WIREDGOV

The Highways Agency has today announced the launch of the second year of its successful supplier recognition scheme, aimed at recognising efforts by suppliers who demonstrate leading performance in driving down costs and delivering even more efficient and effective customer services.

The annual recognition programme, first run in 2011, highlights the important contribution made by the Agency’s suppliers who play a vital role in operating, maintaining and improving the strategic road network in England efficiently and effectively. Entries for this year will be invited from 18 June 2012.

Suppliers including joint ventures, lower tiers, small and medium enterprises and those from across all aspects of Highways Agency business, are being invited to be recognised through a non-financial award in five key business areas for the Agency:

· Managing down cost/improving value.

· Supply chain management.

· Health and safety.

· Building & sustaining capability.

· Delivering sustainable value and solutions.

Highways Agency Director of Procurement, David Poole said:

"After the success of the recognition scheme last year in promoting the hard work of our supply chain, we’re very pleased to be able to continue publicly recognising their contribution and rewarding excellence in the industry.

"We work in close partnership with all our suppliers and want to recognise the important contribution they make towards ensuring we together meet the diverse needs of road users and the communities we serve."

"It is now more important than ever to develop better and broader supply chain relationships and to demonstrate best practice. We hope the recognition scheme will encourage a more effective, professional, and diverse supply chain that can help us to drive down costs and deliver even more efficiencies."

Last year, we received 79 high quality entries for the inaugural awards, which demonstrates the importance our suppliers place on the performance they deliver.

Companies working on Agency projects who would like to submit an entry can do so between 18th June and 20 September 2012, with planned announcement of winners and runners up taking place in December 2012.

Full guidance and entry forms can be found on the Highways Agency website at http://www.highways.gov.uk/business/33530.aspx

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Issued by the Highways Agency’s National Press Office. For further information please contact Alex Barnett on 020 7153 4847. Media enquiries outside office hours should be made to the Highways Agency National Press Office (24hrs) on 0844 693 1448.

1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport. We manage, maintain and improve England’s motorways and other strategic roads on behalf of the Secretary of State.

2. Details of the winners & highly commended entrants to last year’s supplier recognition scheme are available at:- http://www.highways.gov.uk/news/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=422303 < http://www.highways.gov.uk/news/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=422303 >

3. Receive our national and regional press releases by RSS and get the latest headlines straight to your desktop the moment we publish them to our website. Choose to receive a national press feed or one of our regionalised feeds - go to www.highways.gov.uk/rssnews < http://www.highways.gov.uk/rssnews > for more information.

Issued by the Highways Agency’s National Press Office. For further information please contact Alex Barnett on 020 7153 4847. Media enquiries outside office hours should be made to the Highways Agency National Press Office (24hrs) on 0844 693 1448.

Contacts:

Alexander Barnett
Phone: 020 7153 4847
alexander.barnett@highways.gsi.gov.uk

Highways Out of Hours
Phone: 020 7081 7443
pressoffice@highways.gsi.gov.uk