We have been named on Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) RM6364 Media and Creative Services framework on Lot 6 – Events.

This appointment means we can now support central government departments and wider public sector organisations with the planning and delivery of events and experiential activity. Adding to our burgeoning list of Government frameworks, including Communications Marketplace (RM6124), Print & Digital Communications (RM6297) to name just a few in England, as well as our work with the Scottish Government, built up over the last 10+ years across various areas of the public sector.

Our end-to-end support will span event concept, creative development, content and asset creation, production and logistics, and on-the-ground delivery and installation across a Global remit. We’ll help public sector teams deliver consistent, accessible and effective communications across live environments as part of the multimillion-pound framework.

James Lawton-Hill, Marketing and Agency Director at APS Group, said: “Being named as a supplier on this framework is an important milestone for APS Group and recognition of the strength of our team and our capabilities centred around an end-to-end marketing service delivery model.

“Public sector communications often carry real-world importance. Our focus is on being a dependable, ambitious partner – combining our industry-leading creative thinking with operational excellence to help deliver events that are inclusive and effective.”

CCS’s Media and Creative Services framework gives public sector buyers access to media and creative agencies that run full marketing and communications campaigns. It offers one clear way to buy these services through a single route to market.

Crown Commercial Service supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2024/25, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £5.3 billion – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers.

See more about our work for the public sector here.

We’re proud to unveil a world‑first RFID job‑tracking solution at our Preston Brook production facility, a breakthrough that sets a new benchmark for automation, visibility and control across complex, high-volume operations. 

Developed in partnership with BOWE, the fully integrated system automatically tracks every job from the moment data is received, through production, and all the way to the correct outbound mail vehicle. This level of digital oversight removes manual steps, reduces human error, and significantly increases accuracy for clients who operate in highly regulated, time‑critical environments.  

For our clients, the benefits are immediate: 

• complete real‑time visibility of every job on the production floor 

• improves despatch accuracy by guaranteeing the correct job leaves on the correct vehicle at the correct time 

• strengthened logistics planning and forecasting
    

The system also enhances internal performance, giving our teams real‑time data to identify bottlenecks, improve scheduling, and increase capacity planning across the facility. Passive RFID antennas now cover the main production environment, with Phase 2 extending capability further into APS’s smart factory ecosystem.  

Steve Goodall, Group Operations Director, describes the impact:
“This is a genuine game‑changer for APS and the industry. For the first time, we have complete automated visibility of every job from data receipt through to despatch. It fundamentally changes how risk is managed and how confidence is delivered to clients.”  

Steve Basnett, Senior Account Manager at BOWE, adds:
“This deployment redefines job tracking within production print and mail. It shows how intelligent automation and real‑time data can transform operational control at scale.”  

We’re committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation, and this is a major step forward in shaping the future of secure, high‑volume production operations. 

Read the full press release in Print Week 

We’re excited to welcome Jordan Wain as our new Director of Digital Transformation and AI Solutions, a pivotal role that will accelerate how we bring people‑centred automation and next‑generation technology into our work for clients. 

Jordan brings more than a decade of hands‑on experience in AI, automation and data‑driven transformation across brands including The Very Group, PwC and Pets at Home. His focus will be on helping us boost productivity, unlock creativity, and support clients on their digital journeys, all while ensuring AI enhances human expertise rather than replacing it.  

In this new role, Jordan will evolve the capabilities behind our technology platforms, including AgilityCloud and Cohero, turning proven innovation into scalable, repeatable solutions across our global client base. He will also work closely with our teams to identify internal efficiencies that free up more time for strategic and creative thinking.  

“APS has a clear, ambitious vision for where AI and automation can take the business,” Jordan says. “What excited me most was the people‑first mindset. AI should empower experts, not alienate them — and that’s the foundation for the work we’ll be doing here.”  

Nick Snelson, Managing Director at APS Group, adds:
“Jordan’s reputation in AI and automation brings real depth to our team. This is a pivotal hire for APS as we continue to strengthen the value we deliver to clients who want to adopt AI in a controlled, practical and impactful way.”  

Jordan’s appointment is another milestone in our mission to blend creativity, technology and people‑powered innovation, helping clients navigate disruption with confidence. 

Read the full press release in Print Week 

APS has been awarded an EcoVadis Gold Medal for sustainability performance, achieving an overall score of 84 out of 100 in its latest assessment. This places us in the top 2% of companies globally, recognising the strength and maturity of its environmental, social and ethical practices.

EcoVadis is a globally recognised sustainability assessment platform used by organisations to evaluate ESG performance across operations and supply chains. For us, this independent verification plays a key role in our commitment to Trust & Transparency, one of our three sustainability pillars, providing external assurance that our sustainability policies, governance controls and reporting frameworks are robust, credible and effective.

We achieved our strongest scores in the Ethics and Environment pillars, reflecting a long-standing focus on strong governance, responsible business practices and environmental stewardship. These results recognise the practical measures embedded across the organisation, including waste management, carbon reporting, ethical risk management and responsible supplier engagement.

Importantly, this year’s EcoVadis Gold medal rating reflects continued improvement and work already embedded within APS, rather than a fundamental change in approach. We have been assessed by EcoVadis for several years and we have recently focused on strengthening governance structures, improving data quality and ensuring consistency in how sustainability performance is measured and reported across the business. The Gold Medal confirms that these efforts are both mature and well-embedded.

Commenting on the achievement, Andrew Young, Head of Sustainability at APS, said:

“EcoVadis Gold is an important validation of the way we operate as a business. It reflects the strength of our management systems and the collective commitment of people across APS to putting sustainability principles into practice. I’d like to particularly recognise the contribution of our HR, Compliance and Supply Chain teams, who have played a key role in cascading the holistic ESG requirements of EcoVadis into their areas of the business.

“We value external assessments like EcoVadis because they give our clients confidence in how we manage sustainability, governance and risk. This independently assured baseline creates more opportunities to work collaboratively with clients on their specific goals and targets. This is where we see our primary role as a trusted and effective partner in sustainable innovation.

“With our score sitting just one point outside the Platinum threshold, our focus for 2026 is to reach that rating while continuing to support client-led sustainability initiatives.”

Read more about using alternative materials in POS and packaging here