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Description

Procurement for Non-Buyers: Defining Requirements, Running Enquiries and Contracting

Buying properly when it is not your job but the spend commits the company

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

In many organisations, a significant share of spend is committed by people for whom buying is not their role. Suppliers are chosen out of habit or because of a good relationship with a salesperson, standard terms are signed without being read, and the automatic renewal clause is discovered at the very moment a change of supplier becomes necessary.

Two days to give non-buyers the essential reflexes: writing a requirement that keeps competition open, approaching several suppliers without spending weeks on it, reading a contract before signing it and negotiating the points that genuinely matter. No prior knowledge of the procurement function is required.

Learning objectives

  • Define a requirement without pre-selecting a single solution
  • Organise an enquiry proportionate to the value at stake
  • Compare offers on total cost rather than price alone
  • Identify sensitive clauses before signing a commitment
  • Negotiate the points that genuinely affect the value obtained

What makes this programme different

Examples are based on the spend actually committed by participants
A contract review grid is applied to a document brought by the group
The key reference points fit on a single page usable from day one back at work

Programme

1What a well-prepared purchase changes

Understanding where value is created

  • Position the stages of the procurement process and their effect on results
  • Identify high-stake purchases within your own remit
  • Distinguish between price, total cost and value in use
  • Identify spend committed without any competitive process

2Defining the requirement

Describing a need without naming the supplier

  • Separate the expected function from the technical solution
  • Write requirements that can be verified on delivery
  • Rank what is essential and what is merely desirable
  • Involve users without multiplying requirements

3Running enquiries and comparing offers

Creating competition without spending weeks on it

  • Identify credible alternative suppliers
  • Issue a request for quotation that allows genuine comparison
  • Build a weighted comparison grid
  • Decline an offer without closing the door on the supplier

4Signing and negotiating with full awareness

Reading the contract before accepting it

  • Spot clauses on term, renewal and price revision
  • Check warranties and the scope actually covered
  • Prepare the few points to negotiate before the meeting
  • Know when to involve the procurement function or legal counsel

Who is it for

Operational managers and internal requesters who commit spend for their department, together with anyone required to select a supplier without belonging to the procurement function.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.