YPO, the UK’s largest publicly owned buying organisation, has been selected as a finalist in the Education Resources Awards 2014, which celebrates the successes of suppliers and teaching professionals in the UK education sector.
The organisation, which was established and is owned by 13 local government member authorities, has been shortlisted for the Supplier of the Year award in the over £10m category.
YPO supplies public sector organisations with products and contracts, and is 100% publicly owned, meaning that all profits are returned to YPO customers and member authorities. The organisation’s range includes over 30,000 products and 150 contracts, covering everything from pens and pencils, computers and furniture to electricity and insurance. The news follows the launch of the YPO Procurement Service for Academies last year, which is designed to help school business managers navigate through procurement and purchasing processes and achieve value for money.
Simon Hill, Managing Director of YPO, said: “We are extremely proud and excited to have been shortlisted for the Supplier of the Year award. It is great recognition of the hard work and commitment of our teams who constantly strive to deliver the best cost savings and added value services to our customers.”
The award ceremony will take place on 21st March 2014 at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull.

Notes to editors:
- YPO is the largest public sector buying organisation in the UK, established and owned by 13 local government member authorities. The organisation has an expanding list of associate member authorities across the wider public sector.
- Established in 1974 to aggregate the procurement spend of its owning local authorities, YPO has helped drive public sector efficiency savings through its bulk buying power for supplies and centralised contract services initiatives.
- YPO is a member of the Pro5 Group of professional buying organisations in the UK, with a combined purchasing power in excess of £2 billion per annum.