Procurement and Supply Assistant Level 3

The role of Procurement and Supply professionals includes the process of procurement and the buying of goods and services. This qualification includes a Level 3 apprenticeship standard and the CIPS Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Procurement and Supply Operations. Candidates should already be working within a Procurement & Supply related role and be interacting with their procurement team as well as colleagues from other internal departments and external stakeholders such as suppliers.

Course Materials: Procurement and Supply Assistant Level 3 Overview

Duration: 14-17 monthsCourse Fee Information
Procurement and Supply Assistant Level 3

Overview

We offer both Level 3 and Level 4 Apprenticeships with embedded qualifications from The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), formerly the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply. CIPS is a global professional body working for the procurement and supply profession in many regions of the world.

Procurement is essential for any business because it involves sourcing and purchasing goods and services that the company needs to operate. Effective procurement ensures that organisations get the best value for money, maintain smooth operations, and can deliver quality products or services to their customers. Professionals in procurement play a direct role in managing a company’s expenses by negotiating better deals, optimising supply chains, and finding cost-effective suppliers. This helps in saving money, improving profitability, and maintaining competitiveness. Procurement is no longer just about buying goods and services. It has become a strategic function that directly impacts an organisation’s overall performance. A well-run procurement function can improve supply chain resilience, enhance innovation, and support long-term organisational goals. Studying procurement can open doors to diverse career opportunities, develop valuable business skills, and make you a key player in helping organisations optimise resources and achieve their goals.

Read More
Duration:14-17 months
Standard and Level:Procurement and Supply Assistant Level 3 Standard and CIPS Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Procurement and Supply
Entry requirements:
Candidates should already be working within a Procurement & Supply related role and be interacting with their procurement team as well as colleagues from other internal departments and external stakeholders such as suppliers.  Employers may also provide additional entry criteria.
  • CIPS membership required to commence apprenticeship.
  • Candidates must be over 18.

Learners aged 18 who do not have exemptions will still be required to achieve Level 2 Functional Skills.  
 
Learners over 19 will have the option to either opt in or out of Functional Skills training and examinations. For those who choose to opt out, Fareport remains committed to supporting all learners in developing their literacy and numeracy skills by embedding these essential topics within the curriculum and assessments of the apprenticeship.  

To be eligible for an Apprenticeship you (or the apprentice) must:

  • Be living and working in England
  • Be 16 years old or above
  • Have the legal right to work in the UK
  • Have maintained UK residency for the last 3 years
  • Be employed in a real job; they may be an existing employee or a new hire
  • Work towards achieving an approved apprenticeship standard or framework
  • Work at least 30 hours a week
  • Be able to commit to the apprenticeship and its requirements
  • Not hold a prior qualification at the same or higher level in the same subject area
  • Not undertake or benefit from DfE funding during their apprenticeship programme, including Student Loans.
  • Have apprenticeship training and employment that lasts at least 12 months.
Cost:Fully funded through the Apprenticeship Levy or 95% government-funded for eligible employers, with minimal contribution required.

Knowledge


Knowledge (K) – The theoretical understanding an apprentice needs to perform their role effectively. This includes industry-specific principles, regulations, and best practices.

  • K1: The role of Procurement within the organisation and the relevant organisational procurement regulations, policies and processes which must be followed, such as, procedures for obtaining quotes and tenders, purchase order processing and purchase to pay.
  • K2: Value for money concepts including the balancing of quality, price and sustainable considerations or most economically advantageous tender (meat), whole lifecycle costing, 5 rights of procurement and added value opportunities.
  • K3: Supplier approval process and the importance of due diligence checks including legal entity checks, financial appraisal, quality checks and relevant sector approvals, certification and policies.
  • K4: Demand and spend management, analysis and forecasting techniques including quantitative methods such as historical usage, spend and trend analysis, inventory records and re-order levels or qualitative techniques based on stakeholders estimates using internal databases and spreadsheets.
  • K5: The importance of developing and managing key stakeholder relationships such as the internal customer and supplier and the need for prompt and effective communication to support efficient and effective procurement.
  • K6: The need for accurate specifications of requirements which reflect the organisations needs and provides equality of opportunity for suppliers when providing quotes and tenders.
  • K7: Levels of authority and autonomy both for self and other internal stakeholders and how that relates to the relevant procurement procedure and when issues should be escalated to senior procurement colleagues.
  • K8: Development and evaluation of requests for quotes and tenders and use of appropriate terms, conditions and templates
  • K9: The importance of maintaining accurate records and files for procurement in line with organisational and regulatory requirements and for audit purposes.
  • K10: Effective and appropriate communication methods according to organisational requirements, service level agreements and the degree of risk involved and appropriate to the task required e.g. expediting supplies, resolving invoice queries and supplier review meetings.
  • K11: Responsible procurement practices, in making procurement decisions, consideration of the impact of those decisions during the full procurement process on the environment (the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which they operate in) and social (people or groups they work with) elements across the supply chain. This may include the sustainability impacts of procurement and supply decisions on both upstream supply chain and the use of materials, products or applications over the lifetime.
  • K12: Research methods for Procurement including market, supplier and sector research which may include subscription databases, market reports, internet research, trade bodies, press and events, use of market ‘experts’, supplier engagement events etc.
  • K13: The legal and regulatory environment effecting procurement, including the supply of goods and services act and/or public contract regulations.
  • K14: Awareness of the organisation’s contractual obligations towards suppliers e.g. payment terms
  • K15: Understand the 4 processes of negotiation (preparation, opening, bargaining and closure).

