Welcome to the Educational Procurement Centre (EPC)
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Educational Procurement Centre is a unit within the Department. Established in 2007, the EPC works across the schools sector to promote and support more sustainable procurement practices and effective contract management.
The EPC has been developed from the work of the Centre for Procurement Performance (CPP) which was set up within the then DfES (Department for Education and Skills) following the Gershon efficiency review, to work across the whole of the education, skills and children and families system.
The EPC will focus on supporting those responsible for procurement in schools through provision of, and access to, experience and knowledge in category management, eProcurement, best practice and training opportunities. It has at its core the objective of allowing schools to maximise their budget and enhance their business skills.
The outcome of this work will be to deliver a sustainable infrastructure for schools that will leave them in a position to be self-supporting in the long term, and free from significant resource or administrative burdens. This allows schools time to concentrate on fulfilling their primary function.
EPC vision
'To build and deliver a sustainable procurement infrastructure for
schools, enabling them to obtain the best from their commercial
environment.'
EPC projects
- Educational transport
- Local EPCs
- OPEN
- Procurement guidance
- Procurement training
- Temporary workers in education
If you would like to get in touch with the EPC, send an email to epc.enquiries@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk
Last updated: 6 May 2008

