Steve Clare, Managing Director, Clares Office Supplies and Advantia Board Member receiving GO Small Business/Third Sector Engagement Initiative of the Year Award

Advantia dealer, Clares Office Supplieshas won the national GO Small Business/Third Sector Engagement Initiative of the Year Award jointly with their customer Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust at the GO Excellence in Public Procurement Awards. 

The awards recognise excellence within procurement including the benefits that are passed on into the wider business and social community.

Steve Clare, MD at Clares Office Supplies said, “when we first went into the Trusts we led on traditional office supplies and managed print services came afterwards, but this has now completely turned around because our customers see that the benefit to them is in the technology and process improvements we offer. Our dealer group, Advantia has been helping members change their business models and move into other sectors rather than concentrate on traditional office products.  In one year Clares added £5m to our turnover through our healthcare strategy and we now focus on contractual not transactional business, which is key to our growth.”

Having diversified into the health sector, Clares’ now supply over 60 NHS Trusts. Its Product Service Delivery Framework that was recognised by the judges and secured the award. 

The Clares Framework is now operating in around 20 Trusts having been developed from an analysis of how NHS Trusts operate their procurement functions and the challenges bureaucracy and low capital expenditure budgets. The Framework enables Trusts and organisations within the Trust to purchase without the need to tender which enabled the company to win the Initiative of the Year Award.