Today marks the four-year anniversary of the very first Together Gloucestershire meeting, when it was just an idea and an intention from a dedicated group of volunteers. We brought together public sector organisations with large private sector organisations and our voluntary board, to see whether the idea of transforming local procurement could actually become a reality.
Four years on, here we are with a working and growing platform, our first 150+ members, first contracts awarded, over 20 registered buyers, and so much momentum for the movement! What a milestone!
In 2022, it was just an idea. Could we build something that helps large organisations buy more locally, strengthens our local supply chains, and keeps more investment within the county? We weren’t sure if it would be viable, but we agreed it was worth trying. It’s been a long road since that first conversation, but looking back we’ve achieved a huge amount. The platform is live, partners are on board, events are happening, and the project is now part of wider conversations about the county’s economic future.
A huge thank you to everyone who was in that very first meeting, and a long service award goes to Peter Yates. Without that early belief, none of this would exist.
And the exciting part is… we’ve only just got started.
Our vision is to build a local procurement system that works for everyone, large organisations, public sector, SMEs, charities, and the wider community and there’s still a lot more to come.
If you’re a Gloucestershire business, charity, or organisation and want to be part of what we’re building, now is the time to join the community and help shape something that will benefit the county for years to come.
