Public Spend Forum – Public Procurement and coronavirus news from this week

Public Spend Forum (PSF) is a public sector procurement global community and market intelligence platform dedicated to improving public procurement. GovShop is its free-to-use government market research tool for finding and connecting with suppliers.

Public Spend Forum free-to-use Covid-19 supplier research tool for PPE

The Public Spend Forum team is directly supporting government professionals and healthcare workers to address critical shortages for ventilators, respirators, personal protective equipment (PPE) and more, by providing free data on suppliers and inventory that can meet their needs on government market research tool, GovShop. Public Spend Forum researched and identified hundreds of top government contractors through GovShop and built a new COVID-19 supplier category – there are now more European suppliers on the portal too, free to use. CEO and founder Raj Sharma talked to NBC Washington about their efforts, listen to that here.

Federal Government contractor market research case study: Covid-19 3D printing

Public Spend Forum has been fielding requests for materials and supplies from state and local governments, for example, a request from New York State for a 3D printed component that could retrofit a BiPAP machine into an emergency ventilator. PSF’s Frank McNally conducted the initial market research and in doing so recognised the opportunity to create a case study and demonstrate how GovShop can be used to expedite the crucial early phases of the market research process. Read the case study here.

And in other news ...

European regulators will not relax rules during coronavirus crisis

eBay NHS Portal to supply PPE across the UK with DHSC

Head of UK armed forces says coronavirus PPE is biggest logistical operation he has ever tackled

36 British companies 'have not received a reply' from Government after offers to supply frontline

Governments must not ignore “slave-like” conditions of migrant workers making rubber medical gloves in Malaysia 

UK National Audit Office has issued a revised Code of Audit Practice for relevant local public sector

Changes to procurement policy: Supplier relief due to COVID-19

Turkey: Covid-19 - Measures in relation to Public Procurement Contacts, Extension of Time or Termination of Contract

Palantir coronavirus contract did not go to competitive tender

Estonia - The Center for Defense Investment has announced a €50-million public procurement of small-caliber ammunition 

Latvia - risk of corruption has increased for public procurements conducted during the Covid-19 state of emergency  

Museum of London opens procurement for new £337m building

Ukraine - ProZorro updates rules to enhance openness of public procurement

Ferguson awards near-£800k contract to firm to help fix ferries fiasco