Frequently asked questions
What type of things does the Council purchase?
The range of goods and services required is vast. Examples include: office equipment, stationery, vehicles, cleaning materials, books, furniture, window cleaning, catering, consultants, and building & civil engineering materials.
How do I find out about supplier opportunities?
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Check the Live Tenders link for forthcoming opportunities.
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Check local newspapers and trade journals for advertisements placed by the Council seeking tenders for goods, works and services.
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Check the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) for contracts above the European thresholds. These can be viewed at www.ojec.com/ (opens in a new window)
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What rules and regulations should I be aware of?
As a local authority there are regulations which the Council has to follow when procuring supplies, works and services.
It is vital that if you wish to contract with Falkirk Council you are fully aware of the rules and regulations which govern the way we operate.
The rules depend on the value of the purchase.
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Value
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Process
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Advertising
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Up to £30,000
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A minimum of three quotations/tenders will be invited.
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A degree of advertising sufficient to enable the market to be opened up to competition.
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Over £30,000
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Normally the ‘open’ procedure is adopted where all suppliers that show an interest can submit a tender.
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Above EU Threshold
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EU procurement directives apply.
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What about European Union procurement directives?
We have a legal requirement to comply with the EU procurement directives, which govern the way in which public sector procurement is conducted for contracts above specified thresholds.
The thresholds for 2006 2007 are:
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Services
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Supplies
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Works
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£144,371
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£144,371
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£3,611,319
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Falkirk Council generally only uses two types of procedure under the EU Procurement Directives, i.e. open or restricted:
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Open: any organisation can express an interest and request tender documents.
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Restricted: a two-stage process. Any organisation can express an interest. They then undergo a pre-qualification assessment. Only the most suitable applicants are invited to tender.
Where our procurements exceed the above thresholds, we must follow these basic requirements:
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Decide which of the two processes need to be used;
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Publish a tender notice in the official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) to give all EU suppliers an equal opportunity to tender;
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Invite tenders according to the procedure being used (open or restricted) taking account of the minimum timescales imposed, to ensure that reasonable time is given to respond to adverts and prepare submissions;
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use the criteria published in the tender notice / tender documents to award the contract;
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Place a contract award notice in OJEU.
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What information will I need to provide when applying for contracts?
The Contract notice or advertisement will detail whether an Open or Restricted procedure is being followed.
Each tender process will require the supplier to provide the following information:
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Equal Opportunities: The Council strongly supports equal opportunity laws, and requires all suppliers to comply with equal opportunities legislation. Suppliers will be asked to detail and possibly provide evidence of how equality issues are included in a company's employment practices.
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Sustainability: The Council is committed to protecting the local environment and ensuring a better quality of life for all. The Council expects its contractors and suppliers to support the Sustainable Falkirk Strategy and will be asked to provide information and evidence for each tender proving commitment to sustainable issues.
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Health & Safety: The Council is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for everyone it works with and for. Suppliers must provide information about their company's safety policies, operational safety procedures and risk assessments.
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Experience and Technical Ability: The Council needs to assess whether a company has the relevant experience, resources and technical ability to carry out the categories of work or to provide the type and quality of service required. Suppliers should provide details of similar work carried out over recent years. They must also provide contact details of at least 3 referees with whom confidential references can be directly obtained by the Council. Further details may be required for particular contracts.
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What is the difference between an open and restricted procedure?
The ‘Open’ Procedure
If the Council uses an open tendering procedure, any interested supplier can tender for the contract. You will still be asked to express your interest for the contract, but you will automatically be invited to submit a tender.
Your submission will then be considered together with your tender bid and supporting documentation.
The ‘Restricted’ Procedure
You will be asked to express your interest and request the project-related pre qualification questionnaire. You must complete the questionnaire and return it within the specified timescale.
Once all the returned questionnaires have been evaluated, a shortlist of tenderers is compiled – tender documents are sent to those on the shortlist, and a letter is sent giving feedback to those not successful in getting onto the shortlist.
In both the ‘Open’ and ‘Restricted’ Procedure
If you apply to tender under the open procedure or are selected to tender following the restricted procedure information on how the tender documentation can be obtained will be sent to you from either the Council’s Central Procurement Team or the Council Service supervising the project.
Wherever possible the Council will make documents available in electronic format on its website.
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How likely am I to win a Council contract?
As long as certain criteria is met e.g. financial stability, satisfactory Health and Safety environments and that services are provided to a high quality at a competitive cost, there is no reason why companies cannot attract business from the Council.
Falkirk Council requires fairness and equality of treatment in awarding contracts in line with achieving best value for the tax payer.
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How can I improve my changes of winning a Council contract?
You need to clearly demonstrate in responding to tenders that you can meet the required standards and service delivery requirements at an economically advantageous cost.
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What happens when I am invited to tender?
If you are invited to tender you will receive the following documents:
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Letter of Invitation which will advise when, where and how tenders should be submitted.
