Procurement Procedures

The procurement of works, goods and services is generally the responsibility of Eastbourne Borough Council's service managers.

All procedures relating to the purchase of works, goods and services are established in the council’s contract procedure rules.  These form part of the council’s constitution.  The purpose of these rules is to ensure probity, competition and openness in the council’s procurement. 

The rules require managers to follow various procedures according to the estimated size of the contract.

• For purchases of goods and services of up to £50,000 managers must invite a minimum of three quotations.
• For works contracts of up to £75,000 managers must invite a minimum of three quotations from suppliers on the council’s Approved List.
• For goods and services of £50,000 or above and for works of £75,000 or above competitive tenders must be obtained.
• Contracts where the value exceeds the threshold laid down by the EU (£144,371 for goods and services and £3,611,319 for works) must be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).

Selection Criteria

When you respond to a tender notice you will be asked to complete a supplier appraisal questionnaire.  This enables us to assess an organisation’s suitability for delivering a particular service, product or works.  This short-listing process saves both our time and yours in efforts being unnecessarily spent on completeing tender documents by companies who do not meet the selection criteria.

Tendering for Contracts

If your company is short-listed your tender documents will be forwarded to you.

Tender Evaluation

Returned tenders are evaluated against predetermined criteria by a panel of officers.  Evaluation will focus on examining how the tender proposals will deliver the service (quality) and the cost of the service (price) over its whole life.  This would consider operating costs, repairs and maintenance charges, anticipated lifespan and ultimate disposal fees for any product or service.

Contract Monitoring

Eastbourne Borough Council monitors its performance as part of its duty under Best Value. This includes monitoring the provision of goods or services on our behalf.  You will be expected to provide the services in accordance with the requirements set out in the contract document and your proposals to carry out the contract.

E-procurement

E-procurement is playing an increasingly important part in the council’s tendering processes.