Starting a Procurement

Before every procurement exercise make sure that you have considered each of the following:

• Have you gathered/ identified full details of the requirements, for example quantity, sizes, part numbers?
• Is the purchase essential or, for larger items, is there a robust business case?
• Is there budget in place? Have you authority to proceed from the budget holder?
• Are there existing contracts in place for similar supplies or services? By aggregating demand for common items across the council, or across the public sector, Best Value can be achieved
• Have you spoken to Corporate Procurement for advice and information?

You must request a quotation for the Goods or Services required from 4 potential suppliers. A template, Request for Quotes under £16,500 available on the Procurement Documents Page. Please complete this form and email out to your chosen suppliers.

For help in identifying possible suppliers please contact Corporate Procurement.

If your requirement is below £16,500 in value but you plan to use Quality based criteria to select the supplier please contact Corporate Procurement before issuing any Request for Quotes.

A Proforma must be completed at the start of each procurement process where the total procurement value is estimated at £16,500 or above, providing details of the requirement, value, budget and potential suppliers. This is returned to Corporate Procurement who will review the information provided, confirm the correct procurement process and allocate a Procurement Advisor to work with you. No further action should be taken until approval is received from Corporate Procurement.

You can find a Proforma on the Procurement Documents page. Complete the proforma electronically and email to procurement@eastdunbarton.gov.uk.

Above £16,500 a Sourcing Strategy will be completed by Corporate Procurement, in conjunction with the requestor. This may look at a one-off requirement or a particular area of spend, and will ensure that best practice is used, specific to the particular procurement area.

Each strategy will identify the following for the specific requirement or area of spend:

• Value - are there opportunities for aggregation, either internally or in conjunction with external bodies?
• Timescale - is this one-off or repetitive? What length of contract is required?
• Options for service provision or supply of goods - e.g. in-house or external.
• Sourcing - is there an existing collaborative contract that could be used?
• Marketplace - is there a range of suppliers; are there local suppliers; are there emerging suppliers?
• Sustainability - are there recycling, energy saving or certification issues to be taken into account? Will there be disposal issues at the end of the contract?
• Sustainability - are any community benefits realisable?
  Tender options - is a single supplier or a negotiated tender appropriate? Is an open or a restricted procedure appropriate?
• Evaluation criteria and weighting - what is the desirable balance of Quality and Cost? What are the Quality criteria to be measured?
• Risk - are there any major risk factors to be assessed and mitigated? What actions might be recommended to mitigate any risks?
• Contract Management and Monitoring - what roles and responsibilities will be assigned? What supplier review processes will be implemented?

More detail on sourcing strategies can be found in the Procurement Handbook on the Procurement Documents page.