Find out how we buy

The Council tenders for goods, works and services according to the table below or by buying directly from a framework.

  Contract Value

Procedure 

 Up to and including £1,000

 Single supplier quote sufficient.

 £1,001 - £5,000

Minimum of 2 verbal quotes, at higher end best practice of 3 verbal quotes.

£5,001 - £10,000

 Best practice to obtain 3 written quotes. 

£10,001- £50,000

 A minimum of 3 written quotes on supplier's headed notepaper.  Formal contract conditions apply.

 £50,001 - EU Threshold*

 Full tender procedures apply, to be sent our in accordance with Contract Procedure Rules.

Above EU Threshold*

EU Procedure or, where this does not apply, Invitation to Tender by Advertisement/List to at least six Candidates.

 

* View the current EU Thresholds

Frameworks - The Council may choose to purchase directly from a framework such as those managed by ESPO and CCS.  As these frameworks are fully compliant with EU legislation there is no need for the Council to carry out a separate tendering exercise.  Interested suppliers should contact these organisations direct for information on how to become a supplier on a framework.

Procurement Policies and Strategy - The links to the documents below provide additional detail on the rules that govern how the Council's officers undertake procurement activity.

For financial procedures please see the full constitution, Chapter 9, Rules, Codes and Protocols Part 1 – Financial Regulations

For contract procedures please see the full constitution, Chapter 9, Rules, Codes and Protocols Part 2 – Contract Procedure Rules

 The Council has a number of policies and procedures in place to ensure that both Council employees and contractors exhibit high standards of conduct when tendering and operating contracts.

These are set out within the following documents;

Anyone having concerns about staff conduct can report these in confidence to the Council's Monitoring Officer.

Contracting and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) -  All public bodies have a duty under the FOIA to respond to requests for information.  This may require disclosure of information that is part of a tender/contracting process.  We are mindful of the potential commercial risks of our suppliers in the disclosure of information.