Supplier guidance
Where can you find our current opportunities?
We are not required to advertise opportunities with a total value of less than £100,000. Above this level where an Open process is undertaken, we use a range of advertising media (on which we suggest you register):
- opportunities with a value greater than £100,000 are generally advertised on In-Tend
- open opportunities with a value greater than £100,000 can usually be found on the Central Digital Platform - Find a Tender service
This does not include where opportunities arise through Framework call-offs; in these cases, the In-Tend system will be used to administer these.
How to tender for our contracts
Generally contracts are awarded to the supplier that offers the best overall value for money based on a combination of cost and quality.
The tender documents we send out contain full details of our requirements and describe how to complete and return your bid. Follow the steps below to maximise your opportunity to be successful.
- Be clear about how, when and where to return your bid and comply with these requirements.
- Don’t leave it until the last minute to submit your bid; if you are having any problems contact us well in advance of the closing date/time.
- Answer all questions succinctly but thoroughly with sufficient detail and examples to demonstrate your capabilities.
- If you are an existing supplier to the Council, don’t assume that we know your capabilities.
- We will assess your tender based on what it includes so tell us how good you are.
- Be aware of the questions that will gain you the most marks. All of our tender documents include a breakdown of our evaluation criteria including how we will allocate scores and the marks available for each question.
- Provide all information and supporting evidence requested and don’t send us things we don’t ask for.
- Sign and date documentation where instructed.
- Distinguish yourself from the competition.
- Be innovative and offer us creative solutions which meet our needs, add value to our customers and reduce our costs.
If there is anything in our documentation that you do not understand or require clarification on, you should contact us as soon as possible to request further information. Contact details (and the deadline for receipt of questions or clarification) are included in the tender documents we issue. Please be aware that no questions will be responded to after the specified deadline has passed.
How we award our contracts
An evaluation team will consider each tender and score it in line with the evaluation model included in our tender documents. The preferred bidder will normally be the bidder that has achieved the highest overall score following the evaluation.
Once the evaluation is complete, the successful and unsuccessful tenderers will be notified. Depending on the procurement process followed, unsuccessful tenderers may receive written feedback at this point.