IHP launches benchmarking service for Ambient and Chilled Food agreement.

IHP has announced the launch of an Ambient and Chilled Food Agreement that is set to deliver significant savings for Members. Following a highly competitve tendering exercise, IHP has appointed the industry's leading suppliers.

To help Members understand how they can benefit from this new agreement, we've included some answers to some common questions below.

All IHP Members can benefit from a FREE benchmarking service to help them calculate how much they can save on this agreement.

What foods does this agreement cover?

All ambient, chilled or multi-temp foodstuffs are covered within this agreement.

How much can I save?

IHP conducted a thorough and detailed tender and evaluation process which took more than three months to complete. As part of this tender exercise IHP fully benchmarked all prices submitted by the suppliers, and have proven that savings of 25% can be achieved on average, with some individual products reduced by over 60% in price!  The IHP contract prices have been compared to those seen in the healthcare, social housing, and education sectors, and have been consistently better than the prices seen in all sectors.

IHP have had detailed negotiations with all five suppliers, and an effective core list of more than 500 items has been established. These core list items all have specially discounted prices, and the remaining items on all suppliers catalogues all have been given a highly competitive discount from list price.

What suppliers are on the agreement?

A total of five suppliers have been awarded the agreement. They are:

Brakes
3663
AF Blakemore
DBC Foodservice
Kff*

N.B. Kff also supplies ambient food products, and this is what they have been awarded within this agreement.

When does the agreement start?

The agreement started on Tuesday, September 15th 2009, and IHP Members can take advantage of the greatly reduced prices.  An IHP Member currently trading with 3663 or Brakes via the existing IHP agreement, will have had prices automatically reduced to the new pricing since 15th September.  Members currently trading with any of the five suppliers on the new IHP agreement directly, will need to inform IHP that they wish to start trading via this agreement before taking advantage of the pricing. If Members do not inform IHP that they wish to use the agreement, access to the reduced pricing will not be available.

How long are prices fixed for?

Prices are fixed for a minimum of 6 months in the agreement, and can be reviewed no more than twice per year. This ensures stability for IHP members in what is a very volatile market.

What if an item I buy is not on the core list of products?

The core list of products is very extensive, but if a Member is currently purchasing an item which is not on the core list, then this can be simply added at a "local level" to the core list.  A total of 20 items can be added to any IHP Member's core list to ensure that each individual member achieves the maximum savings from this agreement.

Is the agreement fully EU compliant?

Yes, the agreement is fully EU compliant. The agreement was tendered in accordance with all of the regulatory OJEU procurement guidelines, the details of which are available upon request.

How can I find out more about this agreement?

To find out more about this agreement simply contact either Nicola Dunlop or Kimberley Meachin at IHP who will be happy to help you with any further queries you may have. Call 0845 864 5270 or email ndunlop@ihponline.co.uk/ kmeachin@ihponline.co.uk.

Alternatively, come along to our FREE Ambient and Chilled Food Supplier Day taking place 3rd November. Find out more here.