More information on the Standard is available here.

Skills


Skills (S) – The practical abilities developed through training and hands-on experience. These are the technical and transferable skills required for the job.

  • S1: Monitor and order products, stock, equipment and services at appropriate times using the appropriate procurement method.
  • S2: Communicate to procurement’s internal stakeholders, suppliers and other stakeholders in order to develop effective relationships and networks
  • S3: Create, maintain and amend purchase order and contract records.
  • S4: Interpret, evaluate and compare procurement information such as historical spend and usage using databases and spreadsheets.
  • S5: Present findings and data in all formats e.g. mathematically, written and oral.
  • S6: Determine value for money (VFM) and added value through the use of Total Cost of Ownership during the evaluation process, and apply the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT) criteria to the evaluation of quotes and tenders to support the recommendation at award. This may include the inclusion of green, low carbon, sustainability, and ethical criteria.
  • S7: Utilise relevant Procurement computer systems or internal databases.
  • S8: Select the supplier of the most appropriate products and services for purchases within their remit and place purchase order.
  • S9: Undertake appraisal of adhoc and low spend suppliers including setting them up on the purchasing system.
  • S10: Effectively research and analyse demand, spend, trends, potential suppliers and industries utilising qualitative and quantitative methods.
  • S11: Develop specifications of requirements and requests for quotes/tenders in line with organisational requirements.
  • S12: Apply considerations of responsible procurement in evaluating potential suppliers, quotes and tenders.
  • S13: Investigate and resolve purchase order, delivery and invoice queries.
  • S14: Own low risk value projects such as supply contracts for stationery, personal protective equipment (PPE) or other consumables, and contribute to higher risk activities such as contracts for building services or machinery, and track, log, expedite and review outstanding orders and stock availability where applicable.
  • S15: Maintain knowledge on all open orders and their status’ and provide assistance to all purchasing staff e.g. expediting and feeding information back to the relevant stakeholders.
  • S16: Able to consider the impact of the decision making process when interacting with the supply chain.
  • S17: Able to support the contract negotiations and mini competitions with suppliers.

Behaviours


Behaviours (B) – The professional attitudes and values expected in the workplace. These include teamwork, adaptability, problem-solving, and ethical responsibility.

  • B1: Be open to change, amend working practices in response to changes in process with a positive attitude.
  • B2: Establish strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders
  • B3: Be open, honest, respectful and reliable..
  • B4: Be enthusiastic and passionate when adhering to company values and engaging in your personal development
  • B5: Be attentive to the detail in any procurement and negotiation activity.
  • B6: Be professional, impartial and unbiased in your communication, advice and recommendations to procurement stakeholders or colleagues.
  • B7: Be self-motivated to develop and learn.

Once an apprentice has completed their apprenticeship, they will be ‘signed off’ by their employer/ provider as ready for end-point assessment of their knowledge and practical capabilities. In most cases, the assessment will be graded and must show the apprentice is fully competent and productive in the occupation. This is conducted by an external independent body.

End Point Assessment consists of:

  • Work based project submission
  • Presentation; question and answer session based on your work based project
  • Interview
  • Portfolio of evidence

The support and communication from my trainer was ideal and allowed my confidence to grow

Q. I am not a resident of England, can I still study this course?
Q. What are the benefits of apprenticeships?
Q. Is Procurement and Supply a good career?
Q. What is the salary of an apprentice?
Q. What is an apprenticeship?
Q. Can I train locally?
Q. Why choose Fareport as your Training Provider?
Q. What is Off-the-Job Training?

Why choose to learn with Fareport Training?

Fareport Training was established in 1981 in order to offer young people a route into work through work based training. In 2014 the business was purchased with support from entrepreneur Theo Paphitis by Natalie Cahill and Marinos Paphitis. Since then we have been building on Fareport’s excellent reputation for high quality training and delivering training and apprenticeships across England. We are proud to offer:

  • Expert-Led Instruction: Gain insights from industry leaders and seasoned professionals.
  • Cutting-Edge Curriculum: Stay ahead with the latest trends, tools, and techniques.
  • Flexible Learning Options: Balance your education with your professional and personal life.

Enquire Today!

Please send us your details by completing this short form below and our Business Development team will be in touch to answer any questions and advise you of the next steps.

Customer Testimonials

Real experiences, real success—hear from our learners and employers about how our training programmes have made a difference.

keyboard_arrow_up