Please follow the links to find out the most frequently asked questions and their answers.
What are the benefits of working with Bradford Council?
The public sector accounts for 40% of the UK’s spending on goods and services with expenditure on anything from paper clips to vehicles, buildings and social care. Bradford Metropolitan District Council alone engages in commercial activity in external markets to the value of £200m a year.
Public sector organisations have to be fair, honest, open, transparent and professional in the way they choose and deal with contractors and will always be good payers. Local Authorities are less likely to be affected by market fluctuations and are willing to work with organisations to develop and improve services.
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What sort of things does the Council purchase?
The Council purchases a huge range of goods and services to allow it to provide the services required by the public. The Council also pays contractors to provide services to the public directly on its behalf.
Examples can include general stationery, vehicles, technology, food and catering services, furniture, legal services, social care, and many more single products or services provided to the public through Bradford Council.
View Bradford Council’s Contracts Register to see what types of goods & services we procure.
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Do I have to be based in Bradford to do business with Bradford Council?
EU procurement legislation and Council Contract Standing Orders do not allow us to simply favour small or local businesses. The Council's supplier selection procedures must be transparent, non-discriminatory and based on achieving value for money. However, sustainability and quality can be taken into account when options are being considered and the Council recognises the impact its major projects and procurement activities have on the local economy.
The Council has already signed up to the concordat for Small and Medium sized enterprises and it is estimated that the Council currently spends approximately 40% of its procurement expenditure within the Bradford Metropolitan District. It is our intention to increase that to more than 50% within the next 3 years.
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Who should I contact regarding contract opportunities?
All contract opportunities can be found on the Bradford Procurement Portal at http://bit.ly/Hh3yai, if you have any queries these should be directed by e-mail to procurementunit@bradford.gov.uk
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How do I find out more information?
There is a guide available called Buying From Bradford Council which should provide any information you require. If you still have queries you can e-mail them to procurementunit@bradford.gov.uk
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How do I register my organisation with the Council?
You can register with Bradford Council in two ways via:
- Supplier Contract Management System (SCMS)
- Approved List of Contractors (ALOC)
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What are the different Procurement procedures?
- Open procedure: A procedure where suppliers can apply without prior selection. When an 'Open' Contract is advertised, any supplier can apply for this contract. It is generally used where there is likely to be a limited interest in the contract. The EC Directives lay down the type of criteria which can be used to eliminate unqualified or unsuitable suppliers. This procedure is most appropriate when there are a small number of suppliers expected to request an ITT.
- Restricted procedure: This is a two stage process. After the contract is advertised interested firms will give an Expression of Interest. They will then generally be asked to complete a Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) which the Contracting Authority will use to determine who should qualify to go through to the second stage. The second stage starts with firms receiving an Invitation to Tender followed by their tender submission. This is most appropriate when many suppliers exist within a market and it is not feasible to issue an Invitation to Tender to each.
- Negotiated Procedure - This is a procedure where only chosen suppliers are invited to tender. It can only be used in very limited and prescribed circumstances.
- Competitive Dialogue - This procedure, (introduced in January 2006) is used for large and complex projects in circumstances where the Negotiated Procedure may previously have been considered.
- Accelerated Procedure - May only be used where exceptional circumstances outside the control of the Contracting Authority mean a speedy result is needed.
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Why is the tendering process so formal?
The process is run this way to ensure that openness, transparency, fairness and compliance with all appropriate directives and regulations is maintained throughout the whole procedure. It also helps to maintain consistency in the way that all suppliers are treated throughout.
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What is the OJEU?
The OJEU is the “Official Journal of the European Union”. If the value of a contract exceeds certain thresholds as stipulated in At what point are tenders required? the Council is legally required to advertise the requirement and tender opportunity within the OJEU.
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Where do I find out what contracts are coming up for tender?
All opportunities are advertised on the Bradford Council’s Procurement Portal at http://bit.ly/Hh3yai Some opportunities may be advertised in relevant trade publications or local or national press, any opportunities with a value over the EU thresholds will also be advertised in the OJEU.
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At what point are tenders required?
