An Introduction to Milton Keynes Council Procurement

Transcription

1 An Introduction to Milton Keynes Council Procurement An Introduction to Milton Keynes Council Procurement v1 October

2 Milton Keynes Council Procurement Introduction Milton Keynes Council (the Council) purchases goods, works and services totaling 200 Million a year from the private, public and voluntary sectors to meet corporate objectives and to provide high quality, cost effective services to its residents and staff. Contracts can vary from small, low value, one-off purchases to large, multimillion pound, works or service contracts. Listed below are some of the typical items (but not limited to) that the Council will purchase: Goods: Works: Services: Computer hardware Computer software Lease cars Mobile phones Office furniture and equipment Photocopiers Stationery supplies Vehicles Construction contracts Engineering Landscaping and grounds maintenance Property maintenance Agency staff Advertising Cleaning Catering External printing Insurance Management contracts (Various) Refuse collection Social Care Utilities The aim of this document is to provide an introduction and overview of the procurement processes and regulations that Milton Keynes Council must follow in the advertising, tendering and the letting of contracts to any supplier. An Introduction to Milton Keynes Council Procurement v1 October

3 Procurement Procedures All procedures relating to the purchase of goods, works and services are established in the Council s main procedural rules the Contract Standing Orders and Financial Regulations. These rules regulate how the Council conducts its business and anyone employed by the Council (all staff and including consultants) must conform to them. They set out the procedures for advertising, evaluating and letting contracts of different values and form part of the Councils constitution. In addition Milton Keynes Council produces a Procurement Strategic Plan which highlights the key procurement objectives. The total contract value (E.g. 10,000 per annum for 3 years = 30,000 total value) of any purchase determines the procedures that all Council Officers with the assistance of Corporate Procurement must follow with respect to how many quotes they need to obtain, or whether a tender process must be entered into. The table below gives details of the current threshold levels in operation within the Council. Contract Value Action Required Up to 500 A Single Quotation A minimum of 3 telephone quotes 5, ,000 Above 100,000 below OJEU Invitation To Quote advertised via the Councils E-Tendering portal (In-Tend) Invitation to Tender advertised via the Councils E-Tendering portal (In-Tend) Goods and Services OJEU Threshold 172,514 (and above) Advertise in OJEU (Official Journal European Union) Works OJEU Threshold 4,332,012 (and above) Advertise in OJEU An Introduction to Milton Keynes Council Procurement v1 October

4 OJEU Process As identified in the table above, should any procurement activity be above the OJEU thresholds for Goods/Services or works then specific procedures must be undertaken that are led by the EU. These include the use of particular documents and specific timescales that must be followed. When an OJEU process is undertaken the Council will follow one of two types of Tender Procedure: 1. Open Procedure Used for most simple procurements. All tenders will be evaluated to establish the MEAT for contract award 2. Restricted Procedure Used as a 2 stage tender process where a PQQ will be utilised to provide a shortlist of bidders who will be invited to tender. Less commonly used procedures include Competitive Dialogue, Dynamic Purchasing Systems and Accelerated Procedures. For more information on OJEU please contact the Procurement Team. Procurement Documents The information below outlines the key document(s) likely to be provided and/or required for each procurement activity undertaken. Quotations (Value Dependent) Invitation to Quote Instructions for Submission Specification Pricing Schedule Terms & Conditions Online Mandatory Questionnaire Tenders (Including OJEU) Pre-Qualifying Questionnaire Instructions for Submission Specification Invitation to Tender Pricing Schedule Evaluation Criteria Supporting Documentation Terms & Conditions Online Mandatory Questionnaire An Introduction to Milton Keynes Council Procurement v1 October

