The Tender Process

Depending on the estimated contract value, competitive bids must be obtained as follows:

• up to £1000: at least one quote, confirmed in writing
• £1,000 up to £10,000 for goods and services, £20,000 for works at least one written quotation prior to issue of a Purchase Order
• £10,000 (Goods & Services) £20,000 (works) to £50,000: at least three written quotations using the Council's Request For Quotation form
• £50,000 to EU Threshold: formal tender process
• over EU thresholds: EU tender procedures apply

(current EU thresholds: works £3,927,260, supplies and services £156,442)
 
Contract Procedure Rules allow the competitive bid procedure to be waived where the appropriate legal, commercial and operational conditions exist.

Also, we may use existing public sector framework agreements, such as those set up by Office Government Commerce (OGC) and Purchasing Consortiums e.g. Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO), Central Buying Consortium (CBC), North Eastern Purchasing Organisation (NEPO), Yorkshire Purchasing Organisations and West Mercia Supplies to procure goods, services and works.

Tenders

Our Invitations to Tender (ITTs) will include the following elements:

• a specification, with plans or drawings, describing the requirement in sufficient detail to attract competitive bids which can be assessed on a comparable basis
• details of the selection procedure
• award criteria in descending order of importance, with weightings used where appropriate in calculating a final score
• the general conditions of contract which apply, together with any special conditions
• the required programme of delivery

All bidders will be issued with the same information, at the same time, and on the same terms. Award criteria will not normally be changed after bids are invited, but should this become necessary all bidders will be advised of the revised award criteria and reasons for the changes.
 
All bidders must provide sufficient information to determine whether they:

• are financially stable and likely to remain so for the duration of the contract
• have the technical capability to meet contractual quality requirements
• have suitable health & safety, environmental, and equality & diversity records
• have sufficient staff resources and organisational infrastructure. 

Tenders must be submitted to the Director of Finance & Corporate Resources using the yellow return address label provided within the invitation to tender documents.
 
Any tender received after the due date will be returned unopened.

Quotations

Our Request for Quotations (RFQs) will follow a similar format to ITT's but at a less detailed level.  All requests will be on the Council's Request for Quotation form. However, quotations should be sent to the Service Department which requested it.