A Derby software house which maintains a national e-procurement system handling more than £10 billion in contracts has marked its fifth anniversary by moving into larger premises and taking on new staff.

Derventio Solutions has set up shop in a new 2.500 sq ft office in Vernon Gate and plans to use the extra space as a springboard for an ambitious expansion plan, which includes the recruitment of four new employees.

The firm, which currently employs 16 people and was previously based in Uttoxeter New Road, has grown steadily over the past five years thanks to a combination of maintaining and developing other organisations' programmes and writing bespoke software for clients.

Among the former is its ongoing work as support partner to In-Tend, a company set up by the University of Sheffield, which owns an e-procurement system used by 10,000 buyers from a wide range of industries, including nearly 500 UK universities and colleges.

The latter, which is an area in which Derventio Solutions plans to invest further, has seen the company launch SchooliP, an online school development and staff performance manager. Developed in partnership with Shireland Collegiate Academy in the West Midlands, it is used by 60 educational establishments nationwide, including Derby College and the city's Landau Forte College.

Derventio Solutions was set up by Stuart Reece, who named the firm after the football team he used to play for on Darley Fields, close to the original Derventio, the Roman camp at Chester Green founded in 80AD.

Over the past five years he has led the company to a position where it is now one of the leading software houses in the East Midlands.

He said: "We are all extremely proud to have reached such a significant milestone, not least because it has coincided with a move that will act as a springboard for further growth.

"We are already looking at taking on new staff as we make a concerted effort to develop more bespoke solutions along the lines of SchooliP, which has proven to us the benefits of working in partnerships with organisations from other industries.

"We have another similar product develop with another partner ready to go and are talking to a number of other organisations in order to develop more problem-solving software."

Before setting up Derventio Solutions, Stuart was IT Director of InfoVision Systems Limited, a leading European software house.

He has more than 20 years of software product experience across a diverse range of applications and has designed and implemented a number of high profile applications, including a parts ordering system used by more than 2,000 JCB dealerships and the award-winning PagePlus, a desktop publishing application which sold in excess of one million copies.

Stuart added: "We get real pride in developing software which enables people to do their job quicker and more efficiently.

"This is why we enjoy working on products such as the e-procurement and School iP systems. Time and again, users tell us how these systems cut down on paperwork and allow them to take more control in their day-to-day roles.

"By working together within partnerships with other companies, our problem-solving approach can continue because, rather than delivering a one-off bespoke package, we can develop systems that evolve over time, meaning that they offer real benefits in the long term."