The contract notice or advertisement will normally inform prospective suppliers of the tender procedure that is to be followed. Generally this will be either:
- an invitation to tender, which is the procedure followed in an open tender; or
- through first requesting potential suppliers to complete a Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) in order to assess their suitability to fulfil the requirements of the contract. A shortlist will be drawn from the information provided in the PQQ and those on the shortlist will be invited to tender.
Information that will be requested
To ascertain a potential supplier's suitability to fulfil a contract requirement the following areas will usually be assessed:
For some contracts, which are deemed sensitive due to accessibility to children or vulnerable adults, successful contractors are required to undergo Criminal Records Bureau checking to ensure the best possible scrutiny of operatives. Go to the Criminal Records Bureau web site for more information.
Financial Information:
Companies will normally be requested to supply audited accounts for the previous three financial years. This information is used to judge the company's financial capability in relation to the value or size of contract, a request for a bank reference may also be included. It is appreciated that some suppliers/providers will be unable to comply with this request, particularly if they are a relatively new organisation. We will review the potential risks associated with individual procurement exercises and will not discriminate unreasonably against new/smaller suppliers. Information will be requested in relation to Public liability and Employee liability insurance, typically the Council's minimum cover for public and employee liability is £5 million.
Equal Opportunities:
Bury Metropolitan Borough Council is committed to the equality of opportunity in the contracts it lets. It takes a proactive approach to its obligations arising out of Equal Opportunities legislation, which includes the Race Relations Act 1976 (amended 2000), the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Prospective suppliers must also have a proactive approach to equality issues and information about equality issues will be requested. Whilst the Council's approach is to encourage potential suppliers to demonstrate a commitment to equalities, the Council also acknowledges that smaller companies may not have a formal written equal opportunities policy and that other companies may have a formal policy but don't refer to it in recruitment advertisements - this will not automatically exclude these companies from selection. The Council will also provide help and advice to suppliers in relation to our expectations.
Environment:
The Council has adopted a positive stance with regard to the protection and enhancement of the environment. Potential suppliers are asked whether they have an environmental policy and to submit this with their application. The Council's environmental policy and environmental questionnaire may also be included with tender documentation. Requirements, specific to individual tenders, may also be included within a tender specification, for example it could be a requirement that suppliers of wood products need to be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), or equivalent, accredited.
Health and Safety:
The Council is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for its employees, service users and those affected by its operations. The tender documents/or Pre Qualification Questionnaire will specifically request for a copy of an up to date Health and Safety Policy, and specific information dependant upon the nature of the contract being tendered.
Experience and technical ability:
The Council will require details of similar work undertaken previously and potential suppliers will also be expected to provide references. Information regarding the experience and technical ability of the supplier and its staff will also be requested. This is to ensure potential suppliers meet the needs of the contract. Again specific information requests may be tailored to suit an individual contract.
Go to next page: Award of contracts >
