Procurement
Procurement covers the process by which goods and services are acquired from suppliers and providers and managed throughout the life of the asset or duration of the contract.
Effective procurement must be measured as much by the social outcomes and community benefits as by the financial gains, therefore contracts will be awarded on the basis of best value rather than lowest initial price.
There will always be an assessment of quality, benefits and costs throughout the life of the asset or contract period. This will ensure that the council gets the optimum combination of whole life costs and benefits to meet the customer's requirement.
We seek to maximise support to Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) and the local economy by encouraging local businesses to offer their goods and services to the council whilst maintaining our duty to provide best value for money.
Our approach to procurement
- Delivering Value for Money
- Promoting environmental sustainability
- Ensuring compliance with legal, internal and ethical standards
- Supporting local businesses and economic development
- Delivering Social Value & Community Wealth
Information for potential contractors
Opportunities are listed on In-tend SE Shared Services e-sourcing portal and companies can register for email alerts to ensure that any future business opportunities are not missed. Registration on the site is completely free. It is important when registering on the system that you allocate your organisation to a business category appropriate to its competencies. You can download the In-Tend frequently asked questions.
Frequently Asked Questions for In-Tend system (PDF, 77 KB)
The Councils aim to become Living wage accredited employers which means our suppliers should also being paying their staff working on any contracts for the Council real living wage rate as set by the Real Living Wage Foundation and commit to increasing the rate in line with annual real living wage rate.
Estimated Value of the Contract including extensions (excluding VAT) | Minimum Requirement | Advertisement and Notices to be Published |
|---|---|---|
£0 to £25,000 (Services, Supplies & Works)
See Para. 7 for details | Minimum 1 quote. Obligation to consider best value and consideration should always be given to whether three quotes should be sought. | No requirement to advertise. |
£25,000 to £150,000 (Services & Supplies)
See Para. 8 for details | Seek a minimum of three written quotes. If using a framework, follow the rules for its use.
| No requirement to advertise. If advertised, then follow Regulated Below Threshold Process.
|
£25,000 to £250,000 (Works)
See Para. 8 for details | Seek a minimum of three written quotes. If using a framework, follow the rules for its use.
| No requirement to advertise. If advertised, then follow Regulated Below Threshold Process.
|
£250,000 to £4,000,000 (Works)
See Para. 9 for details | Seek a minimum of five written Tenders
If using a framework, follow the rules for its use.
| No requirement to advertise but should be managed through the e-procurement portal. If advertised, then follow Regulated Below Threshold Process.
|
£150,000 and above (Services & Supplies)
See Para. 10 for details | Full Tender
If using a framework, follow the rules for its use.
| Yes, as required by the Procurement Act 2023 |
£4,000,000 and above (Works)
See Para. 10 for details | Full Tender
If using a framework, follow the rules for its use.
| Yes, as required by the Procurement Act 2023
|
Further information can be found in our Procurement Strategy (PDF, 336 KB)
Read our Sustainable Procurement Policy (PDF, 264 KB)
And our Contract Procedure Rules 2026 (PDF, 313 KB)
If you have any questions about our procurement process, please email our procurement team: [email protected].
