Ardal, an innovative procurement service launched by Cardiff Council is celebrating the success of its SEWTAPS (South East Wales Technical and Professional Services) framework as it announces approximately £160 million worth of contracts have been delivered, with a third of these with organisations over the border.
SEWTAPS draws together the expertise of pre-qualified, experienced, sector specific suppliers of technical and professional services, covering areas such as Civil and Highway Engineering, Ground and Water consultancy, and Aviation and Geotechnical consultants. It aims to maximise the public sector’s buying power, ensuring each pound spent enables regeneration and growth, and the delivery of community benefits at both a local and national level.
The SEWTAPS framework is a key part of Ardal, a collaborative procurement partnership between Cardiff Council, Monmouthshire County Council, Torfaen County Borough Council, and the Vale of Glamorgan Council. Ardal was formed to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving procurement landscape, and uses its shared collective expertise to provide solutions in line with Welsh Government legislation, including the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023.
Ardal aims to not only be a source of procurement expertise within Wales, but to provide knowledge, strategy and solutions across the UK, and SEWTAPS is a prime example of that approach working, as Steve Robinson, Head of Ardal explains:
“Ardal was created to deliver socially responsible procurement, increase collaboration, and maximise community impact, and we set out to do this nationally.
“SEWTAPS is that strategy coming to life and I am delighted with the success it is having. It is a clear example of securing value for money, ensuring legal compliance, providing robust and transparent governance, as well as promoting innovative and best-practice solutions across not just Wales, but over the border.
“With every Local Authority in the UK grappling with issues around climate change for example, and procurement playing a key part in helping address those issues, Ardal is well placed to offer its vast expertise, through its national and regional frameworks, and help deliver a strategy that meets the needs of contracting authorities, whilst allowing us to continue to invest in community well-being initiatives.”
As well as SEWTAPS, Ardal also manages the well-established South East Wales regional collaborative frameworks, SEWSCAP (buildings construction framework), which completed a landmark £1bn worth of projects with the opening of Bridgend College’s STEAM Academy, and SEWH (highways framework).
