Frequently Asked Questions
We hope these questions help, if you’re still unsure, please get in touch with us and we can answer your question for you!
Who Are Procure Smart
Procure Smart is a dedicated team of switching experts, created to help businesses like yours switch key areas of expenditure to save money.
Procure Smart’s team have been saving businesses money for more than 10 years. We understand that leaders are under more financial pressure than ever.
As a result, we have created a super-easy process for our experts to gather the necessary information to assess your costs and investigate savings, fast.
Speak to us today for a FREE, no-obligation assessment.
Smarter business switching.
Can I outsource all my business procurement needs?
Of course you can!
Many UK businesses lack the in-house resources to efficiently procure the services they need. Without external expertise, they often end up paying way above the going rate without realising.
Procure Smart will undertake a comprehensive audit of your business’ procurement needs and identify areas of your business where savings can easily be made.
What business water services do you offer?
Following the deregulation of the English water market in April 2017, businesses are now able to choose their supplier based on price and quality of service. Our procurement experts will work on your behalf to find the best supplier, with the most suitable deal, and manage the switching process for you.
Our service doesn’t end at switching your supplier. Here at Procure Smart, we go the extra mile to ensure all of your business water needs are accounted for, including:
- Usage Analysis – Thorough analysis of your business’ current water usage, identifying whether you’re being billed for more water than required.
- Bill Analysis – Overcharging is common within the water sector due to unintentional billing errors. Our bill analysis assessment is the smart approach to controlling your expenditure.
- Surface Water & Highway Drainage – Not every business needs to be paying drainage charges. We’ll audit your premises to ensure you’re only paying what you need to be.
- Trade Effluent Negotiations – Are you sure you’re paying the correct trade effluent charge? With years of experience behind them, our team have a proven track record of ensuring our customers only pay the required fees.
What types of energy contracts can you procure for us?
Due to our relationships with some of the UK’s leading energy suppliers, we’re able to negotiate the exact contract required to fit your every business need.
- Fixed-rate contracts – Pre-agreed unit rate (measured in kWh) with your supplier for the duration of your contract. They are the most common business energy tariffs as they enable businesses to maximise the accuracy of their long-term financial forecasts.
- Green energy contracts – A form of contract where some or all of the energy you buy is ‘matched’ by purchases of renewable energy that your energy supplier makes on your company’s behalf. This can contribute to lowering your carbon emissions.
- Pass through contracts – You agree to some, but not all charges upfront with your supplier, with the remainder being ‘passed through’ to you at an additional cost, depending on factors such as your time of usage. These contracts are favoured by many businesses who operate outside of normal operating hours when energy charges are typically lower. However, be warned, whilst savings can be made, pass through contracts make businesses significantly more vulnerable to variable charges.
What business telecoms services do you offer?
Due to our panel of suppliers, we offer a comprehensive business telecoms service which can be scaled depending on your business needs.
Our bespoke solutions include:
- Mobile voice & data – Work flexibly from any location via our combination of industry expertise and major networks accessibility.
- Cloud-based solutions – Our portfolio of cloud telecom solutions delivers first-class network performance and superior uptime levels.
- SIP Trunking – Market leading systems enabling large UK businesses to manage calls over a single data connection.
- Fixed line telephony – Wired networks that support fixed broadband and telephone services across your business.
- Broadband – Find the most cost-effective broadband deals that are bespoke and tailormade to fit your every business need.
- VoIP solutions – Transmit video and telephone via the Internet by implementing the latest state-of-the-art VoIP solutions.
What business waste services do you offer?
Business waste management is complex, with your needs being heavily dependent on the area you operate in and the amount of waste you generate.
Here at Procure Smart, we understand these complexities and offer great prices on an array of services, including:
- Collections – Switch collections supplier to boost savings and maximise your waste efficiency.
- Recycling & Equipment – We’ll provide you with the right tools to ensure your business minimises its impact on the environment in a cost-effective manner.
- Reporting – Track, manage and control your waste expenditure and requirements with our regular and extensive waste reports.
- Food waste consultancy – We provide access to food and waste recycling experts backed by fully compliant state-of-the-art systems.
- Electronic waste – We provide the tools and expertise to enable our customers to ethically dispose of their electronic waste, one of the fastest growing waste requirements.
- Confidential shredding – We partner with expert shredding specialists to ensure that your data is destroyed in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.
What card payments services do you offer?
As with all of our services, thinking holistically can deliver as much as improved rates.
For example, we have customers who have virtualised their solutions to save huge sums on payment machines.
- Face to face payments – Regardless of your requirements, we offer packages tailormade to fit your business needs, including portable, fixed and mobile terminals.
- Online payments – Maximise the e-commerce potential of your business with our wide range of e-solutions including eCommerce, Hosted Form, API Integration and Shopping Cart plugins.
- Terminal care packages – End-to-end account management service with industry experts on hand for your every need.
- Mail order telephone – Our accessible and secure virtual terminal enables your business to take payments over the phone by mail order or online.
Do Procure Smart have any job vacancies?
We are recruiting for sales professionals now. Find out more at www.procuresmart.com/careers
How do Procure Smart make money?
Just like comparison websites, Procure Smart earns commission as a proportion of your spend for each referral we make to a supplier. For most service types, we will not bill you directly. More detail can be found in our terms and conditions.
Why would I use Procure Smart instead of do it myself?
Our Procurement Solutions Managers are experts at what they do with decades of experience in contract negotiation.
We do much more for customers than simply provide great deals. From advice on the market to negotiating plans with suppliers, Procure Smart has helped many businesses access contracts who would otherwise have been left on out-of-contract rates.
We’re always pro-actively engaging with suppliers and the market, meaning we can advise on the most advantageous time to switch contracts.
I have multiple sites; is it better to buy in bulk?
As with most procurement processes, larger purchases can result in improved deals via economy of scale.
However, this can lead to incredible levels of complexity. That’s where we come in, taking a painful task off your hands and handing it to an expert with access to systems and relationships to accelerate the process.
I'm already in a contract. When can i switch?
You can negotiate a new contract no matter the stage of your deal. New deals can concurrently run automatically following your current contract.
It is important to note that agreed contracts are legally binding and must be honoured.
I want help to reduce how much energy my business uses
The best way to reduce costs is to reduce usage!
We can help you create a holistic energy strategy, which will assess all commercial options, including energy management.
From technology to monitoring to renewable generation, we can help you plot the most efficient way forward.
If I leave my details, how will you contact me?
Procure Smart is a distruptor in B2B switching. We are doing things differently to put more power in the hands of UK businesses and make switching faster, simpler and more transparent.
We will reach out to contact you and establish your needs without pestering you excessively. From there, we’ll present prices and explain our recommendation.
What is a Letter of Authority (LOA)?
Signing a LOA allow Procure Smart to discuss your account with suppliers on your behalf.
Don’t see what you’re looking for? Get in touch with us now.
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Discussions with our business procurement experts are 100% free and no obligation. We’re waiting for your enquiry and aim to get in touch within 10 minutes when you submit an enquiry form during business hours.
- Monday - Thursday: 08:00 - 17:00
- Friday: 09:00 - 15:00
- Out-of-hours enquiries phoned ASAP