About Us

Merrill Solutions Ltd is about transforming businesses and transforming people. Alastair Merrill FCIPS has over 30 years’ experience working in a variety of international, private and public sector roles delivering transformational change management. With particular expertise in procurement, corporate governance and change management, Alastair has played a leading role in designing and delivering major public procurement reform programmes in countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and has advised globally on procurement reform. As a coach and mentor, Alastair has worked with senior figures in both the public and private sector and is an accredited assessor with the UK College of Policing. If you’d like to find out more about how Merrill Solutions Ltd can help you or your organisation, please get in touch at alastair@merrill-solutions.com.

News & Links

This section contains links to associated websites that may be of interest, as well as occasional articles on procurement and related matters.

News Articles

SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

I was honoured to be invited to give the opening keynote speech to the third General Assembly of the African Public Procurement Network in November, bringing together 44 nations from across the continent to share views on the vital contribution that public procurement can make to socioeconomic development. You can read my speech here.

TRAINING FOR WOMEN-LED SMES IN TANZANIA

Merrill Solutions partnered with the World Bank and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority in Tanzania (PPRA) to develop an online training course for women-led SMEs in Tanzania. Click here to find out more.

SEABORNE FREIGHT PART 3 – PANTOMIME SEASON?

The storm over Seaborne Freight’s contract shows no sign of abating. The latest in the Seaborne Freight Saga is the revelation on the BBC the terms and conditions on the company’s website were cut and pasted from a fast food delivery company....you couldn't make it up! In fairness, the "takeaway terms and conditions" relate to the use of Seaborne Freight's website rather than the contract that the Government gave to them...

SEABORNE FREIGHT PART 2: CHRIS GRAYLING SPEAKS

Chris Grayling’s interview on the Today programme this morning about the Seaborne Freight contract (2.19 into the podcast) bears out my analysis yesterday. Four quotes stand out. “I make no apologies for supporting a new British business”. I applaud government efforts to support start-up businesses through public contracts - all too often SMEs are excluded in favour of big “safe” companies and miss out on the agility, low overheads...

SEABORNE FREIGHT: A CASE STUDY IN NON-COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT

Grabbing the headlines in recent days has been the award of a £13.8 million ferry contract, without competition, to Seaborne Freight, a company that has no apparent assets, no trading history and – perhaps most surprising of all – no actual ferry boats. Conspiracy? Cock-up? Corruption? Or the triumph of hope over experience? Social media has certainly had a field day, with the hashtag #seabornefreight throwing...

Glen Shuraig Consulting

Glen Shuraig Consulting and Eleanor Ryan have worked with me on a range of projects to deliver change and good governance across European countries and the Middle East. Their key skills lie in Governance, Change Management, Project Assurance, and Leadership Coaching and Mediation. Find out more here.

Sustainable Procurement Ltd.

Barbara Morton, founder of Sustainable Procurement Ltd., is an international expert in Sustainable Procurement. She has worked with me on designing and delivering training and educational packages on green public procurement and training for women-led SMEs in the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. Top-class training and advice on all aspects of sustainability can be found here.

Contact

Below you can find links to our social media pages and contact information for enquiries.