Stage one

This will involve potential contractors being vetted for suitability and this will normally be undertaken by issuing a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ). A Selection Panel will assess your suitability as a supplier, which will include scrutiny of the following key areas which will be extended depending on the nature of the goods or services being purchased:

• Business details
• Technical ability
• Financial standing
• Race Relations, Equal Opportunities etc (Equalities and equities)
• Health & Safety
• Environmental issues
• Insurance cover
• Various references will be taken up
• Previous experience

Stage two

Suppliers that are shortlisted will be provided with tender documents and invited to tender against a specification. You will be required to complete and return the necessary documents by a given date and time. Tenders received after this time will not be considered and notification given of rejection.

At present we are unable to accept tenders submitted electronically but you may request tender documents to be sent to you via e-mail to assist in their completion. However, a hard copy of the completed tender document must be completed and returned.

An Evaluation Panel will evaluate all tenders received against a pre-determined evaluation criteria, which will include reference to the particular needs of the contract being considered. The Council will award the contract to the supplier it considers offers best value against the award criteria.

Contract evaluation may be on the basis of either the most economically advantageous tender in terms of the criteria that has been pre-determined, or lowest price. It will be quite rare for a tender to be accepted on the basis of price only.

Procedures for contracting/tenders

The following is a broad outline of the limits set by the County Council's Contract Procedure Rules for obtaining quotations and tenders.

In all cases where there is an existing approved contract arrangement in place all Directorates of the County Council will be required to use that arrangement.

Where there is no suitable arrangement available then the following procedures must be followed:

Procurements below £10,000

Directorates will adopt the procedure that is most appropriate to provide best value to the Council.

Procurements above £10,000 but less than £20,000

A minimum of three written quotations will be sought, where it is practical to do so.

Procurements above £20,000 but less than £50,000

A minimum of three tenders will be invited in accordance with the procedures set out in Contract Procedure Rules.

Procurements above £50,000 but below the appropriate EU Public Procurement Directives threshold level (see below)

A minimum of six tenders will be invited in accordance with the procedures set out in Contract Procedure Rules.

Procurements for Supplies and Services above the EU Public Procurement Directives threshold level (currently £156,442)

Tenders will be invited following the issue of a Contract Notice in the OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union) and where appropriate in local/national newspapers and/or other specialist journals.

Procurements for Works above the EU Public Procurement Directive threshold level (currently £3,927,260)

Tenders will be invited following the issue of a Contract Notice in the OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union) and where appropriate in local/national newspapers and/or other specialist journals.

• Name: Dorset Procurement Mailbox
  Email: dp@dorsetcc.gov.uk
  Tel: 01305 221250
  Full details for Dorset Procurement Mailbox