Applying for a contract

The contract notice or advertisement will invite suppliers to submit an expression of interest or to submit a quotation or tender. The advertisement on the Procurement e-tendering portal will detail the procedure to be followed and what information is required from you, the supplier. It is essential that suppliers provide all of the requested information (you will lose scores where there are gaps in your information).

It is crucial that where a quote/tender closing date and time is set that suppliers leave plenty of time to submit their bids. Suppliers are advised to allow tolerance in their timescales to be able to cope with any unforeseen hiccups such as their computer running slowly, a power cut etc. as tenders received after the due date and time will be rejected by the Authority for probity purposes.

The Authority applies the principle of “proportionality” to its quotation/tender exercises which means that the level of testing of suppliers’ commercial and technical capability and compliance increases with the value and risk in the procurement.

Commercial information

In general, the information requested under the commercial banner is about the organisation itself rather than the product or service in question.  The Authority needs to verify that the supplier can be identified as a legitimate discrete trading organisation (address of office, registration number and company group information), that it has acceptable levels of economic and financial standing and that it promotes good practices in areas of equal opportunities, environmental protection and health and safety, for instance.

Financial information

Suppliers may be asked for certain financial information e.g. audited accounts and sometimes references are taken from credit checking agencies.  Information is also required to check that a supplier is registered (if appropriate) for tax and complies with the Authority’s insurance requirements.

Experience, technical ability and capacity

The Authority will also assess whether a supplier has the relevant experience, technical ability and capacity to carry out the categories of work or to provide the type and quality of service required.  If an application relates to a specific contract, it will be necessary to provide references.  Visits to reference sites may also be required.  Further questions may be asked tailored to the needs of the individual contract and the responses and supporting evidence will be used to assess whether a supplier has the required level of skills and abilities to fulfil the contract.

Health and safety

Depending upon the nature of the goods/service/works, suppliers may be required to submit their Health and Safety Policy.  Subject to compliance with European Procurement Rules and Regulations other information may also be requested from suppliers such as:

Equal opportunities

The Authority strongly supports equal opportunity, equal access and positive outcomes for all sections of the community. The Authority aims to ensure that suppliers that provide services on behalf of the Authority comply with equal opportunities legislation and promote equality of opportunity.

Sustainability: Social, environmental and economic sensitivity

The Authority is committed to protecting the environment and ensuring a better quality of life for everyone now and for future generations.  The Authority expects its suppliers to commit to working with us to reduce adverse impact on the environment in service delivery and particularly to assist with our aspirations to become a carbon-neutral authority.

Quality assurance

For certain contracts including works contracts, suppliers may be required to demonstrate that they have a suitable quality assurance system in place. This may be demonstrated by certification by an approved assessment company or by our review and acceptance of the organisations quality manual.