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Among the many services on offer by LCC is support with councils’ procurement and tender requirements.
Ever wondered whether to obtain a minimum of three quotes or to carry out a public procurement exercise? Or to opt for an open or a restricted procedure? Use the government’s Contracts Finder or Find a Tender service?
Procurement and tender processes can be lengthy and mind-boggling – bearing in mind the many requirements set out by model standing orders, model financial regulations and the public contracts regulations 2015. Many councils still operate their pre-Brexit standing orders and financial regulations which still include tender thresholds defined by the European Union rather than the UK government.
Whether you are looking to instal a new piece of play equipment or delivering an entire new play area, skatepark, trim trail or outdoor gym, whether you are planning physical improvements to a community hall or sports pavilion or you are constructing an entire new building, whether you are seeking to award a new support contract – perhaps covering grounds maintenance or IT support or payroll – LCC is able to help with a support package to suit each individual council, ranging from guidance and advice for councils to carry out the exercises themselves to delivering an entire service from beginning to end:
- Advising councils on procurement and tender requirements
- Devising and/or providing training, e.g. workshops, for councillors and council employees
- Preparing procurement documentation, including invitation to tender documents, the conditions under which a procurement exercise will be carried out and tender submission forms
- Developing weighed tender evaluation criteria
- Publishing invitations to tender and all relevant information and documentation, e.g. descriptions of provisions, specifications, planning restrictions, surveys, condition reports, plans etc
- Managing correspondence and prospective bidders’ questions and answers, including publishing those on the most appropriate platform(s) and issuing notifications to shortlisted bidders
- Developing matrixes to assist tender evaluation panels to ensure tender evaluations in accordance with the invitation to tender documents
- Either assisting with or actively assessing and scoring tender returns
- Issuing invitations to presentation and facilitating presentations by shortlisted tenderers, either in-person or virtually
- Devising procurement templates for councils’ future independent use
When carrying out procurement exercises, it can be helpful to ask higher-tier authorities and other partner organisations for advice and guidance. But often their procurement procedures and templates are not quite right for procurement exercises in the local council sector, and appear unnecessarily complicated for the often less-complex procurement exercises in the first tier of local government. Our associates are experienced in thinking creatively and to simplify any procedures so they work for individual local councils much better, taking into account each council’s situation and circumstances.
Contact LCC for more details or to receive a quote.
