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Overview
The Procurement and Supply Chain Practitioner (Level 4) is an ideal career progression route into the Procurement & Supply industry, or those already working within the Procurement & Supply industry. Taking approximately 24-30 months with an additional 6 months for gateway / EPA, the qualification is equivalent to a HNC (Higher National Certificate). Typical job roles associated with the programme include Commercial Support, Commercial Analyst, Sourcing Executive and many more.
Start date: Flexible
Typical duration: 24-30 Months (depending on hours worked each week)
Location: Nationwide (England)
Entry Requirements
- Candidates must have maths and English GCSE’s at grades A*-C/9-4 or equivalent
- A minimum of at least two A-levels (or international equivalent) or a CIPS Level 3 Advanced Certificate qualification is required
- Alternatively, you will need a minimum of two years’ relevant experience in a business environment
Procurement and Supply Chain Practitioner Apprenticeship Features
Throughout the apprenticeship you’ll gain the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed for your chosen role and industry. To help you with this, you can expect to study the following subject areas:
- Context of Procurement and Supply
- Using Digital Tools and Software in Procurement
- Category Management
- Sourcing and Contract Agreements
- Supplier Management
During your apprenticeship you will gather evidence as part of a portfolio to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and behaviours.
This will include:
- Completion of workbooks and knowledge questions.
- Virtual observations, carried out in line with data protection and GDPR requirements.
- Recorded professional discussions to capture reflective learning and understanding.
- Witness testimonies from managers to verify on-the-job performance and competence.
Forget about lugging around all your work. The online iLearner e-portfolio system means all your work can be uploaded directly to your account and accessed wherever you go.
The system is easy to navigate and full guidance will be provided through our iLearner handbook and from your tutor through one-to-one support.
You will also complete the CIPS Level 4 Diploma in Procurement and Supply alongside your apprenticeship.

Off-the-Job Training
Off-the-job (OTJ) training is a mandatory part of all apprenticeships funded by the Department for Education. Each apprenticeship standard has a set number of OTJ training hours that must be planned and completed. If you have no prior learning and your apprenticeship duration and funding have not been reduced, you are expected to complete the full number of OTJ hours as specified in the standard.
There is no requirement to increase OTJ hours for part-time apprentices. This includes those working less than 30 hours per week or on zero-hour contracts. The training must be realistic and aligned with the standard’s set requirements.
OTJ training takes place during your normal working hours and involves learning activities that are directly related to your apprenticeship. This could include one-to-one sessions with a tutor, preparing for assessments, role-playing workplace scenarios, attending training sessions or webinars on key industry topics and individual study time to complete coursework.
To check the minimum required hours for your apprenticeship, please use the link below:
View Apprenticeship Hours Requirements
The End-Point Assessment
As part of your Procurement and Supply Chain Practitioner Apprenticeship, an End-Point Assessment (EPA) will be completed to demonstrate your development and growth. You can achieve either a Pass or Distinction based on your final grade.
Portfolio-Based Interview
During your apprenticeship, you will work on a project based around an appropriate process or problem related to your job role. Once this is completed, you will create a project report, including an executive summary, research and findings, recommendations and conclusions, and several other key areas. The report will then be submitted to an independent assessor.
Presentation & Questioning
You will create a ten-minute presentation on your work role and responsibilities relating to commercial procurement and supply. This will be presented to an independent assessor, as well a technical expert. Once the presentation is complete, you will be asked questions regarding the skills, knowledge and behaviours you have developed throughout your apprenticeship. This presentation is completed face-to-face.
Case Study Test
This is part of the final exam for the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) Level 4 Diploma in Procurement and Supply
Once you have completed your interview and presentation, you will complete a remotely invigilated test covering one of your learning objectives from the apprenticeship. You will be asked to complete 4 essay style questions on one of these topics to gauge your knowledge and understanding of the concepts and practices you have learned throughout your learning journey.

Go Further
Once you’ve completed your Procurement and Supply Chain Practitioner, there are several progression routes available, dependent on your industry and job role:
Once this apprenticeship is completed, you are eligible for an equivalent membership to CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply).
You can also progress into a variety of different job role, such as Senior Buyer, Senior Merchandiser, Senior Commercial Analyst and many more!
Contact us for further information!
Call us on 01246 278931, email info@apprenticeteam.co.uk or fill in the contact form below to check availability and for further advice about the next steps.
Our team will be happy to advise you on additional programmes we provide and can help point you in the right direction for any learning requirement not delivered by Apprentice Team Ltd.

