What is procurement?
Procurement is the whole process of purchasing goods, works or services from the initial identification of the business need through to the end of the life of an asset. This could be simple purchases of office stationery, protective equipment, vehicles, consultancy advice, through to more complex requirements such as construction contractors to build new housing, or operators to manage services on behalf of the Council e.g. leisure centres, theatres etc.
There is an obligation upon officers when making purchases and committing Council expenditure to ensure that it is done so in a compliant way ensuring it achieves optimum value for money, which combines cost, quality and social value outcomes.
All procurement activity must be done in a transparent, fair and consistent way as required by the Public Contract Regulations 2015 and World Trade Treaty Principles. Procurement is regulated by various laws and standards.
What are the rules?
The rules the Council must follow are set out in the Contract Standing Orders which acts as the ‘rule book’ that governs the processes by which the Council conducts is procurement and forms part of the Councils Constitution.
The Contract Standing Orders apply to all purchases by the Council of goods, works and services, even those that have been grant funded by external agencies and applies to all Council employees and elected members. It does not apply to contracts of employment or acquisitions and disposals of land or buildings.
Contact the procurement team for more advice.
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