Founded to unite 12 North East local authorities, NEPO is celebrating its golden anniversary by showcasing how a regional partnership can evolve into a powerhouse national procurement service. Today, NEPO stands as a trusted partner across England, collaborating with local authorities, education, health, emergency services and central government to turn billions in public sector spend into real, tangible impact for the communities it serves.
By harnessing the collective buying power of the public sector, NEPO has played a significant role in supporting the North East economy, helping to sustain and create jobs, champion SMEs across the region and beyond, and drive social and economic value through procurement. At the same time, the organisation has continued to challenge convention and innovate, shaping more effective, forward-thinking approaches to public sector procurement.
Driven by its ambition to become the nation’s leading public sector procurement organisation, NEPO launched its specialist professional services solution, NEPRO One, in 2012 in partnership with Bloom Procurement Services, complementing its long-established portfolio of traditional procurement solutions. Since then, NEPRO has evolved into a growing portfolio of specialist, outcome-driven solutions designed to help public sector organisations use procurement as a strategic lever for transformation, resilience and long-term value creation.
The strength of the NEPRO portfolio lies in collaboration, bringing together procurement expertise, trusted partnerships and sector knowledge to respond to the changing needs of the public sector. Most recently, NEPO expanded the portfolio with the launch of NEPRO Innovation, delivered in partnership with Constellia, alongside NEPRO Financial Resilience, delivered by Grant Thornton and EY- Parthenon, further strengthening the support available to public sector organisations nationwide.
NEPO’s commitment to collaboration and continuous improvement has also driven its investment in digital transformation. Recognising the growing need to modernise procurement processes and improve accessibility for buyers and suppliers alike, NEPO developed OPEN, a procurement platform built around the needs of the public sector.
Powered by NEPO, OPEN reflects the organisation’s people-centred approach, combining sector expertise, partnership working and innovation to help shape the future of public procurement.
Nicola Shelley, Managing Director of NEPO, said: “Reaching 50 years is a proud milestone, but it’s also a testament to the power of public sector collaboration. While our roots may lie in the North East, our national expansion shows that a collaborative approach combined with unbeaten expertise can deliver impact nationwide. As the procurement landscape evolves, this year our focus remains exactly where it started and that is using public spend to deliver real value for our members, local people and businesses.”
To mark the next chapter in its long-standing journey, NEPO will unveil a new brand identity that reflects its modern, progressive approach, grounded in people, expertise and strong partnerships across both regional and national networks. The new identity symbolises NEPO’s readiness to tackle modern procurement and commercial challenges.
