Harnessing innovation across the public sector: 4. Westminster’s challenges

IPEC’s ‘Cohort’ programme helps local authorities use the tools available under the Procurement Act 2023 to find, pilot, and scale innovative solutions to the problems they face.

Westminster City Council participated in the last Cohort. The city has a problem with air pollution, not just that from traffic, but also the significant emissions from commercial cooking in the multitude of restaurants in the city.

UKA Live Podcast invited Rikesh Shah, IPEC Head, and Laura Brightwell Peters, Smart City Project Lead at Westminster City Council to tell us how IPEC helped the council to procure, pilot and, importantly, then scale an innovative solution to its problem.

 

• How difficult is it in the public sector to buy an innovative solution to a problem – when you aren’t sure what that solution looks like?
• How did IPEC’s Cohort programme support Westminster in its quest to find an innovative solution to its air quality problem?
• What is the Competitive Flexible Procedure? And how does it enable a more open and experimental approach to procurement.
• How easy was the process? Would Westminster recommend the Cohort experience to other councils?

 

Applications for the 2025/26 IPEC Cohort are still open. Visit https://www.ipec.org.uk/ipec-cohort/ for more information.

Further info: 

• Westminsters’ innovation procurement: https://www.westminster.gov.uk/news/westminster-council-launches-scheme-cut-cooking-emissions-restaurants-improve-air-quality
• Pre market engagement guide: https://www.ipec.org.uk/resource/a-practical-guide-to-pre-market-engagement/
• Procuring innovation playbook: https://www.ipec.org.uk/resource/procuring-innovation-playbook/
• Sentiment Analysis: 2025 questionnaire: https://ortuser.co.uk/ipec-survey
• Sentiment Analysis: 2024 findings: https://www.ipec.org.uk/news/sentiment-analysis2/