Every year we spend several millions of pounds buying goods, materials, services and works from suppliers. We must make sure we get best value from these contracts, in the interests of local people and to help us deliver excellent services. We give contracts to firms that meet our needs and standards – these can range from small one-off purchases, to multi-million pound contracts lasting several years.
If the contract is worth over £50,000 we have to go out to tender. These are advertised on this website, in the local press, specialist trade journals, Contrax Weekly and the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). But we often buy lower goods or services by sending out a specification and getting quotations.
The kind of things we buy include.
Goods and Supplies
Works
Services
For more detailed infomation on doing business with us call us on
Telephone: 01327 322113
Email: nigel.pearson@southnorthants.gov.uk
A tender is a bid made in a competition with a group of potential suppliers. Many contracts are awarded on the lowest price, but for the more complex contracts we also look at issues such as quality and delivery times.
A PQQ is not a tender and is used for some contracts to draw up a shortlist of suppliers, who will then be invited to tender for the contract. It assesses your suitability to tender in terms of financial stability, qualifications of relevant staff,health and safety and equalities and so on. You may have to fill one of these in every time you want work for us.
Open tenders are one-stage tenders where all bids are evaluated and a successful tender chosen.
Restricted tenders are two-stage tenders where you are sent a PQQ first to help us draw up a shortlist. Only the shortlist goes to the second, main tender stage.
There may be some differences if we are working under European rules, and for software contracts.
You should state the Tender Reference Number and return date on the front of the envelope. Otherwise do not put anything else on the envelope, particularly your name.
And remember, we can’t give you business if you miss the tender deadline or don’t follow the instructions.
We have very important policies and rules related to issues like insurance, health and safety, equalities and the environment. Make sure you know what these are by reading our documents carefully.
For most contracts our payment terms are 30 days from us getting the invoice. We pay by cheque and pay 95% of our invoices on time.
You must quote a purchase order number on the invoice.
Who do I talk to about an order I am working on?
If you know the person who placed the original order, you can contact them directly. Just have your purchase order number handy.
If it is over our normal 30 days, contact us:
Expenditure section
South Northamptonshire Council
Springfields
Towcester
Northants
NN12 6AE
Telephone: 0845 2300226
Have you purchase order number handy.