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85% of digital identity providers serve financial services—no surprise there! But healthcare and public services are catching up at 58%, signaling massive opportunities ahead. The question is: Where do you see the next breakthrough?

💡 Good to Know

• Level up your leadership game: Join this 3-day intensive for women leaders in Nottingham's social sector to master confidence, influence, and organizational change.

• Mix drinks and ESG insights: Join London's sustainability pros for an intimate networking evening at Brooks Mews Wine House - £33 gets you drinks, canapés, and connections that could shape your ESG career.

• Want to sell to the NHS? Free masterclass with procurement chiefs from West Yorkshire NHS reveals insider tips for navigating healthcare contracts - happening Jan 28 in Brighouse.

Here’s an overview of recent developments:

• Good to Know: Leadership workshop, ESG networking, NHS masterclass.

• Daily Spend Watch: £1.19B spent—sustainability and digital health lead.

• Opportunity Picks: £8M Bolton facilities management contract.

• News: Worship grants, patent tools, clean energy upskilling.

• Tech: AI meeting notes, real-time search, smarter PDFs.

Let’s dive into the details👇

DAILY SPEND WATCH

📊 Public Sector Spending Analysis: Contracts Finder Report January 22, 2025

Market Analysis

The public sector shows strong investment in infrastructure modernization, with significant emphasis on sustainable construction projects. Healthcare spending reflects post-pandemic resilience planning, particularly in digital health integration. A notable trend in bundled contracts, combining traditional services with digital components, suggests increased demand for integrated solution providers. The market indicates favorable conditions for consortiums and joint ventures, especially in high-value infrastructure projects.

Market participation shows regional concentration in the Southeast (41%) with moderate SME engagement (32%), suggesting opportunities for greater geographical diversity and small business involvement in public procurement.

OPPORTUNITY PICKS

Bolton Council’s £8M Reactive Facilities Management Opportunity

Opportunity Overview

• Contract Value: £6M - £8M

• Location: England

• Duration: 3 years, extendable up to 2 years

• Lots Available: 27 diverse maintenance categories (e.g., fire safety, roofing, HVAC)

• Closing Date: 21 February 2025, 4 PM

• Ideal For: SMEs & VCSEs

💡 Winning Strategies

Develop an integrated digital platform specifically for Bolton Council that combines real-time maintenance tracking, resource allocation, and performance reporting. This approach would:

• Real-time tracking dashboard with automated dispatch

• Predictive analytics for maintenance scheduling

• Mobile app for instant updates and reporting

• Integration with the Council's existing systems

• Performance metrics and compliance reporting

This solution demonstrates innovation while delivering measurable efficiency gains across multiple service lots.

NEWS 

🙌 £23M to Restore Worship Spaces!

What’s Covered?

Grants for VAT on repairs like masonry and monuments, are available for all listed places of worship across the UK.

Why It Matters

These buildings unite communities and preserve heritage.

🧑‍💼 Who Can Apply?

Any listed place of worship, capped at £25K/year, until March 2026. Check out complementary grants like the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England’s Heritage At Risk grants.

🚀 New Patent Search Tool Boosts Innovation

What’s New?

The One IPO Search replaces the Ipsum service, offering:

• Keyword searches in plain English.

• Visual data analysis for trends.

• Downloadable and user-friendly patent info.

💡 Why It Matters

Easier access to patent data supports innovators and businesses in growing and protecting ideas. Explore it now and simplify your patent searches!

🌍 Transitioning Oil & Gas Workers to Clean Energy

The UK government introduces regional skills pilots and a "skills passport" to upskill oil and gas workers for clean energy roles:

• Regions: Aberdeen, Cheshire, Lincolnshire, Pembrokeshire.

• Funding: £1M per region for training in wind, nuclear, and solar energy.

Why It’s Important

• Supports the UK's 2030 clean energy goals.

• Unlocks £40 billion/year in investments and creates jobs.

🔑 Next Steps

Expect a broader rollout to include more regions and industries!

TECHNOLOGY

📄 UPDF AI: GPT-4 powered PDF assistant for chat and analysis

⏱️ MeetMinutes: AI-powered meeting assistant for automated notes and tasks

🔍 Sonar by Perplexity: Fast, affordable AI search engine with real-time web grounding

TIP OF THE DAY

💡 AI-Powered Decision Making in Procurement

Data-Driven Insights: Leverage AI analytics to gain insights into spending patterns and supplier performance, leading to informed procurement decisions.

Benchmarking Performance: Compare metrics with industry peers to identify areas for improvement and drive best practices.

Strategic Sourcing: Use insights from data analysis to make strategic sourcing decisions that align with sustainability objectives.

Quick Question!

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