Supplier Guide
How to do business with Gravesham Borough Council
The Council is legally obliged to follow competitive processes when awarding contracts. It may issue its own tenders but has the option to use public sector frameworks and contractual arrangements available through its membership of the Kent Buying Consortium and the LASER energy consortium. The arrangements have been competitively tendered and meet legal requirements. The Council also has access to contracts arranged by the Pro-Five Group and Buying Solutions.
The Council is active in encouraging and developing business opportunities within the Borough and neighbouring areas. However, it is prevented, by law, from making any exclusive provisions for local businesses during tendering processes. This is to ensure that the Council meets its obligations towards impartiality and the delivery of value for money procurement.
The following is a guide to assist existing and prospective suppliers in understanding the procedures to follow and the way in which the Council is required to manage the competitive tendering process.
Supplier Guide
This guide has been prepared to inform and advise suppliers about applying for work and to give them a better appreciation of how the Council lets contracts for works, goods and services. It, also, identifies the relevant legislation and council policies which govern the procurement process.
There is always competition for Council work and it is not possible to assure any supplier that work will be offered. However, the guidance will give enough information for suppliers to understand how they may be considered for inclusion into any selection processes.
Procurement Strategy and suppliers
Procurement is about how the Council obtains goods, services and works which represent value for money in terms of quality and cost. Effective procurement supports the council’s aims and objectives and is fundamental to the delivery of high quality services to the community.
The Council’s Procurement Strategy establishes a strategic and corporate approach to procurement. The Council is committed to working with its suppliers to consistently improve the delivery of high quality and value for money goods, services and works. The Procurement Strategy is available on the Council’s website at
How to become a supplier to the Council
Accreditation
The Council does not maintain its own approved supplier/contractor lists.
Where the Council initiates its own tendering processes it will make provision for applicants to be evaluated either prior to or as a part of the tendering process. This will involve the use of pre-qualification documentation which will address matters including financial stability, technical competence, health and safety compliance and equal opportunities. The outcome of the evaluation will determine whether the applicant is able to proceed to further stages in the competitive process.
The Council has access to the following contractor accreditation services. Tender shortlists may be prepared using these services.
- Constructionline (UK Register of pre-qualified construction services)
Constructionline are providers of a national online database, the UK's largest register for pre-qualified contractors and consultants all of which are pre-qualified to government standards.
The service is recommended by the Government Procurement Service and The Local Government Task Force. Successful registration means that contractors have a potential exposure to over two thousand public sector organisations.
Further details may be obtained from
Telephone helpline
0844 892 0313
- Kent County Council Property Services - Select List of Approved Contractors
Further details about the Select List may be obtained from
Kent County Council Property Services
Telephone
01622 696329
E-mail:
Contractor’s Health and Safety Assessment Scheme
The Council is a member of the Contractor’s Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS). The Scheme offers quality assessed information in relation to contractor’s health and safety qualifications.
Further details are available from
Telephone
020 8545 3838
The Tendering Process
Tender documents will be specific to the given requirement but are likely to include some or all of the following:-
- Letter of invitation –
giving details about the return date, point of return and contact details for raising any points of clarification
- Instructions on how to complete the documents
- A Form of Tender – this is the agreement to the contract terms and conditions for tenderers to complete
- Technical specification – details the Council’s requirements together with any policies or procedures which need to be followed. It is likely to include performance standards and the outcomes to be delivered
- Schedules for the completion of pricing and other information pertinent to the evaluation of submitted bids
- Contract terms and conditions – explaining the relationship between the Council and the contractor – together with how the contract will be managed
- The use of quality and method statement questions – which require tenderers to explain how they will meet the requirement and to demonstrate experience of service delivery
- Tender evaluation model – an illustration, often including a worked example, which details how the tender submissions will be evaluated and the award of contract made
Tender Evaluation
Tenders will be evaluated against pre-determined and published criteria. These will include price, quality and compliance with the technical specification. The evaluation process will be objective, consistent and equitable in its analysis.
The tender offering the lowest price will not necessarily be awarded the contract as the Council is committed to seeking solutions which balance costs with quality. However, price is always an important consideration during tender evaluation. In the majority of instances the Council will award its contracts on the basis of the most economically advantageous price.
To ensure probity of the Council’s contracting activities the tendering and evaluation may be subject to scrutiny by Internal Audit.
Relationships with Suppliers
The Council encourages closer working relationships with its supplier base to maximise the opportunities for both parties to realise the benefits of working together.
The Council has strict protocols which govern its relationship with suppliers. These ensure that all suppliers are treated in a fair and equitable basis. The acceptance of gifts or any form of inducements, from suppliers, is strictly prohibited.
Council Policies
The Council has a number of strategies and policieswhich complement its commitment to excellent customer service and it actively seekscloser working relationships with its suppliers in meeting its customer service goals. They include the following:-
- Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy
- Customer Service and Access Strategy
These policies can be accessed via the following links
The Council encourages its contractors to follow these policies when providing goods, services and works.
Legislation and the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules
As a public sector organisation the Council must conform to legislation and regulations as well as its own procedural rules when managing tendering processes and contract awards.
In brief these are as follows:-
European Procurement Directive
Where it is expected that the financial value of a proposed contract will exceed the relevant European financial threshold it must be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).
The financial thresholds are reviewed on a regular basis and at present are:
Works£4322012
Goods and Services£ 172514
The Directive establishes rules which require transparent and non-discriminatory practices in the managing of the contracting process. Specific minimumtime period, for interested parties, to respond to adverts and prepare submissions are defined.
Council Contract Procedure Rules
The Council’s Constitution includes the rules that govern the issuing of tenders and the awarding of contracts. The rules set financial parameters which determine how a quotation or tendering process will be carried out for the procurement of goods, works and services.
The Contract Procedure Rules are mandatory throughout the Council and are designed to ensure accountability and transparency.
Consortium and other procurement arrangements
The procurement of some requirements will not be exclusively managed by the Council but through joint working with other local authorities. The Council is a member of the Kent Buying Consortium which is comprised of the District and Borough Councils plus Medway Council and Kent County Council. Included in the work of the consortium is the undertaking of collective tendering to maximise opportunities foreconomies of scale.
In certain situations the Council may consider that there are advantages to accessing framework arrangements put into place by other organisations. These include those let by Buying Solutions, The Pro-Five Consortium, London Housing Consortium and the South East Consortium. The Council is eligible to use these contracts which have been awarded in compliance with the European Procurement Directive.
Where to find out about opportunities to bid for Council work
Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU)
For those procurements whose financial value falls above the European Procurement Directive’s threshold the Council is obliged to advertise in the Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU)
Contemporary and past advertisements can be located via the following website:-
Kent Business Portal (KBP)
The KBP Portal is managed by Kent County Council’s Procurement Teamand is an electronic resource which includes a contracts store and business opportunities advertising facility
Suppliers may register, free of charge, to gain access to contract register details and to receive notifications of opportunities as they are posted by the various authorities across the County
The Portal may be accessed at
Supplier Guide Content
This document has been prepared as informal guidance to assist suppliers in understanding how to apply for work with the Council. It is not a statement of the law
This Guide was revised and updated:
11 June 2007
10 March 2011
07 December 2011
10 January 2013
14 January 2014
13 March 2014
14 April 2014
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