Key information

  1. Status: Approved for delivery (available for starts)
  2. Reference: ST0313
  3. Version: 2.2
  4. Level: 4
  5. Typical duration to gateway: 18 months
  6. Typical EPA period: 4 months
  7. Maximum funding: £10000
  8. Route: Sales, marketing and procurement
  9. Date updated: 15/10/2024
  10. Approved for delivery: 17 December 2017
  11. Lars code: 222
  12. EQA provider: Ofqual
  13. Review: this apprenticeship will be reviewed in accordance with our change request policy.

Contents

Contents

Apprenticeship summary

Overview of the role

Buying the goods and services that enable an organisation to operate.

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in small, medium, large, and multinational organisations in private, public and third sectors such as the Local Authorities, Central Government, Education, Finance, Construction, Facilities, Automotive, Manufacturing, Engineering, Health, Retail, Food, Hospitality, IT. 

The procurement and supply chain practitioner are found in organisations where there is a requirement to source and procure goods and/or services in line with national or international procurement laws, or internal governance processes.

The broad purpose of the occupation is the process of procurement or buying of goods and services. Procurement and supply chain practitioners are vital for the smooth functioning of the procurement and supply department in any organisation. They are often responsible for ensuring contracts are correctly administered and maintained in accordance with legislation or the organisation’s own procedures. They will use their knowledge of procurement regulations and internal policies to support the wider procurement team in tasks such as market and supplier analysis, bid, quotation or tender construction and response evaluation, supplier database maintenance, purchase order review and conversion, spend analysis, and stakeholder liaison.

Procurement and supply chain practitioners will also often have purchasing requests and contracts for which they will personally develop requests, invitations to quote, or obtain prices, delivery, and other details from potential suppliers. They will contribute to procurement to enable supplier selection, onboarding, management, and closure and undertake a role in the management of supply delivery and quality assurance. Increasingly this occupation requires an awareness of the sustainability impacts of procurement and supply decisions on both upstream supply chain and use of materials, products, or applications over their lifetime. For example, for procurement and supply decisions they may need to understand how to assess the Scope 3 emissions associated with the purchases that are being made. Procurement and supply decisions about raw materials may consider measures related to sustainable resource consumption, whole-life and circular economy thinking.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with their own procurement team as well as colleagues from other internal departments such as operational functions, finance, legal, IT, sales, and marketing. This role also includes interaction with external stakeholders such as suppliers. This role may involve off site and supplier visits, where they will represent their organisation, and hybrid working. 

Procurement and supply chain practitioners engage with internal and external stakeholders on behalf of their organisations. They may also engage with organisational sustainability teams, audit departments, the company secretary, or financial teams responsible for statutory and general reporting, including issues around managing and mitigating an organisations carbon footprint. 

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for the work of procurement and supply chain professionals which include the process of procurement, or buying goods and services; however, these roles can be much broader than just procurement. These roles cover a range of related commercial activity such as influencing policy, financial analysis, engaging in contract law, and developing strategy to deliver services. The variety of goods and services that procurement professionals are responsible for is vast. Goods could range from buying a plane to negotiating new stationery supply. Securing services could include finding new and innovative IT systems, outsourcing translation services or closing a deal on a construction project for a new building.

Procurement and supply chain practitioners will work on their own and in a range of team settings. They work within agreed budgets and available resources, and report to senior managers. They may occasionally be responsible for decision making, but more often will guide or influence the decisions of others including collecting and interpreting data to find trends, updating databases, analysing spending and supplier performance, and identifying ways to save money and improve efficiency. 

 

Typical job titles include:

Assistant buyer Green leaf Category buyer Green leaf Commercial analyst Green leaf Contract associate Green leaf Performance monitoring officer Green leaf

End-point assessment summary

ST0313, Procurement and supply chain practitioner level 4

This is a summary of the key things that you – the apprentice and your employer need to know about your end-point assessment (EPA). You and your employer should read the EPA plan for the full details. It has information on assessment method requirements, roles and responsibilities, and re-sits and re-takes.

What is an end-point assessment and why it happens

An EPA is an assessment at the end of your apprenticeship. It will assess you against the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) in the occupational standard. Your training will cover the KSBs. The EPA is your opportunity to show an independent assessor how well you can carry out the occupation you have been trained for.

Your employer will choose an end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) to deliver the EPA. Your employer and training provider should tell you what to expect and how to prepare for your EPA.

The length of the training for this apprenticeship is typically 18 months. The EPA period is typically 4 months.

The overall grades available for this apprenticeship are:

  • fail
  • pass
  • distinction


EPA gateway

The EPA gateway is when the EPAO checks and confirms that you have met any requirements required before you start the EPA. You will only enter the gateway when your employer says you are ready.

The gateway requirements for your EPA are:

  • achieved English and mathematics qualifications in line with the apprenticeship funding rules
  • for the interview underpinned by portfolio of evidence, you must submit a portfolio of evidence

  • passed any other qualifications listed in the occupational standard

For the procurement and supply chain practitioner, the qualification required is:

CIPS L4 Diploma in Procurement and Supply

Assessment methods

Presentation with questions

You will produce and deliver a presentation to an independent assessor. You must submit your presentation slides and any supporting materials to the EPAO by the end of week 4 of the EPA period. The presentation and questions will last at least 45 minutes. The independent assessor will ask you at least 5 questions.


Interview underpinned by a portfolio of evidence

You will have an interview with an independent assessor. It will last at least 60 minutes. They will ask you at least 6 questions. The questions will be about certain aspects of your occupation. You need to compile a portfolio of evidence before the EPA gateway. You can use it to help answer the questions.



Long written test

You will complete a test requiring long written answers. It will be closed book, meaning you will not have access to any books or reference materials.

The test will have 4 long response written questions. You will have 180 minutes to complete it.


Who to contact for help or more information

You should speak to your employer if you have a query that relates to your job.

You should speak to your training provider if you have any questions about your training or EPA before it starts.

You should receive detailed information and support from the EPAO before the EPA starts. You should speak to them if you have any questions about your EPA once it has started.Reasonable adjustments

If you have a disability, a physical or mental health condition or other special considerations, you may be able to have a reasonable adjustment that takes this into account. You should speak to your employer, training provider and EPAO and ask them what support you can get. The EPAO will decide if an adjustment is appropriate.


Professional recognition

This apprenticeship aligns with Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply for Diploma Membership

Please contact the professional body for more details.

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Employers involved in creating the standard: Amey, AstraZeneca, Atkins, Babcock, Balfour Beatty, BT, Cabinet Office, CGI, Crown Commercial Services, Department for Education, Department of Health & Social Care, Equans, Foodbuy, ISS, Jacobs, KFM, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Lincolnshire County Council, MAG Airports, Meggitt, Microsoft, Mitie, Ministry of Defence, National Grid, NatWest, Quantum 360, Serco, Sodexo, Sopra Steria, Thales, Thwaites, Tilbury Douglas Limited.

Version log

Version Change detail Earliest start date Latest start date
2.2 Occupational standard, end-point assessment plan and funding band revised 15/10/2024 Not set
2.1 End-point assessment plan revised 13/04/2023 14/10/2024
2.0 Standard and End-point assessment plan revised. 09/09/2017 12/04/2023
1.0 Approved for delivery 03/02/2016 08/09/2017

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