Procurement

Introduction

The purpose of this guide is to provide information and support to all potential suppliers who wish to tender for goods, works and services, and do business with Northern Constabulary.

This guide:

Provides information on how to find out about Force contract opportunities
Advises potential suppliers about how to apply for Force contracts
Explains the Force's tendering methods
Outlines our policies and commitments

Best Value and Value for Money

Best Value provides the statutory basis upon which the Force plans, reviews and manages its performance in order to deliver continuous improvement in all that it does. Achieving value for money underpins this requirement.

"value for money is defined as the optimum combination of whole-life cost and quality (or fitness for purpose) to meet the customer's requirement"

When considering value for money the Force is looking to purchase Supplies, Services and Works at the:

right price (taking into account whole life cost)
right quantity
right quality (that is fit for purpose)
right time
right place

additionally, we are constantly looking to do business with the "right supplier(s)"

Value for money is not just about accepting the lowest "initial" purchase price but ensuring cost efficiency and effectiveness.

Rules and Regulations

The main areas that affect how the Force purchases Supplies, Services and Works are the EC Procurement Directives, domestic legislation (Public Contracts (Scotland Regulations) 2006) and our own procedures which are set out in Northern Joint Police Board Contract Standing Orders).

Most contracts for Services and Supplies with an estimated (whole life) value of greater than £139,893 must be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). Contracts for works exceeding £3,497,313 must also be advertised in the OJEU. Even where contracts have an estimated (whole life) value lower than the thresholds for Supplies, Services and Works, the Force has an obligation to ensure adequate advertising of these opportunities. Taking into account factors such as the relevance of the contract to the internal market and the customary practice in the relevant sector the Force will seek to ensure that contracts with a value of greater than £15K are subject to adequate publicity.

All procurement in the public sector is subject to the rules and principles of the EC Treaty. These principles include the free movement of goods, the right of establishment, the freedom to provide services, non-discrimination and equal treatment, transparency, proportionality and mutual recognition.

Suppliers Charter and Standard Qualification Questionnaire

The Force committed to meeting its obligations as set out in the Suppliers' Charter. The Suppliers' Charter outlines the commitment of the public sector in Scotland to:

Develop public sector procurement processes with the aim of ensuring fairness and transparency
Consult with business on an ongoing basis to achieve change

Specifically the Suppliers' Charter commits the public sector to the adequate publicity of contract opportunities below the OJEU threshold limits, the use of a core (pre- qualification) questionnaire and debriefing of suppliers' on request.

How to find out about contract opportunities

A list of current opportunties is available at this website.

The Force Procurement Department will seek to ensure that adequate publicity is given to all contract opportunities with an estimated value of £15K (excluding VAT). The value of any contract opportunity should represent the total price over the period of the contract, which may cover a period of several years.

Contract opportunities are generally advertised as follows:

Contracts with a value in excess of £15K: Force website and at www.publictender.co.uk
Contracts with a value in excess of £50K: Force website, www.publictender.co.uk and Government Opportunities
Contracts in excess of £139,893 (Supplies and Services), £3,497,313 (Works): Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), Force website, www.publictender.co.uk and Government Opportunities.

All contracts which exceed the thresholds values in the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 are subject to a minimum of 37 days advertising to allow for interested parties to express an interest (except where the Regulations permit a shorter timescale). For those contract opportunities not or not fully subject to the provisions of Public Contract (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (e.g. sub-threshold contracts) a minimum of 10 days advertising is required.

For further information on the public tender service is available from:

Linda Davidson:
Euro Info Centre
Tel: 01463 715400
Fax: 01463 715600
eic@euro-info.co.uk

Important: Please note that you cannot apply for a contract that has not been advertised. The Force does not have a preferred supplier list.

Method of tendering

The Force generally uses the Restricted procedure (where the contract is above the EC Procurement thresholds) or an equivalent method proportionate to the scale complexity and risk of the proposed contract, where the estimated contract value falls below the EC thresholds.

An advertisement is placed inviting expressions of interest. Interested parties will be sent a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) for completion and return to the Procurement Department. Only suppliers who pass the pre-qualification stage will be invited to submit a tender.

The PQQ is designed to help us learn more about your business's previous experience, skills, technical capacity.

If you are invited to tender. An Invitation to tender document will typically include:

a covering letter
Instructions to tenderers, including relevant background documents and information for the tenderers (including date and time of submission and award criteria)
The specification (i.e. a description of requirements and standards to which the product, services or works should conform)
Standard terms and conditions of purchase (and any other conditions of contract that will apply to the resulting contract)
Schedules to tender for completion by the tenderer (e.f. form of tender, price schedules, tender return label and so on).

What do I do if I am invited to submit a bid?

If you are invited to tender or quote please bear in mind the following:

Read the instructions to tender very carefully
Take the opportunity to raise clarification questions at the earliest opportunity and well before the permitted deadline
Ensure the you are content with the Northern Joint Police Board's terms and conditions before you submit your tender
Complete (and sign where necessary) all relevant documentation in full
Ensure that you supply all attachments/enclosures/supporting information requested in order to enable your bid to be properly evaluated
Proof read your tender submission
If duplicate copies of your bid are requested, ensure that you supply the correct number, with the original clearly identified
Make sure that you use the tender return label or envelope provided
Make sure that there are no identifying marks on your tender packaging when submitting your bid
Submit your bid on time, and to the right location
Be ready to provide further information to the Force tender evaluation panel soon after submitting your bid

Award of contracts

Once tenders have been received by the Force, and after formal evaluation has been conducted, dependent upon the value, the contract will either be awarded by the Clerk to the Northern Joint Police Board or by the Force Procurement Department. The tender or quotation accepted shall be the one which represents the best overall value for money for the Force, taking into account factors such as price, quality (i.e. fitness for purpose). The tender evaluation or award criteria will be clearly set out in the tender documents (along with the weighting that apply to each of the criteria). The successful supplier will be notified by a formal contract award letter.

Unsuccessful suppliers

Once a contract has been awarded, all unsuccessful suppliers will be informed. We will always provide feedback.

Where the contract is subject to the full provisions of the Procurement Regulations, the Force will incorporate a minimum of 10 calendar day standstill period at the point of informing tenderers of the decision to award a contract. This period allows unsuccessful tenderers to seek further debriefing from the Force before the contract is entered into. The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (SSI 2006 No.1) provide aggrieved parties who have been harmed or risk of harm by a breach of the Regulations to take action in the Sheriff Court or Court of Session. Any such action must be brought promptly (generally within 3 months). Where a contract has not been entered into the Court may order the setting aside of the award decision or order the amendment of documents and may award damages. If the Contract has been entered into the Court may only award damages.