THE COUNCIL'S TENDER PROCEDURES
Introduction
All procedures relating to the purchasing of goods and services are established in the Council's Contract Standing Orders.
The Council’s Pre-qualification Process
European Level (OJEU) Tenders
The Council is obligated to advertise all its requirements for goods, works and services above a certain financial value (hereafter referred to as European level) in a publication called the Official Journal of the European Union (generally referred to as the OJEU), which is available to all suppliers across the European Union. The financial values are reviewed every two years and in January 2008 were set as follows:
Goods and Services - £139,893
Works - £3.497million
The Council has a pre-qualification questionnaire (known as the PQQ) which would be issued to all companies expressing interest in an advertised tender at European level. The more complete the information provided is, the more easily the Council will be able to differentiate between a large number of companies expressing interest and a smaller number of those most suitably qualified to be issued with tenders.
For Works and Property related procurements the Council normally uses the “Constructionline” accreditation service. Any Company already registered with Constructionline need only complete a small part of any Pre-Qualification Questionnaire issued for these procurements. Details of which sections to complete will be clearly indicated in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire.
Below European Level Tenders
As part of its drive to make things easier for small to medium enterprises (SMEs), the Council, along with all others in East and West Sussex, is adopting a common format and simplified Pre-Qualification Questionnaire for below European level tenders, the basis of which is supplier self-certification. To view the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire please click on the link at the bottom of this page.
It is hoped that the deployment of this simplified process will encourage more small and medium enterprises to apply for council business.
Selection Criteria
When suppliers respond to a tender advert or OJEU Contract Notice they will be sent an Application Information Pack. This Pack will typically contain as a minimum, background information about the tender requirement, the evaluation criteria and a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) for the supplier to complete. Completion of this questionnaire enables the Council to assess an organisation's suitability for delivering a particular service, product or works. This short-listing process saves both the Council's and the supplier's time and effort being unnecessarily spent on completing tender documents by companies who cannot meet the minimum selection criteria.
Tender Process
Suppliers with successful applications will be sent a set of tender documents for completion and return to the Council by the return date.
Returned tenders are evaluated against a set of pre-determined criteria usually by a panel of officers. Evaluation will focus on examining how the tender proposals will deliver the service (quality), the quality of goods (where appropriate), and the cost of the service (price) over its whole life. This would give consideration to operating costs, repairs and maintenance charges, anticipated lifespan and ultimate disposal fees for any product or service.
Award Criteria
The Council normally awards on the basis of most economically advantageous quotation/tender based on price, quality of goods, works or services, technical capabilities of the tender, and compliance with the Specification and Conditions of Contract.
Contract Monitoring
The Council monitors suppliers’ performance to ensure Best Value is being delivered. This includes regular review of the contract with suppliers and the monitoring of the provision of goods or services. You will be expected to provide the services in accordance with the requirements set out in the contract documentation and your proposals to carry out the contract.
E-procurement
E-procurement is playing an increasingly important part in all aspects of the procurement process, including the tendering process. For example, the Council produces its OJEU notices on-line as well as using e-mail facilities to transmit supplier appraisal questionnaires and tender documents to suppliers if required. Future developments may see the Council looking to move towards online ordering and automating the payment of invoices. Depending on the nature of the contract, you may well be asked about the extent that you are able to deal with us by these methods.
Approved Supplier Status
All suppliers on formal Council contracts or Framework agreements are “Approved Suppliers” i.e. they have been financially and technically approved. It is possible to also be an “Approved supplier” through registration with the Constructionline accreditation scheme, which Horsham District Council uses for building/property related procurement.
The Council’s position on Select Lists, Framework Agreements and other Approved lists (including Preferred Suppliers) is set out below:
Select Lists
Establish and maintenance of Select List can be expensive and time consuming to both the Council and suppliers. The Council has therefore decided to no longer maintain a Select List.
The main requirement for a select list of contractors was in the field of property procurement, and suppliers registered on the Constructionline accreditation scheme are now used instead, as and when there is a specific requirement.
Framework Agreements
These are generally for a much smaller number of suppliers who have pre-tendered and could expect to receive work generally within a shorter period. They are advertised every 4 years and are competitively tendered for. The Council uses a number of Framework Agreements that have been let either by Horsham District Council or other public bodies. Examples include:
- Print Services contract – let by Horsham District Council on behalf of all Sussex councils
- Sussex Consortium Stationery and Office Furniture contracts – let by West Sussex County Council on behalf of all Sussex councils
- Fixed line telecommunication services contract – let by Bracknell Forest Borough Council on behalf of all councils in the South East Centre of Excellence (SECE) region.
- Mobile phone telecommunication services and multifunctional devices contracts – national contracts let by OGCbuyingsolutions for all public bodies in the United Kingdom.
Pan Sussex Self Assessment Pre-Qualification Questionnaire
Pan Sussex Self Assessment Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (48kb)
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