Selling to the Council

Public Contracts Regulations & EC Procurement Directives

The majority of contracts for goods and services expected (over their whole duration) to cost more than £156k, must be advertised by the publication of a 'Contract Notice' in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) and must follow rules promoting non-discrimination and transparent competition. Strict timescales are stipulated to ensure reasonable time for interested parties to respond to adverts and prepare tender submissions. Companies expressing interest are normally sent a pre-qualification questionnaire, the responses to which are used to determine the tender shortlist. Tender documents will outline the criteria to be used to evaluate bids but will generally be based on an assessment of the most economically advantageous offer taking account of not only price but whole life cost and related quality/service issues.

For works contracts the threshold for advertising in the OJEU is just under £4m.

Contract Standing Orders

In addition to legislation, the Council has formal Contract Regulations which set out in detail how purchasing will be carried out. These form part of the Council’s constitution and Council staff and the Borough’s 37 schools must follow these rules.

Competing bids must be sought and they must be fairly evaluated, Works, goods or services above £100,000 are subject to formal tendering processes; below £100,000, less formal quotations are generally sought and accepted via placing an official order, based on the council’s standard terms and conditions – see below.

Contracts & Opportunities

Major contracts and opportunities within Bracknell Forest Council are now advertised on the South East Business Portal

Suppliers using the portal for the first time will need to read the Supplier Guidance Notes, which can be accessed from the portal.

Council contact details are included in the Procurement Contacts page.

See the Top tips page on how to tender/submit a quotation

Selection of suppliers

Evaluation of potential suppliers will vary according to the value and nature of the potential business. For the supply of low value standard goods and services, competitive pricing and delivery will be the major factors, however for higher value, complex requirements, a formal commercial, technical and quality assessment will be required, possibly involving visits to the company's premises and/or reference sites.

Companies selected to become Bracknell Forest suppliers will join the ranks of a highly qualified and competitive supplier base. We expect our suppliers to be:

financially sound; we use an external credit reference agency but, for larger contracts may seek copies of accounts and annual reports. We expect suppliers to have been trading long enough to have published accounts and developed a client base. We operate a rule of thumb in most cases that your turnover should be at least 5 x the total value of the contract offered.
technically competent - we may seek references from previous customers·
of sufficient capacity to handle the work
understanding of Bracknell Forest requirements and wider social responsibilities
easy to do business with - we expect attentive service and efficient invoicing processes.

Best value for money

Bracknell Forest Council has a duty to obtain best value for money in its procurement and, to this end, its policy is to seek competition wherever possible. Factors such as safety, quality, reliability, maintenance, lifetime costs experience and continuity of supply are taken into account as well as the purchase price.

We seek to keep our procurement costs to a minimum by using the simplest and most economic contracting methods suited to our needs ranging from corporate purchasing cards for straightforward, low value work through to full tender/contract documentation for more complex, high value cases and for those which potentially exceed Public Contracts Regulations thresholds.

We welcome innovative ideas and proposals from our suppliers, especially those exploiting technology to simplify processes and drive out cost, to ensure that we continue to obtain best value for money.

Sustainability

The Council is a major purchaser of goods and services in the Thames Valley area, and almost every product the Council buys has potential implications for sustainability. As a responsible purchaser it is important that the potential consequences of purchasing decisions are recognised, and that every effort is made to reduce the negative impacts.

The Council has adopted the Government Buying Standards, previously known as “Quick Wins”, with the minimum standards as Council policy and “best practice” standards as an aspirational goal, where feasible.

Ethical Procurement

The Council has also adopted the Base Code produced by Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI). The Base Code contains nine clauses which reflect the most relevant international standards with respect to labour practices (ILO Conventions).

The Base Code provides a basic philosophy or platform from which the Council identifies and develops good practice with its suppliers.

The provisions of this code constitute minimum and not maximum standards, and this code should not be used to prevent companies from exceeding these standards. Companies applying this code are expected to comply with national and other applicable law and, where the provisions of law and this Base Code address the same subject, to apply that provision which affords the greater protection.

Equalities

Ensuring that there are equal opportunities for everyone who lives, works or uses services in the Borough is a key priority for Bracknell Forest Borough Council. This is highlighted within the Council’s ‘All of Us’ Strategy for Promoting Community Cohesion in Bracknell Forest 2007-2010, where the vision is;

“To make Bracknell Forest a place where all people can thrive: living, learning and working in a clean, safe and healthy environment”

The Council views equality as vital to promoting a strong and integrated community and this view extends to those individuals that we deal with externally as well as internally.

Procurement is an area where the Council has a statutory duty for the promotion of equality and diversity. We therefore need to ensure, that the organisations we contract with uphold our values and commitment to equal opportunity, diversity and access to services.

The Council has developed a guidance document called 'Good Practice on Equality and Diversity when Contracting with Bracknell Forest Council' (available in the downloads section of this page) which is particularly suitable for third sector organisations and small/medium sized enterprises. The document includes an overview, an introduction to the legislation and where to get further advice. There is also an Equality Policy template which tenderers can sign and return as part of the ITT response, thereby agreeing to adhere to the Council guidance and policies in the absence of their own.

Terms and conditions

It is important that companies seeking to do business with Bracknell Forest Council understand the terms and conditions on which our contracts are based.

Our Standard Terms Conditions are consistent with those in use by other major public sector purchasers and reflect the requirement for our suppliers to accept an appropriate share of commercial risk and to fully appreciate their obligations. Review our standard terms and conditions.

Communications

Bracknell Forest Council welcomes the opportunity to meet its current and potential suppliers and such visits help to improve communications. Suppliers are encouraged to maintain close liaison with customer departments within the Council concerning technical and service aspects of contracts.

Freedom of Information

For general advice on the Council's Freedom of Information policy:

Freedom of Information policy.

For details of how this applies to the tendering process:

Freedom of Information Policy applies to the tendering process.

Ethical Standards

Bracknell Forest Council employees are required to maintain the highest standards of integrity and impartiality in dealing with all suppliers and are subject to a strict Code of Conduct governing such dealings. Bracknell Forest Council suppliers are similarly expected to employ the highest ethical standards whilst they are engaged on Bracknell Forest Council business.

Find out more about the Council’s whistle-blowing policy.