Quotation/Tendering process
Quoting / tendering for contracts
The contract notice or advertisement will invite suppliers to submit an expression of interest or to submit a quotation or tender. The advertisement on Procurement Portal will detail the procedure to be followed and what information is required from you, the supplier.
Tender evaluation and contract award
Returned quotations/ tenders will be evaluated against the pre-determined criteria as specified in the documentation. Evaluation will focus on examining how the proposals will deliver the service (quality) and the cost of the service (price). The balance between quality and price will depend on the particular service area. The Authority will award the contract on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender.
Debriefing
Within the limits of commercial confidentiality, the Authority will always provide unsuccessful tenderer’s feedback upon their request to find out why their bid has failed if requested. This information can be used to help with any future bids as being unsuccessful in one contract does not mean that a company will be unsuccessful in future.
Contract performance
The Authority has to monitor its performance as part of its duty under Best Value, and suppliers and contractors are monitored to assess their compliance with pre-defined performance criteria. Contracts have to be performed in accordance with the requirements set out in the contract documentation. Contract conditions will be strictly applied.
How we will pay you
We will pay our suppliers by BACS as the payment goes directly into the supplier’s bank account and remittance advice is provided by email. Payment terms are normally set out in the contract documents; they may be by stage payments, annual, quarterly or monthly payments, payment on completion, or payment per purchase order. We will make payment within 30 days of receiving an invoice which quotes the correct purchase order number, unless otherwise agreed. Payment within a shorter timescale is possible in certain circumstances.
Small and medium enterprises
The Authority is committed to supporting and encouraging smaller and south west based organisations to compete for business and to improve their ability to meet the Authority’s requirements whilst complying with the requirements of EU Regulations, Standing Orders and best practice guidance.
In order to aid under-represented organisations the Authority aims to:
- publicise contract opportunities in one place consistently (Procurement Portal)
- keep quotation / tender documents simple to understand and jargon free
- set realistic timetables
- encourage suppliers to adopt e-commerce systems that streamline processes, reduce administration time and enable the Authority to make payment to suppliers more speedily.