How to bid for council business
As a Local Authority there are certain rules and regulations, which must be followed when procuring goods, works and services; these are known as Contract Procedure Rules.
Every contract made by us, or on our behalf, must comply with those Contract Procedure Rules and the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (as amended) and any other relevant UK legislation, and where appropriate, any conditions imposed by a grant funding body.
These rules dictate the manner in which a business opportunity must be brought to the market and awarded. A copy of the current Contract Procedure Rules is published in the Council's Constitution, which is available on this website.
Portal Registration
Suppliers interested in doing business with us should register on Open free of charge, in order to be notified of appropriate business opportunities.
Responding to an Advertisement
Where appropriate, business opportunities will be advertised on Open and on the Contract Opportunities page of our website. Where the value of business opportunity is greater than the published procurement thresholds, an advert will be placed in Find a Tender Service (FTS)
Suppliers that are interested in doing business with the Council should register as a supplier on Open; registered suppliers will be notified of any appropriate business opportunities that are advertised in their category. Please see Open - the new e-procurement platform for more information.
Please note: New procurement legislation coming soon
From 24 February 2025 procurement legislation for contracts over a certain threshold will change from the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 to the Procurement Act 2023.
The new legislation is designed to change the way the public sector buys goods and services. It will help make better use of public resources to deliver better public services and grow the economy. A key aim of the act is to make it easier for suppliers to do business with the public sector.
The existing rules will apply for contracts that are already in place and for those started under the current regime. For all new procurements from 24 February 2025, it is important that suppliers understand the changes.
The Cabinet Office are leading the Transforming Public Procurement programme. They provide regular updates and supplier-specific knowledge drops on their website and via a regular newsletter. We recommend you subscribe to their mailing list to ensure you're kept up to date on the latest news and information.