I engaged Minerva after working with them as part of collaborative procurement process for broadband as our school is doubling in size this year. One area that required attention was the cleaning provision. We had 2 cleaners through the Local Authority and I wanted to investigate the options of outsourcing the contract. Lucy and Lorraine met with me to discuss the plans and to understand our requirements. The tender documents were produced which included fine detail such as specifications, insurance levels and company resources. A site visit and presentation day was arranged which enabled us to meet the potential suppliers and to build the all-important relationships. Lucy kept me updated throughout the process which resulted in me being able to make the decision, before needing to give termination notice to end the current agreement.
I’m very happy with the outcome of the tender. Minerva have guided us through the procurement to ensure we are compliant and that we obtained the relevant information from the suppliers.
I would recommend Minerva without hesitation and I look forward to working with Lucy and Lorraine again in the near future.
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Success Stories
Case studies
We’ve worked with a number of schools on a wide-range of spend categories. Please click on the links below to read more detailed information on just some of the successes we have achieved:
Aylesbury Vale Academy - Facilities Management (Multi-Lot OJEU)
The project involved simultaneously tendering for five key services for the Academy. These services consisted of reactive and planned preventative maintenance, cleaning, grounds maintenance, catering…
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Swindon Academy - Cleaning (OJEU)
Swindon Academy's current cleaning contract was ending in the following August and, due to the contract value, Swindon Academy was required to carry out a tender which complied with the relevant OJEU …
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GASBM Collaborative Telephony
Group Chairman Martin Doidge attended a meeting of the Central England School Business Forum with fellow Chairs of other Business Manager groups UK-wide. The attendees wished to explore options to im…
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Oxfordshire Academies Payroll
Every academy had more than one viable option open to them offering a ‘value for money’ solution. By negotiating as a group the academies have not only reduced their costs, achieving savings of aroun…
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Beths Grammar School - Grounds Maintenance (OJEU)
The school's grounds maintenance contract overall value exceeded the OJEU threshold at the time meaning that the school were required to run the project in alignment with public sector procurement reg…
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Pilgrim Learning Trust - Collaborative Procurement (Telephony)
The schools wanted to take advantage of the group combined spend to enable them to obtain further savings by collaborating together to purchase products and services.
It was agreed that the first pr…
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Bradfield College Reprographics
Unlike the majority of Minerva projects, which are based on identifying monetary savings, the College engaged us on a consultancy basis knowing that they simply wouldn’t have the time available to con…
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Sherborne School - Laundry
The school has reduced the number of suppliers utilised from 6 to 4. All boarding houses will be using the same suppliers for the same items which are all collected and delivered on the same days. The…
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Copleston High School - Reprographics (OJEU)
With 1800 pupils on roll (1500 in Yrs. 7-11, 300 in Sixth Form) and over 200 staff, Copleston High School is one of the largest schools in Suffolk. The school converted to academy status in 2011 and i…
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St Neot’s Preparatory School
Andy now has a clear understanding of all of the telephony spend including what lines the school is paying for and confirmation of contract renewal dates. There has also been successful elimination of…
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Prince's Mead
A new and robust cleaning specification, drawn up in partnership with the Estates Manager, is now in place. Site visits were conducted for all potential contract cleaning companies ensuring accuracy i…
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St Martin's School, Northwood
The school are now utilising a brand new telephone system with bespoke pence per minute costs and negotiated line rental fees all of which is with one supplier. The bespoke pence per minute rates resu…
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Rookwood School
An average saving of 23% across numerous gas and electricity contracts resulting in annual savings in excess of £11,000.
The spend category of IT consumables (ink jet cartridges, photocopier toners) …
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Hall Grove School
Electricity – reduction of 38% on current tariff offering savings of >£12,000 per annum on an 18 month fixed contract. Gas – reduction of 29% on current tariff giving savings of just under £5,000 per …
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Bradfield College
Savings of a minimum of 19.74%, equating to a sum in excess of £22, 500 per annum, were identified by effecting a change of supplier. The school no longer has to accommodate the needs of the coach com…
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A Little Bit Of love...
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EP Collier Primary School
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Southcote Primary School have used Minerva Procurement for several years now. They have procured cleaning services, HR, telephony systems and photocopiers.
On all occasions they have dealt with matters efficiently and professionally arranging presentations from prospective suppliers through to signing off the contracts and checking through the “small print”.
They have followed up issues with preferred suppliers following acceptance of contracts and continue to do so on our behalf.
I cannot recommend them enough. -
Another excellent procurement project with Minerva whose specialist skills and focus mean we can achieve better and more cost effective outcomes, faster. Thanks again.
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I cant thank you enough for the the professionalism of Lorraine and Nathan. Given the extremely tight time schedule to complete the cleaning procurement, the whole process was handled brilliantly from start to finish. Thanks again.
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We engaged Minerva to assist the four schools in our Trust with the procurement of cleaning and catering services across all four sites. Minerva have shown a high degree of professionalism and knowledge during the running of the OJEU tender for the Trust. The process has been handled smoothly from the beginning, keeping to the agreed schedule. Minerva visited each school to fully understand all our requirements.
