Launch of “The Collaboration Playbook” at the Supply Chain Summit 2026
Leeds University Business School and the Institute for Collaborative Working have officially launched “The Collaboration Playbook”.
Leeds University Business School and the Institute for Collaborative Working hosted the annual Supply Chain Summit on Thursday 26th February at the University of Leeds. The event was chaired by David Loseby, Visiting Professor of Research Impact at Leeds University Business School, as part of the School’s “Ideas in Practice” programme.
A purpose-built resource for procurement professionals
The Summit provided the platform for the formal introduction of “The Collaboration Playbook” - a practical, purpose-built guide, designed to help procurement professionals in the public sector to understand, implement, and embed collaborative working practices with appropriate partners across their supply chains.
It was written by Valerie Elliott, Mitie FM Ltd; Professor David Loseby, Leeds University Business School; Professor Jane Lynch, Cardiff University; Graham Martin, Balfour Beatty; Adrian Miller, Institute for Collaborative Working; Hilary Robertson, Sopra Steria; and Bill Taylor, Institute for Collaborative Working, with contributions from subject matter experts from Leeds University Business School, Amey PLC, the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Governments, the Society of Mediators, and Spencer West LLP.
The Playbook was also launched simultaneously in Llandudno, Wales, at the “Partnerships in Construction” event, by Professor Jane Lynch, Cardiff Business School.
Frank Lee, Chief Executive Officer at the Institute for Collaborative Working, comments: “In public procurement, collaboration has become a strategic necessity, fundamental to delivering long-term, sustainable value. We are delighted to launch The Collaboration Playbook, to help procurement teams move beyond transactional relationships to drive innovation, reduce risk, strengthen supply chains, and deliver greater public value.”
Professor David Loseby comments: “We are immensely proud of The Collaboration Playbook, which is the first resource of its kind to be developed through consultation with all four UK government authorities. The Playbook addresses a clear need across the public sector for greater and stronger collaboration between procurement authorities and suppliers. Developed by leading experts from academia, industry and government, the Playbook provides organisations with the tools and confidence they need to embed collaborative practices that deliver measurable improvements – not only across supply chains, but ultimately for the citizens and communities they serve.”
Gareth Scargill, Director at Nexus, University of Leeds, adds: “The Playbook represents a step change: moving collaboration from something that relies on goodwill and experience, to something that is practical, structured, and accessible. It provides real, tangible tools and gives practitioners the frameworks, templates, and shared language they need to create better collaborations - collaborations that are more intentional, more inclusive, and more likely to deliver meaningful outcomes for all parties involved.”
Highlights from the 2026 Supply Chain Summit
In addition to launching “The Collaboration Playbook”, the Supply Chain Summit programme included an opening address by Gareth Scargill, focusing on the importance of collaboration and the unique role universities can play in driving collaboration; a keynote address from Shirley Cooper OBE on why collaboration is an imperative for Small-to-Medium Enterprises; an interview with Matt Browne, Deputy Director for the Cabinet Office on the Government Commercial Function’s perspective of “The Collaboration Playbook”; and a panel discussion with Martyn Gannicott, Commercial Director at National Highways; Simon Reid, Managing Director, Babcock International; Shirley Cooper OBE, Small Business Crown Representative; and Katherine Adams, Head of Collaborative Procurement Servies, Greater London Authority Group.
The afternoon saw a presentation by Gareth Williams, Sustainability Director at the TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU) West Alliance, demonstrating lessons learnt and key achievements of the TRU West programme; a presentation by Adam Hill, Head of the Project Management Office CPD at the Government Commercial and Grants Directorate on how the UK Central Digital Platform has been designed to make it easier for SMEs to bid on public-sector contracts; as well as various breakout sessions exploring different dimensions of collaborative working.
Launch of the Centre for Technology, Operations, and Supply Chain Analysis (TOSCA)
The Supply Chain Summit also marked the launch of the School’s newest research centre – the Centre for Technology, Operations, and Supply Chain Analysis (TOSCA). Centre Co-Director, Dr Mahdi Bashiri, gave an overview of the Centre’s mission to accelerate world-leading research into digital, intelligent and advanced technologies, operations management, and supply chain analysis. Dr Bashiri invited attendees to get in touch with the Centre to explore ways its researchers and business practitioners can work together.
The event was attended by 90 delegates, with representatives from industry leaders, SMEs, trade bodies, government commercial functions, and academics, reflecting the growing interest and momentum behind collaborative procurement practices
Download The Collaboration Playbook.
Read the blog post: The power of partnerships and the need for structured collaboration
Listen to the podcast: Collaboration done right – key traits of successful partnerships
