Whether you need to obtain quotes or go out to tender depends on the amount of money you will be spending. The basic principles to determine the procurement route are set out below.
The four main routes are:
- Evidence of value for money
- Three written quotes
- Local Tender (open to national suppliers)
- Above Threshold Tender (open to national and international suppliers)
| Goods/Services | Works | |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence of value for money | Below £20k | Below £20k |
| Three written quotes Include at least one local supplier if possible Can use SE Shared Service Portal if desired. | £20k – £50k | £20k – £100k |
For the following tender routes always contact the Procurement Team before proceeding
| Goods/Services | Works | |
|---|---|---|
| Local Tender Process To be advertised on SE Shared Services Portal (and Contracts Finder) | £50k – £213,477 (£177,898 exc VAT) | £100k – £5,336,937 (£4,447,448 exc VAT) |
| Above Threshold Tender To be advertised on SE Shared Services Portal (and Contracts Finder and Find a Tender) | Above £213,477 | Above £5,336,937 |
Important Note: The value of the contract is not the annual value but the total contract value, including all associated costs for the duration of the contract period. For example if the annual contract value is £5,000 and the total contract period was 4 years, the total contract value would be £20,000.
In addition, for any proposed procurement with a total contract value of £100,000 or more must be approved at Corporate Governance Board.
In-tend e-tendering Portal
The Council has a requirement to ensure all procurement processes are carried out electronically.
All council opportunities above a value of £50k must be advertised on the portal, it is also recommended for those above £20k.
To facilitate this the Council uses the SE Shared Services Portal (In-tend) to manage all tender processes, this provides a simple, secure and efficient way for managing tenders and communication with the supply chain.
The portal requires suppliers to register and create a free account to access tender documents and submit a bid. The portal gives suppliers access to opportunities within the Shared Procurement Service as well as authorities from across Surrey, Sussex and Brighton & Hove.
Framework Agreements
Framework agreements can be used as an alternative to the thresholds detailed above as they are a compliant route to market
A framework agreement is created when one public body undertakes a tender exercise on behalf of one or more other public bodies.
For more information on framework agreements and how to access them for your project contact the Procurement Team.
Contract Award Process
Governance is important when awarding a contract. Officers need to ensure they have the right ‘approval’ in order to award and enter into a contract. This is dependent on the value of the contract and aligns with the Council’s scheme of delegation as set out in the Constitution.
| Goods/Services and Works | |
|---|---|
| Below £20k | Executive Head or authorised officer |
| £20k – £50k | Executive Head or authorised officer |
| £50k – threshold | Relevant Executive Head and authorised officer |
| Above threshold £213,477 | Below £1,000,000 – relevant Executive Head and the s.151 Officer £1,000,000 and above – approved by the Cabinet. |
Contract award decisions which are above the applicable threshold must be published on FTS as well as on Contracts Finder. You will also need to consider the need to comply with the Officer Decision Notice publication requirement where the contract award is a key decision (threshold is £100k).
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