5 Frequently Used Procurement Acronyms EOI ITQ PQQ ITT OJEU MEAT E-Tendering Expression of Interest Invitation to Quote Pre Qualifying Questionnaire Invitation to Tender Official Journal of European Union Most Economically Advantageous Tender Electronic Tendering (Web based System) E - Tendering Milton Keynes Council utilises In-tend; an e-tendering portal to undertake its tendering and quotation process. In-tend allows the Procurement Team to administer and control all aspects of the procurement activity through a central function. The benefit of the e-tendering system is that it is open and transparent and no matter what size your company you have the opportunity to participate in any of our published tenders and work with the Council. To register on the site and for more information please visit (insert link) Tender Opportunities All Milton Keynes Council tender opportunities over 5,000 in value are advertised on In-tend with an instruction to register interest in the project if the desire is there to do so. All current contracts in place with Milton Keynes Council including anticipated end dates can be accessed via the MK Council Contracts Register that is available online. **To view current opportunities, you do not need to be a registered user on the site and can access the area here **To progress further in any particular activity however, registration to In-Tend will be required. (There is no charge to register to In-Tend)** Milton Keynes Council may on occasions in addition to using In-Tend, advertise opportunities on other media including newspapers and trade journals should there be a specific requirement to do so. An Introduction to Milton Keynes Council Procurement v1 October

6 Small to Medium Enterprises It is the Council s goal to develop a mixed economy of suppliers and promote partnering arrangements. The Council is keen to develop participation by small medium enterprises (SME s) and the voluntary and community sectors, and to work with suppliers to deliver community benefits in a way that is consistent with best value, and in compliance with procurement law. Sustainability The Council is committed to using the resources entrusted to it to ensure best value for money whilst minimising the environmental and social impacts associated with the products and services it purchases. As part of this commitment to sustainable development the Council s procurement policy will, wherever practicable, focus on Specifying less environmentally damaging products (i.e. those that reduce consumption of finite natural resources, reduce CO2/greenhouse gas emissions, minimise waste, promote recycling, are biodegradable, increase energy efficiency, minimise pollution and habitat loss. Promoting greater use of renewable sources. (i.e. renewable energy and FSC certified timber) Encouraging suppliers to use environmentally and ethically responsible practices throughout the production process. Specifying labour standards based on the conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Promote the consumption of products with the Fairtrade mark Promoting healthier eating through greater use of fresh, seasonal, and where possible, organic food produce Encouraging a diverse and competitive supply market including SMEs, social enterprises, ethnic minority businesses and voluntary and community sector suppliers When applying for certain Council contracts, you may be requested to supply evidence of your practices and procedures as they relate to the above. Social Value Act The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 came into force on 31st January The act requires the Public Sector to consider how they can use contracts to enhance the wider wellbeing of the community. This complements existing procurement legislation and reinforces social value as part of the value for money considerations. An Introduction to Milton Keynes Council Procurement v1 October

7 Contract Management Contract Management is becoming an increasingly important feature within any procurement activity. As such, the Council expects its suppliers to not only be adhering to the contractual requirements but also being able to actively demonstrate that they are doing so, through regular reviews and performance measurement criteria. Health & Safety The Council is committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of its employees and that of all others affected by its undertakings. Contracts to supply goods or services will only be awarded to contractors who can satisfy the Council s requirements in terms of resources required and their health & safety competence. Successful contractors/ suppliers are expected to demonstrate compliance with current health & safety legislation including: A commitment to the health & safety of its employees, clients and others. Up to date health & safety policies and procedures. Adequate risk assessment procedures. An adequate system of monitoring and reporting accidents, incidents and ill-health. Access to competent health & safety advice. Contracts are monitored to ensure compliance with contract standards and health & safety requirements. Freedom of Information Act This legislation came into force in 2005 and entitles members of the public to access information held by public authorities. The Council must respond to all requests for information. Organisations must be aware of this duty, which may require us to disclose tender and contract information. If an organisation considers that any information that they provide is commercially sensitive and would not wish the Council to disclose it, you must advise us of this when returning your tenders to us. Organisations will need to identify which information in their bid is commercially sensitive and explain (in broad terms) what harm may result from disclosure if a request is received and the time period applicable to that sensitivity. However, please be aware that, even where an organisation has indicated information is commercially sensitive, the council may be required to disclose it under the Act if a request is received. An Introduction to Milton Keynes Council Procurement v1 October