Page content section :
Council strategies and policies
Procurement - Introduction
We currently spend approximately £2m annually on a wide range of goods and services.
- Financial thresholds
- Select lists
- Advertising our tenders
- Working with businesses
- Our e-procurement programme
- Procurement strategy and improvement plan
The following pages will give you some information about the way we conduct our business, what we're trying to achieve and how you can work with the council in the provision of goods and services.
Financial thresholds
Goods and services contracts
Goods and services contracts that are competitively tested by us are governed by the following financial thresholds :
- below £6,000 - best value - with a written quotation
- £6,000 up to £40,000 - three written quotations invited
- from £40,000 up to £154,000 - formal UK tenders invited
- above £154,000 - formal European Union (EU) tender process
Contracts for works
These have the following thresholds :
- below £8,000 - single quotation
- £8,000 up to £50,000 - written quotations invited
- from £50,000 up to £3.8 million - formal UK tenders invited
- above £3,8 million - formal EU tender process
Select lists
In addition to tendering for individual contracts, we hold a number of select lists of approved suppliers. These are mainly for building work and are usually reviewed and advertised for new applications every three years. For details of the select lists and contacts, please refer to the contracts register on the procurement homepage search results.
Advertising our tenders
Our tenders are advertised in the local and national press and relevant trade journals. At European Union (EU) level (e.g. for goods and services contracts above £154,000 and works contract over £3.86m) - we advertise in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) through an organisation called SIMAP - see the SIMAP website (currently offline http://simap.eu.int/index_en.html). You can find out more in our information for suppliers section.
Working with businesses
We are continually looking to improve commercial flexibility within our procurement practices and to achieve best value for the Council while working within statutory and EU requirements.
Local suppliers are encouraged to tender for our business wherever possible and can find detailed information on how to do business with us in the section information for suppliers.
Our e-procurement programme
We have an e-procurement programme within the Council which will introduce electronic tendering, electronic ordering of goods and payment of suppliers. This will lead to improved efficiency, and a reduction in costs for us and for those who do business with us.
Procurement strategy and improvement plan
Following the government's three year National Procurement Strategy (on the Communities and Local government's website) (www.communities.gov.uk/corporate), we are currently revising our own procurement strategy. This will be available late September 2005.
