Commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the survey is being conducted by researchers at the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) at the University of Gloucestershire and Ecorys UK.
This research will enhance the quality of data on public sector food: supporting Defra’s efforts to make it easier for British producers to be well-placed to bid for a share of the £5Bn spent each year on public sector catering contracts.
Findings from the survey will help Defra to monitor the food currently bought in the public sector and inform future public sector food policy in line with the Government’s ambition, where possible, for half of food purchased for the public sector to be locally produced or certified to higher environmental standards, whilst being in line with World Trade Organisation (WTO) and domestic procurement regulations.
For catering professionals, better procurement data can mean more informed menu planning, improved supplier relationships and stronger performance against Government and industry standards.
Dr Bryonny Goodwin-Hawkins, senior research fellow at the CCRI, said: “Food procurement has a key role to play in sustainability and supporting local economies. By understanding how procurement data is managed, we can benchmark progress, celebrate good practices, and support better decision-making. We encourage professionals across the sector to take part and share their insights.”
The final report will be made publicly available via the Defra Science Search website.
Who should participate?
The survey is open to procurement, catering, and allied professionals in public sector organisations that procure food, as well as food suppliers with public sector contracts. Participants should have some knowledge of food procurement and/or supply chain data within their organisation.
Participation is voluntary and confidential, and all responses will be anonymised. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Public sector procurers can access the survey here: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/glos/public-food-procurement-data-survey-food-procurers.
Food suppliers to the public sector can access the survey here: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/glos/public-food-procurement-data-survey-food-suppliers.