HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH BANGOR UNIVERSITY A GUIDE FOR SUPPLIERS

Transcription

1 HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH BANGOR UNIVERSITY A GUIDE FOR SUPPLIERS Produced by Bangor University s Corporate Procurement Team July 2016 Version 1.0

2 CONTENT About this Guide.. 3 Background.. 4 The Procurement Function 5 Purchasing Consortiums.. 6 Procurement Rules and Regulations.. 7 Procurement Processes.. 8 Contact Details

3 ABOUT THIS GUIDE The purpose of this guide is to give suppliers who wish to provide goods, services or works to the University a better understanding of the University s procurement processes. The University recognises and welcomes the diverse nature of the supplier community and is committed to working with suppliers to deliver the infrastructure and services to sustainably support our students and staff. The University does not maintain an approved supplier list as such, but will carry out a compliant procurement process when required. The process is explained in further detail in this guide. The guide explains the following: A brief background to the University and the role of its Procurement Service. Procurement rules and regulations that the University must adhere to when procuring goods, services and works. How suppliers can be alerted to the opportunities to supply the University. Advice and tips for suppliers when completing tenders. The University encourages applications from all types of supplier e.g. local, national, small and medium enterprise, limited companies, ethnic minority owned businesses etc. This guide is for advice and guidance purposes only. As there is a high demand for University business, suppliers must appreciate that this guide will not guarantee them the success of being awarded a contract. 3

4 BACKGROUND Founded in 1884, Bangor University has a long tradition of excellence and exceeds expectations, both for academic standards and student experience. We have over 11,000 students and over 650 teaching staff based in 23 Academic Schools grouped into five Colleges. Bangor University buys a wide range of works, services, goods and utilities, with expenditure ranging from large construction and refurbishment projects to very small requirements such as office stationery. The University requires that all purchases of commodities and procurement of services and works be undertaken in the manner that achieves value for money on a whole life basis, and which generates benefits not only to the University, but also to society and the economy, whilst minimising damage to the environment. All University purchases must be made in line with: Statutory and legal requirements; The University s Financial Regulations; The University s Procurement Strategy; and The Welsh Procurement Policy Statement. 4

5 THE PROCUREMENT FUNCTION Procurement is the acquisition of appropriate goods, services and works at the best possible total cost of ownership to meet the needs of the purchaser in terms of quality and quantity, time, and location. The acquisition comes in the form of purchasing, contracting, and negotiating directly with the source of supply through means of quotation exercises or competitive tenders. The Corporate Procurement Team at Bangor University have responsibility for developing and supporting the following areas:- Bangor University s Procurement Strategy Financial Regulations Bangor University s Contract Register Purchasing Card Programme Administration Liaison with external purchasing Consortia / National Groups Sustainable / Ethical acquisition and disposal of goods Supporting Bangor University Schools and Service Teams to achieve value for money and best practice in obtaining goods and services Promoting the use of Electronic Procurement Tools The Corporate Procurement Team support the University s aims and objectives of being a strong, confident institution recognised regionally, nationally and internationally as a centre of excellence for its varied portfolio of teaching and research, and for the unique, multicultural, inclusive experience it provides for its staff and students. Bangor University is keen to work with suppliers who focus on environmental and social factors and who are willing to work with the University to make improvements in these areas. Bangor University s Sustainability and Fairtrade Policies can be viewed at 5

6 Procurement Rules and Regulations University staff are required to undertake commercial dealings in a professional manner that: delivers value for money, i.e. quality goods, services, works for the best possible price, ensures risk is eradicated or reduced wherever possible. In order to achieve these objectives, the University has policies and procedures in place which ensure that the correct procurement process is adopted.. The table below shows the procurement route for non-contracted requirements: Value Procedure Less than 1,000 Common sense approach to get best value. 1,000-4,999 Evidence of 3 quotes should be obtained from catalogues or telephone enquiry. Whilst written quotations are not required, evidence of quotes must be maintained. 5,000 to 24,999 3 written quotations must be obtained. 25,000 and above Formal tender process must be followed. EU Thresholds (updated Undertake formal tender procedure under the biennially) as at January 2016 Public Contract Regulations > 164,176 (goods & services) > 4,104,394 (works) Pre-Tendered Contracts (Framework Agreements) Bangor University is able to use framework agreements which have been established by Purchasing Consortia. This means that the University does not have to advertise a detailed tender itself, but will collaborate with other public bodies in order to reduce procurement costs. A summary of the main Consortia used by the University can be seen in the next section. Many of these framework agreements are lotted into small work packages, and therefore smaller suppliers should not be discouraged from expressing an interest in these contracts. It is also possible for smaller suppliers to collaborate on larger contracts. 6