Under Bradford Council’s own Contract Standing Orders (page 195-205) the thresholds for tendering are as follows :-
- Contracts less than £10k (4 quotations from local suppliers where appropriate/must be competitive)
- Contract Value £10k - £75k = Competitive Quotation (at least 4 written quotations inviting a minimum of two local suppliers where appropriate)
- Contract Value more than £75k = Advertised Tender
Tender opportunities over £10k are placed on the Supplier and Contract Management System (SCMS)
The European Union has various thresholds for different types of contract and contracting organisation but the main thresholds relevant to Bradford Metropolitan District Council (from 1st January 2012) are as follows :-
- Supplies Contracts £173,934
- Services Contracts £173,934
- Works Contracts £4,348,350
Any contract over these thresholds must be carried out in compliance with all relevant European Union procurement regulations, timescales and be advertised in the OJEU.
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Can anyone provide me with training and advice on how to tender for Council contracts?
Bradford Council’s Procurement Team delivers procurement awareness workshops throughout the year. These are aimed at voluntary and community sector organisation and SME’s within the Bradford District.
There are regular events held throughout the District aimed at supporting business development and growth that provide businesses with the opportunity to network with other businesses and receive updates on new legislation and new business opportunities within the District.
To find out about our workshops and events, go to the News and Events page on our website.
There are a number of support organisations within the Bradford District that can offer you business development support. More information can be found on our Business Advice and Support webpage.
Any queries can be e-mailed to procurementunit@bradford.gov.uk
If you have any queries during a specific tender process, contact the relevant Contract Officer who’s details will be provided in the tender documentation in the Introduction, Instructions & Conditions for Tenderers heading.
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How can I improve my chances of being successful with tenders?
The 'Doing Business with Bradford Council' guide will give you information and advice on how to do business with the Council. The Council will also provide feedback upon request on any tender process you have taken part in whether successful or not to help you in any future tender exercises.
Also see our Tendering Top Tips for more information.
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How is a tender response evaluated?
The evaluation criteria for any tender process would be agreed by the project team involved and would be published within the tender documentation so that all suppliers are aware of them. Likely criteria for evaluation of tenders are quality of goods or service, technical merit, Aesthetic and functional characteristics, Environmental characteristics, after sales service, technical assistance, whole life cost and cost effectiveness.
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Is the Council just looking for the cheapest option?
It is extremely rare for a tender to be evaluated on price alone.
The method used for evaluating tenders is described as “most economically advantageous tender” which means a mixture of quality and price criteria as detailed in How is a tender response evaluated? would be used to evaluate all responses.
These criteria are weighted dependant on their importance, price is quite often less than 50% of any evaluation.
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Will I need to attend an interview/presentation during the tendering process?
Dependant on the requirements of the contract it may be considered useful for an interview / presentation to be part of the process. If this is the case full details of the procedure will be provided within the tender documentation. Tenderers often find this process useful as this gives them the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the Council and its requirements.
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Who decides whom to award a contract to?
Tender evaluation will be conducted against pre-determined Contract Award criteria by the tender evaluation team for that contract. This will be made up of officers from the service area and may include someone from legal, finance and procurement.
The award will be made on the basis of the ‘most economically advantageous’ tender.
A formal award letter will be sent to the successful tenderer informing them of the award. Unsuccessful bidders will be informed of the award.
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If my organisation is unsuccessful in bidding for a contract will I be told why?
Bradford Metropolitan District Council is very keen to work with the market place and will always provide feedback on tender responses whether they are successful or not. We will provide you with a de-brief detailing your strengths and where improvement can be made for future tender submissions.
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What are Framework Agreements?
An agreement or other arrangement between a contracting authority and one or more preferred provider(s).
Such agreements set out the terms and conditions for any subsequent ‘call off’ of goods, works and services but place no obligations on the Council to procure anything.
Contracts are formed only when services are ‘called off’ under the Framework Agreement.
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What is a Contract Notice?
A Contract Notice is an advertisement notifying suppliers of a contract opportunity. This may be in the OJEU or any other media.
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The Council’s procedures seem to be long winded and complicated. Do they really need to be like this?
As a local authority we are bound by a number of rules and regulations dictating the way we conduct procurement. The Council is bound by the following rules and regulations:
- Bradford Council’s Contract Standing Orders (page 195-205) which is designed to ensure that public money is spent in a transparent and responsible way,
- UK law which dictates how business should be carried out
- The European Union Procurement Directives which aim to ensure that the procurement process remains fair, transparent and open to all regardless of geographical boundaries within the EU.
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