes a potential pilot project that will provide schools with greater autonomy in purchasing low-value consumables from their delegated budget and the choice to use EA frameworks or alternative suppliers.

The objective will be to assess the potential benefits and impact of removing the mandate to use framework arrangements. In addition, the pilot will assess the level of risk attached to schools undertaking procurements below the £10,000 threshold (i.e. the absence of the EA’s CoPE support and expertise).