How we tender

Quotations

The value of a contract determines the procedures that Council Officers must follow. It defines the number of quotes required or whether a tender process must be set in place.

The current threshold levels in operation within Oxford City Council are as follows. When seeking quotations, officers must obtain at least one quote from a local supplier where possible:

* OJEU - Official Journal of the European Union - used to advertise public sector tenders. The £156,442 threshold is the 2010 conversion of Euros 193,000. The journal's Tenders Direct website is a good source for finding work with the public sector.

Types of tender

The Council uses the following types of tender:

Open tender

Under an open tender procedure all suppliers who respond to an advertisement are supplied with tender documentation. This approach is usually followed when purchasing standard items (such as goods where the value is below the EU threshold).

Restricted tender

The restricted procedure is a two-stage approach in which the Council invites interested suppliers to undergo a pre-qualification assessment before inviting them to tender.

The restricted route may be used for non-standard or large goods and service requirements, where it would not be economic for all parties concerned if too large a tender field was invited to bid.

Negotiated tender

Occasionally we use negotiated tenders. These cover complex projects such as major redevelopments.

Competitive Dialogue

This process is used in complex projects when the contracting authority is not able to objectively define the technical means capable of satisfying needs or objectives.

Page last reviewed 28 Apr 2010