Buy it Together: BIS Collective Purchasing Conference

There is growing interest in groups of people buying goods and services collectively, from communities getting together to buy heating oil in rural areas, local food buying groups and new ways to buy social care.

Collective purchasing involves consumers combining their buying power to buy goods or services together, getting better deals. It also has wider potential to benefit the community, especially in disadvantaged areas. It enables people to develop new skills, can bring the community together and act as a springboard for further community action.

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills invites you to attend the first conference on collective purchasing. The conference will explore how community buying may change consumer behaviour and the role of businesses. It will also consider the effect of the internet and social media in maximising the potential of collective purchasing.

The conference will provide an excellent opportunity to learn more and to exchange views for anyone who has set up a scheme or who simply wants to find out more about the possibilities. It will be of particular interest to:

• Voluntary and community organisations
• Businesses
• Central and local government
• Consumer organisations
• Health, social care, housing and education sectors
• Social innovation organisations

Speakers will be:

• Ed Davey, Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
• Ed Mayo, Secretary General, Co-operatives UK
• Maresa Bassano, Food Co-operatives Project Officer, Sustain
• Richard Bates, Director of Consumer Empowerment Programme, Consumer Focus
• Nick Folland, Legal and Corporate Responsibility Director, Kingfisher Plc

The conference will also launch details of an Innovation Challenge Prize, in association with Co-operatives UK. The prize will run throughout 2012 and is set to inspire new models of collective purchasing from a wide variety of organisations, including community groups and businesses. We will also launch the publication of our Guide to setting up a community buying group.

We hope you can join us. To confirm your attendance, please contact Michael Maynard at Michael.maynard@bis.gsi.gov.uk. You will be given a place on a first come, first served basis. If you are unable to attend, please feel free to pass this invitation onto a colleague.

Please let us know if you would like to attend by Tuesday, November 29th, 2011. There is no charge for this event.