Local Search: Filling the Supplier Void – Caerphilly County Borough Council

Caerphilly County Borough Council (CBCC) struggled to identify local suppliers because traditional procurement tools often missed sole traders, microbusinesses and SMEs with little online presence. This reduced competition and made it harder to support community wealth building and local economic growth.

The Council also wanted to move away from reactive buying and toward smarter, data driven procurement that supports the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act and its goal to grow the local economy. To do this, it needed a way to engage capable and interested local suppliers who weren’t appearing on traditional procurement portals. Recognising this challenge, the Council partnered with Simply Do to explore how AI could help fill the gap, support wider reform priorities, and create a more inclusive, future-ready marketplace.

CCBC and Simply Do codesigned “Local Search”, a powerful AI enabled discovery tool developed through a feasibility to deployment model. Using natural language processing and machine learning, the system scans structured and unstructured data from websites to social media to identify suppliers who aren’t registered on traditional systems like Companies House or standard procurement portals.

The Local Search tool had enables CCBC to quickly identify and understand local businesses by automatically checking key information, reviewing their online presence, and providing an easy way to contact them in bulk. As a result, procurement officers can create reliable supplier lists far more quickly and with significantly less manual effort.

During to the design process codesigned workshops, supplier focus groups and legal oversight ensured compliance, safe implementation and user centred design. This digital first solution represents a step change, shifting procurement from a manual, siloed methods to a more intelligent, proactive and scalable approach.

The Local Search initiative has fundamentally reshaped how Caerphilly discovers and engages its market. More than 650 previously unknown suppliers have been identified leading to stronger competition, more resilient supply chains and contract awards to multiple local businesses. Early engagement has meant that suppliers now enter the tender process better prepared, improving bid quality and reducing risk in time-critical service areas.

One standout success is a local gas installation company that has secured a three year contract, enabling new apprenticeships, local community investment and growth aligned with net zero ambitions. The initiative is now recognised as scalable and transferable model, with wider rollout planned across Wales. By blending AI innovation with strong supplier support, CCBC has created a procurement approach that delivers social value, economic impact and longterm sustainability.