Procurement & Commercial
Advisory that works in practice

Kilden brings more than 25 years of public sector procurement and commercial delivery to advisory work. Specialist expertise in procurement strategy, cost savings and optimisation, Procurement Act 2023 transition, and the execution of complex procurements.

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The Source of Sound Advice

Kilden is a family name. In Danish, kilden means the source, a natural spring. It reflects the principle behind the practice: getting to the original, underlying question rather than the presenting problem.

The founder, Karen Tait-Lane has over 25 years in the public and private sector. She has led procurement commercial strategies across local government, housing, health and in construction.

Services

Procurement Strategy Development

A strong procurement strategy can unlock savings and efficiency, reduce risk, and strengthen relationships with your most important suppliers—all aligned to your objectives (not just your process). Kilden supports you end-to-end, helping you define clear priorities, make informed choices, and produce a practical plan with clear deliverables.

Procurement Act 2023

Whether you are still transitioning or already operating under the Procurement Act 2023, Kilden helps you move from compliance on paper to compliance in practice — including a structured maturity assessment of how well the Act is embedded, practical training, and clear advice from pre‑market engagement and procedure selection through to contract management and delivery. See the Maturity Assessment below.

Cost Savings & Optimisation

With challenging external conditions, leaders are under pressure to improve their cost base—whether through operational efficiency, supply chain improvements, or back‑office simplification. Using a structured, evidence-led framework, Kilden helps you identify the real drivers of cost, test and quantify options, and prioritise the changes that deliver measurable savings while protecting service quality and managing risk.

Procurement Execution

Kilden provides hands-on leadership and programme management to help you deliver complex procurements with confidence, from shaping and running the new Competitive Flexible Procedure, to designing and mobilising Frameworks and Dynamic Markets. We support you from business case through to go-live, bringing clear governance, stakeholder alignment, and practical delivery expertise. After award, we can also provide post-challenge review and recommendations to strengthen procurement process, controls, and outcomes.

Procurement Act 2023 Maturity Assessment

You have been operating under the Procurement Act 2023 for over a year. The question is no longer whether you were compliant at go-live. It is whether it is working in practice.

Becoming compliant before go-live was one task. Knowing how well the Act is now embedded across live procurement and contract management is another. Kilden's Procurement Act 2023 Maturity Assessment provides a score for where you are now compared to where you aim to be across six domains, together with identifying the gap and how best to achieve your aim.

Themes covered

People & Capability Technology & Digital Compliance Data & Reporting Process & Procedure Governance & Accountability Supplier & Contract Management

A sample of the format

Every question is scored twice — where you are now, and where you aim to be — on a four-point scale from Ad hoc to Optimising. A few examples:

People & Capability
How effectively is the Executive Leadership Team providing oversight and accountability for Procurement Act 2023 compliance?
1 Ad hoc2 Developing3 Embedded4 Optimising
Technology & Digital Compliance
Is your digital procurement platform publishing all required notices to the Central Digital Platform accurately and on time?
1 Ad hoc2 Developing3 Embedded4 Optimising
Governance & Accountability
Is there a named accountability lead for Procurement Act 2023 compliance with clear authority, escalation routes and Board-level visibility?
1 Ad hoc2 Developing3 Embedded4 Optimising

The assessment has been designed for organisations with small or part-time procurement functions who need to provide compliance and capability assurance to their leadership team and boards.

It can be deployed from a supported digital assessment, through evidence validation, to a follow-up reassessment of maturity compared to baseline.

Courses

Kilden's online courses were previously offered under the SkillBoost brand, which has now been consolidated into Kilden. Same course, same content, same practitioner behind it.

PA2023

Supplier | Procurement Act 2023

A practical course for suppliers navigating the new procurement regime. Understand what the Procurement Act 2023 means for your business, how to engage effectively with contracting authorities, and what has changed in the rules that govern how public contracts are awarded.

£199
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PA2023

Buyer | Procurement Act 2023

A practical course for contracting authorities and procurement professionals responsible for implementing the new regime. Covers the key changes to rules, processes and obligations under the Procurement Act 2023, with a focus on practical application for buying organisations.

Price on application
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Work with Kilden

Whether you need procurement strategy support, cost savings and optimisation, Procurement Act 2023 guidance, hands-on procurement execution, or training for your team — get in touch to discuss your requirements.

Prefer email? karen@kilden.online

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