The contact and communication from Minerva has been clear and comprehensive making the process easy to understand and allowing each school to feel confident in the outcome of each stage. I am very happy with the work and support from Minerva and have no hesitation in recommending them. -
Thank you for all the help that you have given to me which has benefited the school. Minerva as a company have exceptionally high standards of service and you are a flag bearer for this! The expectation that companies introduced to us must also share this, is great. I love your tenacious approach to cost reduction, your understanding of school issues and, of course, the good humour that you bring with it. I would recommend you wholeheartedly and look forward to our next project.
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“…the procurement exercise has generated significant savings for the College.
The College obviously has to ensure that all suppliers are covered to work with children and Minerva was able to ensure the suppliers have relevant cover. Minerva provided support throughout the process and was available for interviews and meetings to ensure the decision making process was made simpler.
The work Minerva completed for the College enabled us to review all proposals in a very clear manner and was instrumental in making sensible decisions on the projects. I would have no hesitation in recommending the services of Minerva for future procurement in the College or for other businesses.” -
Minerva understood the requirements of the Aylesbury Vale Academy very clearly and completed the exercise in a very objective and professional manner. Because they understood our needs, the specification was as relevant as possible and we believe that the process has delivered the most optimum outcome in terms of selected providers of our services.
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An absolutely painless, quick and professional service that has saved the school money immediately. There can not be too much praise for the work completed.
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Above and beyond our expectations! When Oxfordshire academies’ business managers engaged Minerva to procure a new payroll provider, we did not expect that this would be the beginning of a strong on-going partnership. In fact the service from Minerva has been well above and beyond our expectations. It has undoubtedly been the best decision the group has made. Lorraine and her team are extremely responsive, months after the procurement element of a project has been concluded they are always happy to support us if an issue arises or to provide assistance or advice on a particular aspect of the contract or service provision. In an era of sales people who ‘over promise and under deliver’ it is refreshing to deal with an organisation with integrity and commitment that genuinely puts the customer first. I cannot recommend Minerva highly enough.
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I wanted to formally thank you for all the extremely hard work that you and Lucy put into supporting us through this complex process which has enabled us to secure excellent services at very competitive prices. Your tenacity and willingness to chase down every detail has made the ‘maze’ much easier to negotiate and has certainly given me a great deal of confidence that due process has been followed correctly.Mary Shorland, School Business Manager, EP Collier Primary School and Nursery
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I would like to express our gratitude for all the work that your colleague, Lucy Smith, has done on the grounds maintenance tender at Chipping Norton School. She advised and guided us throughout the tender process, updating us when required, and ensuring that all steps were taken in a timely and efficient manner. She worked closely with our Site Manager, Steve Edwards, to produce a detailed specification of the work to ensure the tender documents covered all our operational needs a well as regulatory requirements. Lucy also arranged and conducted a site visit for a number of suppliers. The tendering process was well documented and the detailed report produced by Minerva should satisfy external auditors during the annual review of accounts and has enabled us to make an informed decision of the best company to meet our grounds maintenance needs.
The savings by re-tendering the contract will more than offset the procurement fee paid to Minerva resulting in an overall projected savings of more than £750 over the three year period of the contract.
We are very pleased with the experience we have had with Minerva in facilitating this important procurement process and for all the work done by Lucy to produce a successful outcome. I would happily recommend Lucy for similar procurement projects and look forward to working with her and the rest of the Minerva team in the future.
Thank you again for providing a high standard of service. -
It has been a pleasure to work with Lorraine at Minerva on the Telephony services lines and calls project. The level of detail supplied in the report was excellent; the report explained the procurement process, the details of the proposals received and a summary of the findings. A beneficial saving was made with a minimal amount of time and input from myself i.e. only a few telephone bills and a copy of the contract. Although there is no obligation to take up the findings and recommendations I felt confident and reassured by Minerva’s in depth expert advice and research to follow their recommendation and achieve best value for the school.
In addition, Lorraine carried out a comprehensive quick ‘sense check’ of the proposed Reprographic contract, accessing a network of internal and external resources she was able to provide me with a very useful detailed response.
So thank you Minerva, I am grateful for being able to tap into your expertise and to receive such a responsive service. -
This was our first experience working with Minerva and I've been very impressed and I know that other SBMs in Gloucestershire who were involved have also been very pleased with the outcome of the tender exercise. There was very little work required of us and Lorraine and her team have clearly spent a lot of time on the exercise and produced a very detailed report for each school involved, with some very positive outcomes.
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“I have referred a number of our independent school clients to Lorraine at Minerva. The schools have been delighted with the innovative approach Lorraine has taken to finding cost reduction solutions and some very significant savings have been made. Lorraine has great specialist skills in this sector and a very positive approach to helping clients – she is a joy to work with.”
