Tender opportunities and guidance

We encourage competition and welcome bids from new and established suppliers. Contracts are always awarded on the basis of obtaining best value for the taxpayer.

While we cannot discriminate in favour of local suppliers, we do encourage local suppliers to compete for council contracts.

Most of our tender opportunities will be open to anyone wishing to tender. However, in some cases we will define a select list of firms to whom tenders will be issued.

Most commonly the shortlist will be composed after assessment of a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ). The purpose of a PQQ is to assess the potential bidder's suitability to supply us and their ability to satisfy the contract. In this case the contract notice or advertisement will state what is required from the potential tenderers. It is important companies supply all of the requested information and respond by the due date.

Tendering for contracts

Organisations must express interest by registering on the CSW-JETS eTendering portal and select the 'express interest' icon associated with the tender. Documents should be available for download immediately.

Once registered you will be able to access tendering documentation, express an interest, and return your tender.

Return tenders will be evaluated against the pre-determined criteria. Evaluation will focus on examining how the tender proposals will deliver the service (quality) and the cost of the service (price).

The balance between the quality and price will depend on the particular service area. The council will normally award the contract on the basis of 'the most economically advantageous' tender. The successful tenderer will be notified in writing or official electronic communication.

Within the limits of commercial confidentiality, we will always try to offer unsuccessful tenderers feedback to find out why their bid has failed. This information can be used to help with any future bids.

Being unsuccessful in one contract does not mean the company will be unsuccessful in the future.

In addition to formal tendering, we can use other methods of procurement to obtain value for money:

• Accessing framework contracts other local authorities have with suppliers.
• Through purchasing organisations such as the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO), Procurement for Housing (PfH), or the Crown Commercial Service (CCS). These organisations will have already tendered services.
• Through procurement advertising websites such as Constructionline.
• By use of a direct services organisation.