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We have to comply with certain rules and regulations when
buying goods and services, which include EU directives on public
procurement.
EU directives on public procurement
Contracts for more than £144,000 of goods and services and more
than £3.6 million for works have to be advertised in the Official
Journal for the European Union. The advertisements have time limits
and htere are procedures to follow.
Financial limits for council transactions
In addition to the EU Directives, our Constitution includes its
own Contract and Tenders Standing Orders, to which all budget
holders must adhere:
- For transactions valued at more than £8,000 but less than
£50,000, at least three written quotations must be invited before a
formal purchase order is issued, specifying the supplies, services
or works, and setting out prices, terms and conditions of contract
and terms of payment. Faxed or e-mailed quotations are acceptable
in these cases.
- For transactions valued at, or more than, £50,000, a formal
tender process must be conducted where no fewer than three
competitive tenders must be sought. The selection of who is invited
to tender is at the discretion of the council and may be informed
by responses to a public notice (advertisement), by invitation to a
number of firms on an approved list or, if there is no approved
list, invited from firms that the council considers
suitable.
More information about our process for contracts and tenders is
available in our
Spending
the Council's Money document and
standing orders.
All contractors working for us should be aware of the contents
of our
Whistleblowing Policy.
Tendering
We tender our contracts to get the best value for money, ensure
our processes are transparent and to maximise competition.
Below is a general outline of the tender process. Not every
stage will be used on all occasions. The size, value and
sensitivity of the contract being awarded will determine the choice
of the tender process used.
- Advertising the requirement
- Expression of interest
- Pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ)
- Evaluation of the PQQ
- Tender documents sent out
- Evaluation of the tender submissions
- Award of contract.
We will accept:
- written queries about your submission
- general questions about any aspect of the process.
We will not accept:
- tenders after the closing date and time
- telephone enquiries (unless specifically invited)
- lobbying for information from elected Members or officers
involved.
Our promise to you
We are committed to using a mixed range of suppliers to help
stimulate a varied and competitive marketplace. To achieve this, we
will take a proactive role in our interaction with suppliers.
We promise to treat each supplier, prospective supplier and
enquirer with fairness and respect. We will be helpful and
considerate at all times to all those who require our assistance.
We will follow a fully auditable process that is compliant with
public procurement legislation and give feedback to unsuccessful
bidders upon request, following the award of a contract.
Our procurement teams
Each of our services is responsible for buying goods and
services that meet their own specific requirements using specialist
teams where appropriate. Non-specific requirements are co-ordinated
across the council to maximise economies of scale wherever
possible.
We have specialist procurement teams for the following
areas:
Social Care
Tel: 01622 221989
Email:
ssmhcontracts@kent.gov.uk
Highways
Tel: 08458 247 247
Property - Construction and Maintenance
Tel: 01622 221278
Email:
property.enquiries@kent.gov.uk
Information Technology
08458 247 247
Waste disposal
08458 247 247
General goods - stationery, furniture
etc
Tel: 0870 600 5368
Email:
ksales@kent.gov.uk
Energy
Tel: 01622 605483
Passenger Transport
Tel: 01622 605935
Preferred suppliers
The only preferred (or approved) suppliers that we use are
for planning, building or maintenance work to our properties and
for domiciliary care.
To be a preferred supplier, prospective contractors are subject
to various checks. Contractors who pass this vetting process are
then listed on our preferred contractor lists.
To find out more information about becoming a preferred or
approved supplier, visit our
property and
social care pages. |