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Instructions to Tenderers which provides guidance for completing tender documentation.
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Specification which sets out what needs to be achieved and includes policies, procedures and guidelines that need to be followed. Tenderers are expected to tender on the basis of this specification. The specification will include performance targets or criteria to be met in delivering the services, supplies or works.
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Pricing Schedule, which is the document where you enter your quotes for the specified services or products.
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Terms and Conditions which are the Council's standard procurement terms and conditions.
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Tender Evaluation Criteria which advises how the tender submission will be evaluated and the contract awarded.
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Tenders must be returned by the date given. Any tenders received after the deadline will be returned unopened to the sender. All tender documents are opened at the same time in order to ensure a fair process.
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Pre-addressed Return Label states the time, date and place to which tender responses should be sent.
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Is the Council looking for the cheapest tender?
The Council rarely evaluates a tender based purely on price. The Council is looking for the best balance of quality and price, not just the lowest price. Tenders can be evaluated by a combination of the following:
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Quality
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Financial Viability
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Competence
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Experience
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Technical Merit
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After Sales Service
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Delivery Date
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Technical Back up
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Adherence to Council Policies and Protocols
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Integrity
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Innovation
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Communication
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What happens if I can't get my tender in on time?
You must return the tender by the date given. Any tenders received after the deadline may be returned to the sender. All tender documents are opened at the same time in order to ensure a fair process.
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What are the Council's expectations of contractors?
We expect excellent performance from contractors and suppliers throughout the contract. We need to ensure we offer value for money services to our Council tax payers. This includes:
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Low total cost - not only a low price but low administration costs. You should consider the whole life costs of supply when putting together your tender.
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Quality - you will be expected to provide to an appropriate quality standard to meet the needs set out in the specification.
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Adherence to Council policies and protocols.
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Integrity - honesty is expected in all dealings between the Council and its contractors and suppliers.
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Communication – contractors and suppliers are expected to maintain good communications with the Council throughout the contract.
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How are tenders evaluated?
Falkirk Council has an obligation to offer the best value for money services to Falkirk's taxpayers. The Council requires an exceptional standard of performance from its contractors and suppliers.
When selecting a supplier, the Council must ensure that the supplier will provide value for money, and that services will be delivered effectively.
In the list of evaluation criteria, cost and quality are the most important criteria. The Council is looking for the best balance of quality and price, not just the lowest price.
Details of the specific evaluation criteria and the relative weighting of these criteria are included in the tender documents that suppliers receive with the invitation to tender.
At any time during the tender process suppliers may be invited to give a presentation or attend an interview to aid the evaluation process. The Council may also conduct site visits to see first hand how potential suppliers organise their work.
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Why does the tendering process need to be so formal?
As a local authority we are bound by a number of rules and regulations in terms of how we conduct procurement. Most significant are the EU Procurement Directives, which aim to ensure that the procurement process remains fair, transparent and open to all regardless of where they are based in the EU.
However, we are happy to answer questions specifically about the tender and specification should you have any. We need to ensure consistency in the information provided to contractors and in the way in which we communicate with them.
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How are contracts awarded?
Contracts are awarded to the supplier who is considered to offer best value for money when taking into account price, quality and best value and the ability to meet the Council's specification.
Tender evaluation is always carried out in a comprehensive, auditable and transparent manner. To ensure fairness, the evaluation criteria and method will be clearly defined before tender documents are issued.
The criteria to be used will be listed in the tender documents, in order of importance. The weightings of the criteria may also be given.
For contracts above the EU threshold, unsuccessful bidders have a 10 day period to lodge any complaints about the ruling prior to the awards being given.
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How are contracts monitored?
You will be expected to provide the service in accordance with the requirements set out in the contract papers and your proposals on how to carry it out.
Suppliers and contractors working for the Council are regularly monitored to assess their compliance with predefined performance criteria. The contract conditions are strictly applied and explanations sought if a contractor fails to perform to the levels required.
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Can you give me feedback on why I've not been invited to tender?
Under EU directives suppliers are legally entitled to request feedback on any unsuccessful bids made to the Council. Within the limits of confidentiality, unsuccessful suppliers can be told which aspects of their bid were strongest, which were weakest and may be advised on how to improve and develop for the future.
Being unsuccessful in one contract does not mean you will be unsuccessful in future contracts. Feedback should be used to help improve any future bids made.
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Where can I get further information?
If you are seeking information regarding a specific contract please use the contact details provided in the advert/contract notice and tendering details.
General information on the tendering process and procurement at Falkirk Council can be obtained by writing to:
Allan Currie
Purchasing Advisor
Seabegs Road
Bonnybridge
FK4 2BU
Tel: 01324 503075
Email: allan.currie@falkirk.gov.uk|
or
David Houston
Assistant Purchasing Adviser
Seabegs Road
Bonnybridge
FK4 2BU
Tel: 01324 503092
Email: david.houston@falkirk.gov.uk|
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