Contracts and Tenders
Procurement and Contracts overview
Procurement is the process we use to get the goods and services we need to serve our communities. We try to secure best value from our contracts while supporting quality and innovation.
The Shared Procurement Service is hosted by Crawley Borough Council which provides advice on all aspects of procurement sourcing, strategy, tender management and contract management to its partner Councils which include Horsham District Council, Mid Sussex District Council and Mole Valley District Council. The service was formed in 2010 by a group of West Sussex districts and boroughs and has expanded more recently to include a district council in Surrey.
The Service is not a purchasing or contracting body, however suppliers should communicate directly with the Service on all procurement matters rather than individual authorities.
We provide advice to client departments on any aspect of procurement and offer support and guidance to suppliers looking to do business with any of the Councils in the partnership.
The team can be contacted via: procurement@horsham.gov.uk or call 01403 215299
Becoming a supplier to the Council and current opportunities
All council opportunities above a value of £50k are advertised on the South East Shared Services e-sourcing portal (SE Shared Services e-Sourcing Portal), where applicable. The portal requires you to register and create a free account in order to access tender documents and submit a bid. The portal gives suppliers access to opportunities within the Shared Procurement Service as well as authorities from across Surrey, Sussex and Brighton & Hove.
Suppliers will be required to use the portal throughout the procurement process and the Council will not communicate with bidders outside of the portal. The portal should be used for asking questions and submitting your tender (or quote).
Portal User Guides for Suppliers
We do not hold lists of approved or preferred suppliers. We do not retain any marketing information we receive; you must therefore register on the portal to access any tender opportunities we have. Lower value procurements may not be advertised on the portal and are likely to be managed directly by the individual council departments
Contracts Register
The Contracts Register provides details of the Council’s current contracts with a value of more than £5,000 along with their expiry dates. Updates to the register are published every quarter.
Please take a look at the Mid Sussex contract register for more details.
Local Government Procurement Rules
All procurement activity undertaken is done in a transparent, fair and consistent way as required by the Public Contract Regulations 2015 and World Trade Treaty Principles. The rules the Council must follow are set out in the Council’s Constitution which acts as the ‘rule book’ that governs the processes by which the Council conducts its procurement. The rules apply to all purchases by the Council of goods, works and services. It does not apply to contracts of employment or acquisitions and disposals of land or buildings.
In order to tender or quote for contracts, suppliers will need to meet some minimum requirements for example, appropriate insurance levels, evidence of financial stability, compliance with relevant legislation and policies such as health and safety, anti-corruption, modern slavery and human trafficking etc. where appropriate.
The Council’s current rules set out the procurement route to be used to procure goods, services or works depending on the value of the contract. These are detailed below. The Council is also able to utilise Framework Agreements as an alternative way of procuring, without advertising.
Effective from January 2022
|
|
Goods/Services |
Works |
|
Evidence of value for money |
Below £20k |
|
|
Three written quotes Include at least one local supplier |
£20k – £50k |
£20k – £100k |
|
Local Tender Process |
£50k – £214,904 threshold |
£100k – £5,372,609 threshold |
|
Above Threshold Tender To be advertised on SE Shared Services Portal (and Contracts Finder) |
Above £214,904 |
Above £5,372,609 |
* PLEASE NOTE: Thresholds are INCLUSIVE OF VAT. Previous thresholds were EXCLUSIVE OF VAT.
For more information about doing business with the Councils please see our How We Procure Guide.
Social Value and Sustainable Procurement
The Council is committed to delivering value for money services as well as promoting responsible supply chains by working with suppliers who align with our priorities on social value and sustainability.
The Public Sector (Social Value) Act 2012 requires public sector organisations to consider how their procurements might improve the social, economic, and environmental wellbeing of the area. The Cabinet Office’s Social Value Model enables social value to be judged on an equal footing with cost and quality in procurement exercises.
The Council’s Social Value and Sustainability Charter covers all of the Council’s commissioning and procurement activities to ensure the Council gets maximum value from the public money it spends. The Charter asks suppliers to commit to delivering social, economic, and environmental benefits for the betterment of our area as per the Council’s social value priorities, and to deliver the Council’s commitments outlined in the Sustainable Economy Strategy and Action Plan. The extent of this commitment will be dependent on the value of the contract.
Read the Charter here Social Value and Sustainability Charter