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Procurement is the whole life cycle process of acquisition of goods, services and works from third parties, beginning when a potential requirement is identified and ending with the conclusion of a service contract or ultimate disposal of an asset. The 2004 Gershon Efficiency Review1 proposed procurement as one of the main sources of efficiency savings in the public sector. The Learning and Skills Council, which funds England’s 384 further education colleges, estimates that from an annual procurement expenditure of £1.6 billion2, colleges could make £75 million savings by March 2008, which would be available to be redeployed into front-line services for learners.3