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Insolvency Practitioner Procurement Support
Insolvency appointments move fast, and the last thing your team needs is to be trapped on the phone with overhead suppliers while you are trying to stabilise a distressed business. The Procurement Group helps Insolvency Practitioners both speed up and remove the pain associated with dealing with utilities, telecoms, waste, copiers, consumables and card processing suppliers, drawing on over 20 years of dealing with them in live insolvency situations. Our role is to take the supplier noise away from your team, give you a clear, accurate picture of the position, and secure continuity of essential services on terms that work for you and for the estate. For IP work we operate on a fixed fee agreed clearly at the time of our appointment, and we typically resolve the
key overhead issues within 48 hours of being instructed.
Typical problems we fix
● Agreeing accurate closing reads and site data with energy, water and other utilities so that final bills are correct and defensible.
● Understanding what is genuinely subject to retention of title, especially for stock, leased equipment and consumables, and making sure nothing critical is removed prematurely.
● Setting up new accounts correctly in the name of the appointed office holder or newco, and ensuring online access and billing are configured properly from day one.
● Managing and negotiating continuity of supply where suppliers are nervous, including giving them the right comfort and information so that they keep services live.
● Negotiating extended payment terms that reflect the reality of the appointment, so cash is preserved while you work through stabilisation and options.
How our process works
1. Receive and map supplier details
As soon as we are instructed, you send us the basic supplier pack – recent bills, contracts and any correspondence you have to hand. We quickly map who supplies what, to which sites, and on what terms.
2. Stabilise the position with suppliers
We contact each supplier to advise them of the insolvency status, provide the necessary appointment details, confirm equipment locations and take or agree closing reads where appropriate. The goal is to calm the situation, keep the lights on and stop unnecessary disconnections or removals.
3. Review and correct final bills
We review final and catch‑up bills to ensure that they reflect the correct reads, dates and charges, and challenge any obvious errors or unauthorised fees. Where needed, we negotiate revised bills so that the estate is not paying more than it should.
4. Set up and manage ongoing supply arrangements
For continuing trades or prepacks, we set up new accounts on appropriate tariffs, ensure online access is in place, and manage the early‑stage supplier relationships until things are stable. You get clear reporting on what has been agreed so you can concentrate on strategy rather than admin.
Why IPs use The Procurement Group
Insolvency teams come to us because they want the overhead and supplier piece taken off their plate quickly and reliably, without surprises. We understand the pressures and constraints you work under – from the need to protect creditor value and manage cash tightly, to the practical realities of dealing with anxious staff, landlords and suppliers in the first 48 hours. Because we focus on overheads all day, every day, we know the language, the contracts and the typical sticking points, and we can often get to an agreed position with suppliers much faster than an already‑stretched internal team
Book your 17‑minute call
If you would like to explore how we can support you on current or future appointments, book a 17‑minute call with Simon Unger. We will walk through how you currently handle overhead suppliers on appointments, where the friction is, and whether it makes sense for us to take that piece of work off your hands on a fixed‑fee basis