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“Lorraine, thank you so much for the quick and efficient service you and Zenergi have provided to The Abbey School in regards to our gas and electricity contract renewals. It has been a lot easier than it ever was with CMR. In addition it’s very reassuring to know you will be monitoring our bills on an ongoing basis. We would be very happy to recommend your services to other schools.”Tim Hartley, Finance Manager, The Abbey School
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I wouldn't hesitate to use Minerva Procurement Services again in future procurement projects and would highly recommend their services. Their approach to the project was outstanding and I had absolute faith in their ability throughout all aspects of the project. This was demonstrated particularly well through the excellent communication made with all participants on a regular basis. As well as demonstrating a thorough understanding of the project requirements, they also demonstrated a willingness to listen, adapt and improve their own processes. Highly recommended!
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“Lorraine works in a very efficient and professional manner, and she has secured considerable cost savings for my school. We particularly like the ‘unpushy’ approach. Having known her for several years I have no hesitation in recommending Lorraine and her service to any other school.“
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From start to finish the whole procurement process was smooth and easy. All I had to do was provide current documents and then sit and wait for the results, which have given us a saving. We will definitely use Minerva again. Thank you very much.
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Nathan was very responsive to our needs and kept us informed throughout the process. Communication was timely and professional, and Minerva obviously has an excellent knowledge of statutory tender requirements for public bodies. We were impressed with the service and the support provided.
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Process couldn't have been easier and very happy with the outcome. Although there weren't a lot of savings to be had moving to a rolling 12 month contract is very beneficial and still cheaper than what we were paying before - thanks Minerva!
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Minerva went our of their way to support us through the process. They provided a value for money service which we have benefitted from immensely. Lorraine's eye for detail and commercial thinking has enabled the school to move forward and develop a contract which meets the schools needs.
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“I cannot speak highly enough of Minerva Procurement and of Lorraine Ashover and her colleagues. I have been most grateful for the advice and help given in renegotiating better deals on everything from utilities to stationery with copiers, printers and postage in between.
Lorraine is a delight to do business with and her cheerful and professional manner are always reassuring us that we are in safe hands.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain; I can highly recommend Minerva Procurement to you.” -
“It is now a month since the outcome of the negotiations that Minerva undertook on behalf of the School and that the resulting transport contract has been in force. Can I firstly say a very big thank you for the time you personally put in to obtaining the baseline information and the comparison of services and costs and briefing me on the results. The quality and standard of the groundwork and the final report was first class and exceeded all my expectations. As a direct result of your involvement we now have a supplier who meets an agreed and realistic specification, with proper terms and conditions in place, at a very acceptable price. I genuinely sleep much sounder at night knowing that this area of school operations is assured.
As I said at the time, if it hadn’t been for Minerva I would still be using an unsatisfactory service provider, simply because I did not have the time available nor the necessary expertise to review and revise the situation I had inherited. Once again – thank you – and please stay in touch. If required I would unreservedly recommend Minerva Procurement Consultancy Services Limited for similar projects.”
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I am pleased to have the opportunity to provide a letter of recommendation for Minerva Procurement Consultancy Services Ltd. We began our association with Lorraine Ashover, their Director, a little over 7 months ago and whilst our association has not been that long her company has always provided us with a high quality and first rate service at competitive rates.
In particular Lorraine has enabled the College to make significant savings on our utility contracts, our reprographic function and most recently our franking machine contract. Her attention to detail when listening to our needs, identifying appropriate solutions and then presenting her findings has been exemplary. Her Procurement Audit Reports are comprehensive, free of industry jargon and identify the costs and savings involved with both current providers and proposed alternatives in a clear and unbiased fashion, leaving us free to make our own judgement on which proposal best suits our needs.
Minerva’s ‘after-sales’ service has also been excellent. Lorraine runs her firm with integrity and skill and she herself is friendly, approachable and highly professional. She is readily available by both phone and email and her response to any concerns or queries has always been timely. For example, we experienced ongoing problems with the suppliers of one of our gas contracts, however having contacted Lorraine the whole matter was taken out of our hands and, most importantly, she worked with them on finding the best solution for us. Problem solving is an extremely time‑consuming and costly activity, and to be able to confidently pass this over to someone else in the sure knowledge that they are serving their customer’s best interest at no additional cost, has been a great bonus.
The industry knowledge demonstrated by Lorraine and her team at Minerva has I am sure been the reason why they have been able to achieve such successful outcomes on our behalf, their business terms are straightforward and transparent, and I would recommend their services to you without reservation.
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I have worked with Minerva for a number of years because they provide procurement expertise and focus that enable our school to achieve higher quality results at a better price. The recent catering tender achieved an initial investment into the school of £50,000; a contract with Chartwell's that will achieve a profit share within one year; and a much better range and quality of food. Minerva manage the whole process to remove the pressure from the school; they ensure that the tender sticks to a tight timeline; and enable full compliance with procurement legislation. I would strongly recommend Minerva and we are already working together on our next tender.
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immediate savings, amounting to £000’s…..Minerva Procurement Consultancy were thorough, detailed and analytical in their approach whilst not being intrusive…..I would have no hesitation in using Minerva again, for any audit, small or large, and would recommend their service to anyoneJonathan Frost, Bursar, Rookwood School Trust Limited
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The process was very thorough and professional and saved me an immense amount of time and additional workload.
