Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: Where can I find information about work being tendered by East Staffordshire Borough Council? A: East Staffordshire Borough Council advertises all of its work on its Buyer Profile.
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• Q: At what point are tenders required? A: For contracts with a value up to and including £3,000, one oral quotation will suffice. For contracts in excess of £3,001 three written quotations are required. Contracts in excess of £50,000 require a full tender process.
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• Q: How do I assess the value of the procurement? A: The value is based on the probable sum payable to the provider over the term of the contract. If the value is £50,000 per annum for two years, then the value of the contract is estimated at £100,000.
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• Q: How do I bid for work? A: All tenders are advertised on the Buyer Profile along with instructions for taking part.
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• Q: Does the Council have an Approved Suppliers List and can I join it? A: East Staffordshire Borough Council will use its approved suppliers list for all contracts with an estimated value of less than £50,000. However we currently only operate an approved suppliers list for the following categories of work:

  Translation and interpretation services
  Urban forestry and arboricultural works

  Further information and details of how to apply to join these Approved Suppliers Lists can be seen by clicking here

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• Q: Who decides what is purchased? A:The procurement process the Council is required to follow when purchasing works, goods or services is dependant upon the type and estimated value of the contract.

  For 'lower value' contracts, quotations will be obtained and the budget holder and relevant Head of Service will make the decision as to which supplier to award the contract to. This decision will normally be based on best value for money.

  For all other contracts, the proposed works, goods or services will be advertised as widely as possible. Potential suppliers will be asked to express their interest in applying for the contract and complete a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ). Based on the PQQ's a short-list will be produced and potential suppliers will then be invited to tender for the contract. The tender documents will be evaluated against pre-determined criteria to find the successful candidate.

  Prior to contract award, all interested parties must be informed of the outcome of the tender process. A 'stand-still' period must then be allowed for debrief and objection. Unsuccessful tenderers must be debriefed if requested.

  However if the estimated value of the contract is above a threshold as set by the European Union (EU), then the EU procurement procedure must be followed.

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• Q: How does the Council evaluate tenders? A:Once the return date for tenders has passed, all the tenders received on time will be opened / downloaded in the presence of a Deputy Leader of the Council. A member of the Procurement and Legal teams will also be present. Any tenders received after the deadline will not be considered unless there is clear evidence that the delay was outside the control of the tendering company.

  The tenders will then be evaluated using a pre-specified scoring mechanism and in accordance with the weighting detailed in the tender documents. Tendering companies will normally be invited to attend an interview to conduct a presentation to representatives of the Council’s procurement team and answer any questions.

  Once all tenders have been evaluated, the successful candidate will be notified. The other candidates will also be informed that they have not been successful and who the contract is being awarded to. The unsuccessful candidates will then be given the opportunity to request feedback from the Council as to why their bid was not successful and what points were lacking. This encourages companies to improve and increase their chances for success in the future.

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• Q: When might I need to complete a PQQ? A: Pre-Qualification Questionnaires (PQQ) are used as a means to create a shortlist of potential providers. Returned PQQs will be evaluated and a shortlist drawn up. In addition to a completed PQQ, supporting documentation will be requested to enable us to evaluate the suitability of potential suppliers.
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