7 Purchasing Consortia The University uses a number of contracts let by purchasing consortia and, whilst their structure and specialties may differ, they all deliver greater value for money and reduce the level of administration. The main consortia used by the University are as follows: North Western Universities Purchasing Consortium (NWUPC) Bangor University acquires the majority of commodity based items from this consortium, such as stationery, furniture, laboratory supplies etc. Further information is available from: National Procurement Service for Wales (NPS) The National Procurement Service (NPS) for Wales has been set up to enable the Welsh public sector to collaborate more closely in procuring goods and services. The NPS brings together public sector purchasing power of over 1bn, representing 20% to 30% of the Welsh annual expenditure in common and repetitive spend. Further information is available from: The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) The Crown Commercial Service are the national procurement partner for UK public services. The primary role of CCS is to maximise value for money obtained by Government Departments and other public bodies through the procurement and supply of goods and services. Further information is available from The University Caterers Organisation (TUCO) TUCO is the leading professional membership body for in house caterers operating in the higher and further education sector. TUCO are committed to advancing the learning and developing of catering and hospitality teams, and work to provide quality standards, advice and information to those working in the sector. TUCO is committed to driving the health and well-being agenda on behalf of its members, and is at the fore of sustainability best practice. Further information is available from We encourage suppliers to tender for opportunities presented by these purchasing consortia. 7

8 Procurement Processes Request for Quotation Where staff members have a requirement but there isn t a contract or framework in place to cater for their needs, then a written quotation may be obtained using the table on page 7 for guidance. Staff may approach suppliers directly for quotations or they may use Sell2Wales to advertise their requirement. Mini-competitions (Framework Agreements). If you are a supplier on a framework agreement, you may be invited to participate in a minicompetition exercise. These will be undertaken either through Sell2Wales or etenderwales (Bravo Solutions). You should register on these websites (free of charge) when requested to do so. Sell2Wales. ( Sell2Wales website is an information source and procurement portal set up by the Welsh Government to assist businesses win contracts with the public sector in Wales. All tender opportunities with Bangor University will be advertised on this web site and therefore suppliers are encouraged to register their company details free of charge so that they can receive updates about tender opportunities as they arise. Invitation to Tender All requirements over 25,000 must follow a formal tender process. A tender process is a formal, structured invitation to suppliers to submit a bid in response to a contract advertisement to supply products, services or works. Further details on the tender process are included on page 9. EU Tender Process All requirements with a projected expenditure over the EU thresholds, currently at 164,176 for Goods and Services, and 4,104,394 for Works, are advertised through the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) via the Sell2Wales website. This value is reviewed every two years, with the next review scheduled for 1st January There are 5 procedures in total, although the University will predominantly undertake either a Restricted or Open procedure. The University takes a decision on the appropriate route to follow depending on the requirement. The Restricted procedure is a two stage process. Any interested party may express an interest in tendering but only those meeting the University s selection criteria or gaining sufficient marks to be on a shortlist will then be invited to tender. The Open procedure is 8

9 where all those interested suppliers may respond to the advertisement by submitting a tender for the contract. Bangor University uses the Supplier Qualification Information Database (SQuID), which is a common catalogue of questions and processes for use at the supplier selection stage of procurement. For the buyers it provides a set of standard questions and a wizard tool for selecting the most appropriate questions for each individual procurement. For suppliers, initially it means that they see greater standardisation of approach across the Welsh public sector in terms of supplier selection. In September 2015, the online SQuID was launched which means that suppliers responses to a previous PQQ or ITT can be stored in a database and can be re-used for many procurements (if using e-tenderwales). This means that the process of tendering is simplified and saves time and money in reducing the need to provide the same information every time they respond to a procurement request. Tender Documentation The University s tender documentation is a means of assessing a supplier s capability to provide goods/services/works as well as the most economically advantageous bid. The documentation has various sections that must be completed by the supplier when bidding for a University Contract. The documentation includes commercial and non-commercial sections. As part of the tender evaluation each section is weighted depending on the importance to the contract. The evaluation weightings are detailed in the tender documentation; this enables suppliers to see how important each of the criteria is to the University. For suppliers to be successful, as much information as possible must be provided along with any evidence requested. The submitted bid must also follow the format and instructions as stipulated in the tender documents. When a supplier does not complete a section, or attach the relevant evidence required this means no marks can be achieved under that heading. Therefore a supplier may be at a disadvantage as to the maximum marks they can achieve compared to a supplier who has comprehensively and methodically completed the documentation. Electronic Tendering Bangor University makes use of an e-business application for its tendering activity. This is a hosted service through Bravo Solution and is used in many instances when tendering with the University. The service is fully secure and audited and has a dedicated help desk facility for suppliers in the event of queries. 9

