Strengthening Procurement Resilience at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) is the main provider of community health services across Sussex, delivering care to over 8,000 people every day in homes, clinics and communities.

Several contracts, including complex digital and clinical service agreements critical to patient care, were approaching expiry and required compliant renewal or re-procurement. With significant vacancy across the procurement team, the Trust needed experienced external support, and quickly.

EcoVate was engaged to work closely with the Associate Director of Procurement and wider Trust stakeholders to provide embedded, end-to-end procurement support across a broad portfolio. A blended team model was central to the approach — as demand and complexity shifted, EcoVate deployed the right expertise at each stage.

EcoVate supported, managed, or delivered more than 37 end-to-end procurements. Procurement continuity was maintained throughout, with no backlog accumulation and no contract allowed to lapse unmanaged. Patient-facing services were protected, with critical contracts renewed compliantly and without disruption.

EcoVate’s engagement with SCFT is now in its third year. That continuity reflects something important: the value of a procurement partnership that goes beyond individual projects to strengthen the function as a whole.