30 March 2006 | Rebecca Ellinor
Lancashire County Council is to help the voluntary sector compete for contracts with a newly appointed social enterprise procurement officer.
Understood to be the first role of its type in the UK, it entails helping not-for-profit organisations and charities tender more competitively for contracts with the public and private sectors.
Gareth White has been appointed to the job and starts on 10 April.
"The purpose of this post is to support Lancashire's third sector in developing these opportunities. It's about telling them where to look for the chances," he said.
His other responsibilities will include developing the Social Enterprise Lancashire Network into a "commercial hub" for charities, community groups and faith organisations.
White is currently contract manager at the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust.
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