Contracts
Contracts under £10,000
Contracts at this level are normally set up direct by individual Council departments. A simple process to ensure value for money is obtained, will be followed.
Contracts Valued between £10,000 - £75,000
Many contracts valued between £10,000 and £75,000 are established by individual departments around the Council but some are established by the Corporate Procurement Unit . A minimum of four quotations from suppliers are needed and the tendering process should be straight forward.
Contracts Valued between £75,000 and £144,000
Supplies and Service contracts which fall between these values will be advertised regionally or nationally. The Council often advertises tenders in the local press (e.g. Yorkshire Post on a Thursday) or a relevant trade journal and also uses the http://scms.alito.co.uk website to advertise contracts where often tender documents can be downloaded and submitted back on-line to the council. The Procurement Unit will be involved in tendering most supply and service contracts of this value.
Contracts over £144,000 in Value
All supplies and most service contracts over £144,000 in value together with works contracts valued over £3.8m need to be advertised throughout the European Union under the EU Public Procurement Regulations. Contracts over the EU thresholds are advertised in the Official Journal of the European (OJEU) Union and can be accessed on the OJEU website. Contracts advertised in the OJEU are also often advertised locally or on the council tenders website. Again the Procurement Unit will normally be involved in the tendering process of supply and services contracts of this value.
Contract Standing OrdersThe purpose of Contract Standing Orders is to set clear rules for the procurement of goods, works and services for the Council.
Information on 
Bradford Council's Contract Standing Orders (91.1kb).
How To Apply for contracts over £75,000 in valueAdvertisements will advise you on how to apply, what information to submit in the form of an Expression of interest or where you can find extra information or a Pre qualification questionnaire. Further information is often available in the form of a briefing note from council tenders. The advert will advise you of this.
Using Local SuppliersBradford Council cannot legally only invite local suppliers to tender when it issues tender documents. The council is bound by UK and EU legislation which means that tender opportunities need to be open to organisations throughout the European Union.
Through seminars and presentations to local business organisations the Council's Procurement Unit aims to inform local companies of the Council's tendering procedures and policies so that local companies can apply for tenders equally with organisations from areas outside of the Bradford District.
Small to Medium Sized enterprisesBradford Council is keen to work with small firms who are interested in supplying us with goods and services.
In collaboration with our colleagues in the Regeneration & Housing Department and with Business Link for West Yorkshire, we can help you explore the business opportunities open to you and get your company ready to bid.
Some of the ways in which we can help include:
- Providing a free guide on Selling to the Public Sector, produced by the West Yorkshire Euro Info Centre (part of Regeneration & Housing)
- Offering workshops and training events, to help you find out about contract opportunities and give you hints and tips on successful tendering
- Giving you access to business advice and assistance, to make sure you have all the necessary documentation and evidence of experience
- Offering an information service to alert you to contract opportunities in the public sector, including local contracts
To find out more, please contact the West Yorkshire Euro Info Centre
West Yorkshire Procurement PartnershipThe 5 West Yorkshire Councils formed the West Yorkshire Procurement Partnership to bring in some standardisation to the way the Councils produce tender documentation and tender for goods and services. Please click on the Winning Council Business link below for more details about how the 5 West Yorkshire authorities undertake procurement.
