As such, the public sector provides a lead market for environmental products and services, and this, coupled with the fact that the Government is a major purchaser of environmental goods and services, led EIAG to focus its activities on "how Government and its agencies can improve on the way they manage the supply chain in this sector" Jack Frost, Chairman of EIAG (2003–2008).
FCP in fact mirrors the approach taken by businesses to stimulate suppliers to invest in new products and services to meet their future needs.
[10] The FCP approach has been well received: The Forward Commitment Procurement model involves providing the market with advance information of future needs in outcome terms, early engagement with potential suppliers and - most importantly - the incentive of a Forward Commitment: an agreement to purchase a product or service that currently does not exist, at a specified future date, providing it can be delivered to agreed performance levels and costs.
[16] The Forward Commitment Procurement project (managed on behalf BERR and DEFRA by Gaynor Whyles of JERA Consulting Ltd (previously JPS Consulting) from June 2005) set out to design and test a supply chain management tool for the public sector, in line with public procurement regulations, that would create the necessary market pull for environmental products and services and hence create the conditions that would support investment in the environmental industries sector.
[a] This exercise involved the publication of a Prior Information Notice in the Official Journal of the European Union and the engagement of intermediaries, such as the BERR funded Knowledge Transfer Networks, trade bodies and similar, to communicate notification of the call to the potential supply chain.
A directory of companies and organisations that responded to the call was published on the HMPS procurement website to assist supply chain development and a "Concept Viability" workshop[20] was held with a cross section of the supply chain members who submitted responses to discuss the options available and inform the HMPS mattress procurement strategy.
The final stage of evaluation is underway and HMPS is confident that all of the shortlisted bids will be able to deliver the requirement (see above), and in addition estimates that it will save between £3-£5 million over the life of the contract.
"Sustainable procurement has been talked about for years but the Prison Service launching a competition for zero waste mattresses was one of the few truly innovative examples CEMEP came across.
"[21] Source:[22][citation needed] Although all FCP projects are unique, they usually involve: Forward Commitment Procurement works best where there is: At the time of writing (May 8[when?])