Strategy
DDC seeks to use existing, collaborative, pre-let contracts where they are available and advantageous to DDC. Where none are available DDC will approach the market in collaboration with other local authorities or in its own right.
Financial Thresholds
The following thresholds govern the way we procure works, goods or services:
Goods, Services or Works
Contract Value
|
Procurement method
|
From (£)
|
To (£)
|
|
0
|
1000
|
1 quotation.
|
1001
|
3,000
|
2 quotations.
|
3,001
|
50,000
|
3 quotations.
|
50,001
|
EU Threshold
|
Tender through advertisement.
|
Above EU Threshold
|
|
EU regulated tender/dialogue.
|
Quotations will normally be requested by individual officers to meet their own requirements.
Tenders are in the main sought with specialised advise from the Corporate Procurement Officer. Tenders are returned in a sealed envelope and all opened at the same time. This is to protect against collusion or other irregularities in the tender process and ensure fair, open, and non-discriminatory competition.
Advertising
How we advertise our contract opportunities is dependent on value and type of work.
Adverts may give you an outline of the requirement and in some cases the criteria by which the award of a contract will be determined.
Tenders for Goods and Services are advertised in www.sourcenorthamptonshire.co.uk and possibly one or more of the following:
European Procurement Directives
The European Procurement Directives are incorporated into the Public Contract Regulations (SI2006 No5). Their purpose being to ensure that there is free trade movement of goods and non-discriminatory competition across the European Union. For public authorities this means that all contracts above certain values must be advertised across Europe.
The Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) publishes all tender opportunities and also details of their award (www.ted.europa.eu/)
Contracts above the following values are advertised in the OJEU
Supplies or Services £173,934
Works £ 4,348,350
Tenders
Through advertisement, or by invitation, you will be asked to express an interest (EOI) in a particular contract. You will then receive an invitation to tender (ITT).
However, in some cases you will be asked to complete a pre qualification questionnaire (PQQ). These will be assessed and if your PQQ is acceptable then you will go through to the next stage which usually means you will be sent an Invitation to Tender (ITT).
Pre-qualification is often used for works and services contracts where the business needs to be robust and where technical capability is critical or where the number of potential bidders is too large and a short listing process is a more effective option.
Tender documents will normally consist of the following:
-
Letter of invitation
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Instructions to the Tenderer – detailing tender dates, times, method of return etc.
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Specification – detailing what is required
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Conditions of Contract – the terms and condition under which the contract will operate
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Price Schedule/Details of Offer
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Selection and/or Award Criteria
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Form of Undertaking – agreement to abide by the terms and conditions expressed in the bid
Instruction for returning documents and submissions
Tenderers must read all the documentation carefully and comply with the requirements of completion and submission of documents.
Tenderers must return their documents and submissions by the means specified and at the required time and date.
Tenders are all opened at the same time. They are then evaluated in a fair and auditable manner using the criteria for award specified in the invitation to tender. Deviation from the published award criteria is illegal.
Award Criteria
The Council is required by government to ensure value for money and in doing so recognises that there are a number of factors to be considered when evaluating bids. Best Value includes considering whole life costs for our procurements. For each contract the criteria used and its relative value may differ and will be weighted accordingly. Every tender will have a tailored set of award criteria that will be detailed in the ITT.
These may include: Price, quality, aesthetic and technical considerations, service and technical support, whole life costs, environmental and social implications, etc.
Conditions Of Contract
In addition to specification all tenders will include conditions of contract, which will apply to any resulting contract. The Council has a number of standard conditions that it applies to all contracts. Some of these conditions relate to the standards the council sets for itself and any of its suppliers/contracts like equality of opportunity and health and safety. Others reflect financial considerations such as Insurance cover and default clauses etc. In addition there will be contract clauses that are contract specific and relate such things as performance and delivery.
Tendering Do's and Don'ts
Contract Award
Once the contract has been awarded, both successful and unsuccessful tenderers will be notified. Notifications for contracts over EU Procurement thresholds will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
The council is always prepared to debrief unsuccessful tenderers to assist them in developing their abilities to tender for future contracts. This is reflected in EU Procurements where a "standstill" period is allowed in which unsuccessful bidders have the opportunity to ask for debriefing before a contract is awarded.
Performance Monitoring
Contracts will be monitored to ensure that they provide works, goods and services to the standards of quality and performance agreed.
The contract you have may include conditions relating to your contribution to this process by providing reports, permitting access to site and attending review meetings.
The council wants to work to continually improve the way in which it provides its services and considers its suppliers and contractors have a valuable contribution to make towards this aim.
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