10 Tips for completion The following is an explanation on each section of the tender document, and what is required from a supplier applying for University Business. Form of Tender This section requires the bidding suppliers to review and agree to the University s terms and conditions relevant to the contract. Suppliers are asked to provide mandatory information relating to their past business practices and sign a declaration that this is accurate and no third party collusion has taken place. Failure to sign and complete this section will result in disqualification Financial Information The University credit checks all companies bidding for contracts, and this will be stated in the tender documentation. In addition to this, suppliers may be asked to provide financial information relating to their past years worth of trading. This information will be used to assess the financial position of a company. In high risk contracts where non-performance could result in significant financial loss or where operational performance is crucial, suppliers may be asked to submit a Parent Company Guarantee or Performance Bond. Suppliers sometimes fail to provide the financial information in the requested format; this is mainly due to two reasons: 1) The University requires the financial information in Great British Pounds (GBP) sterling, but suppliers choose to submit in an alternative currency. 2) A supplier chooses to send a copy of their full accounts as opposed to completing the University s documentation. Please note, alternative currencies and / or copies of full accounts will not be accepted and result in the supplier scoring zero for this section. Insurance Details The University needs to be assured that they trade with suppliers who have the correct insurance policies and levels of indemnities in place. Suppliers may be requested to provide confirmation of their and any sub-contractors requested insurance levels. The levels and types of insurance may vary depending on the University s requirement, and will be detailed in the tender documentation. Bangor University will need evidence of the existence of the confirmed insurance policy before any contract will be awarded. Any supplier not being able to provide evidence will be eliminated from the tender. 10

11 Quality Assurance For certain contracts including works, suppliers may be required to demonstrate they have suitable quality assurance and accreditations in place. Suppliers will be asked to provide evidence of the certification they have. References Suppliers may be asked to provide details of reference sites, which the University may decide to approach in respect to the services/goods/works that you are bidding for. The University may wish to ask contacts at the reference sites some additional questions which will be tailored to the needs of the contract. The responses will be used to assess whether a company has the required level of skills and abilities to be able to supply the University. Health and Safety The University needs to ensure that the suppliers they use comply with Health and Safety legislation. Depending on the contract, suppliers may need to answer additional questions relating to working on University premises. Suppliers tendering for contracts within Property and Campus Services will be required to sign up to the Contractor Working Standards document (insert link to the document). Sustainability Sustainability is a key strategic goal of the University and therefore sustainability objectives are included into the procurement process as standard. Sustainability covers environmental, economic and social issues and suppliers are encouraged to assist the University in improving performance in these areas wherever possible. The University s Sustainability Policy can be viewed here Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) and Modern Slavery Bangor University is committed to ensuring that no acts of slavery are occurring with their supply chain. As required under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the University will publish an annual statement detailing the steps taken to manage and reduce the risk of slavery in the supply chain [Insert link]. We expect our suppliers to also conform with the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act Diversity and Equality Suppliers are requested to complete this section of the tender as it examines the areas of equal opportunity and diversity. The University wishes to place business only with suppliers who treat people equally. A supplier is required to adhere to the Commission for Racial Equality s code of practice for Employment or relevant standard within your working processes and ensure they are covered in all relevant company documentation and have a Diversity and Equality policy or an Equal Opportunities Policy. 11

12 Appropriateness of Solution / Supplementary Information A specification will be provided for suppliers to review. Depending upon the nature of the contract, the University will either be simply looking for confirmation that you can meet the University s requirements or may require a detailed proposal of how the supplier intends to comply with specification. Depending on the nature of the contract, suppliers may be asked to provide samples of their products / and or attend an interview to clarify their proposal. Receipt of Tenders The tender response will have a closing date and time, if a supplier submits a tender late then this will be rejected and will not be evaluated by the University. Therefore it is imperative the tender response is delivered on time and to the correct address as detailed within the tender document. Contract Award and Debriefing Tenders are evaluated using pre-determined weighted criteria. The criteria will cover the above mentioned sections of the tender documents as well as cost / price. The full criteria will be detailed in the tender documentation All suppliers are notified as to whether they have been successful or unsuccessful. Within the limits of commercial confidentiality, the Council will always endeavour to offer unsuccessful suppliers feedback as to why their bid failed. This information can be used to help any future bids. Being unsuccessful in one contract does not mean that a supplier will be unsuccessful in future bids. New Suppliers If you are successful in becoming a supplier to the University, you will be asked to provide some basic company information in order that we can make payment to you. Specifically, we will require the following key information: Contact Details Payment Options Company Type E-Purchasing and E-Invoicing Bangor University are currently implementing an e-marketplace which will allow the University to transact electronically with suppliers. The aim is to improve efficiency and reduce the costs associated with the procurement process. The University encourages its suppliers to work with this technology, i.e. accepting electronic purchase orders and returning electronic invoices. This will result in suppliers being paid quicker. 12

13 Some suppliers will also be requested to supply electronic catalogues to allow the University to have an improved shopping experience. The Corporate Procurement Team will seek to work with suppliers who are willing to embrace this technology. Further information can be found here Purchase Cards Some transactions made by Bangor University with be made with The Barclaycard Purchasing Card. The card is a credit card that can be used to pay for goods and services of low value e.g. conference and seminar fees, accommodation charges, vehicle hire and oneoff purchases when the need arises. Gifts and Hospitality Potential or existing suppliers to the University are not allowed to give or offer any gifts or consideration whatsoever as an inducement or reward to any employee or agent of the University. Such action will have the effect of negating all current and future contracts. Further Assistance Further assistance for the use of electronic tools and courses on how to tender can be had from Business Wales 13

14 Bangor University Corporate Procurement Team Cae Derwen- Finance Office College Road Bangor LL57 2DG. Phone: /