Answer:  Their list of requirements of all the Partnership organisations is very broad. Look at the Current and Future Tenders page to see what is and will be needed. 

 

 

Answer:  There is no short answer to this question. The steps you have to take and the information you have to provide will depend on the size of the contract and the procedures of the organisation to which you are tendering. There are many rules and regulations with which contractors have to comply. Some are European wide, some are National and some apply to specific organisations or types of organisation.   It can appear daunting if you have not done it before. That is why the Walsall Borough Strategic Partnership has arranged for people to help you.  See also How to do business with the WBSP.

Answer:  Walsall Borough Strategic Partnership is made up of eight participating organisations. These are;

They work together to make sure the services they provide are in line with the needs of the community and coordinated effectively.

 

Answer: For several reasons. First to ensure that local organisations can easily find information about all the contracts currently available. Second to encourage local suppliers to bid by providing support, advice and training. And finally, to work to simplify the tendering process, making it more efficient and easier for suppliers.

 

 

Answer:  Yes. There are many such organisations that have been suppliers for many years. Information about them can be obtained from Walsall Voluntary Action.   VCS organisations are often in close touch with the people who most need them. They can be good at identifying needs. They can be cost effective. The Partnership is keen to work with the VCS in the Borough.

 

 

 

Answer:  Yes. A majority of our suppliers are SMEs. We would like to encourage more local SMEs to tender for our contracts. The Walsall Chamber of Commerce  is ready to help you with your tenders.

Answer: It is true that many of our contracts are large. And for small organisations even a contract for a few thousand pounds can seem daunting. And, as we continually seek more efficient suppliers it is likely that the contracts we put out to tender will continue to grow in scale. However, there are many examples of supplying organisations getting together to bid jointly for a contract. This can help smaller organisations win new work and scale up their operations. 

 

 

Answer:  Bidding for contracts that will stretch your organisation beyond its limits is not a good idea. And being a successful supplier requires good management. But many organisations find bidding and winning contracts less onerous then they imagine. And with the right support, you may be surprised at how straightforward it can all be.

 

 

Answer:  There are various reasons why you might want to consider bidding. First, Partnership organisations are large and provide work for many organisations. Second, many services used to be provided by organisations that received grant funding. Such grant funding is decreasing and you may be able to win contracts to replace the grant funding. Third, contracts with Partnership organisations may provide your organisations with some financial stability.  And finally, contracts may provide you the opportunity to scale up your activities or to move into other areas of work.

 

 

Procedure under which shorter advertising periods are permitted due to urgency. Justification must be published as part of the tender notice. Applies to Public Sector only. Extreme urgency can also be used as the justification for using the negotiated procedure.

 

Contracts providing for quantities to be called off as required by purchaser
Total contract quantities may be uncertain; there is, however, a legally-binding contract.

 

CHANGE ORDER
A written document used to make a change to an existing purchase order.

A process used to have more than one supplier provide pricing for goods/services/works being requested. The proven best technique to control or reduce the price paid for goods/services/works.

CONCEALED DAMAGE

When a good is received, this is when the box/carton is intact, but materials within are damaged.  In this case, a note should be made on the goods receipt and the supplier contacted immediately.  Be sure to request a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) from the supplier so you may return the goods without additional cost to whg.

 

CONFIDENTIALITY 

The non-disclosure of information.

When a Colleague would have a direct or indirect financial benefit due to a procurement decision.

 

The coordination of firms’ competitive behaviour.  For example, two or more companies agree to reduce competition by setting production quantities or prices. For collusion to succeed, the firms involved must have enough market share to influence the price-setting mechanism.

DIRECTIVE

EU legislation which member states must translate into national legislation
Note that Directives are binding on national governments and their agencies as soon as they are adopted - even though no legislation to implement them has yet been passed at national level.

Economies of scale occur when firms achieve per unit cost savings by producing more of a good or service.  Examples of scale economies are the bigger lorry that transports more while still requiring only one driver.

Unit prices are those acquired by previous orders or present market price knowledge.

FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT
A general term for agreements which specify terms and conditions under which specific purchases (known as call offs) can be facilitated throughout the term of the agreement. A specification/scope of work document should accompany the call off request. 

GENERIC DESCRIPTION

General description containing basic parameters of the goods/services/works to be performed (e.g., item description, part number, any other bit of relevant information).

Inco terms are standard trade definitions most commonly used in international sales contracts. Devised and published by the International Chamber of Commerce, they are at the heart of world trade.  Among the best known Inco terms are EXW (Ex works), FOB (Free on Board), CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight), DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid), and CPT (Carriage Paid To).

A person or business being hired to perform certain personal services where either the resources or expertise are not available internally. They follow an independent trade, business, or profession in which they provide goods or services to the public.

An advance warning of a contract to be awarded at some time in the future. .As in Prior (Public Sector) or Periodic (Utilities) Indicative Notice. Need not guarantee that contract will be placed.

 

Acronym stands for Invitation to Tender.  Document containing specifications, requirements, terms and conditions and other relevant information related to a specific tender.

Association of firms or individuals formed to undertake a specific business project. Under the Community competition rules, joint ventures are undertakings which are jointly controlled by two or more other undertakings. In practice joint ventures encompass a broad range of operations, from merger-like operations to cooperation for particular functions such as R&D, production or distribution. Full-function joint ventures which act on the market independently from their mother companies are treated as  concentrations under the Merger Regulation

JUSTIFICATION LETTER
Detailed letter containing all essential criteria affecting selection of a supplier.

MICRO/SMALL/MEDIUM ENTERPRISE 

All three are defined in terms of staff headcount, turnover or annual balance sheet total.  Staff headcount is measured in annual work units (AWU) (e.g., the number of persons who worked full-time within the enterprise in question or on its behalf during the entire reference year under consideration).

Medium - defined as an enterprise which employs fewer than 250 persons and whose annual turnover does not exceed EUR 50 million or whose annual balance-sheet total does not exceed EUR 43 million.

Small - defined as an enterprise which employs fewer than 50 persons and whose annual turnover and/or annual balance sheet total does not exceed EUR 10 million.

Micro - defined as an enterprise which employs fewer than 10 persons and whose annual turnover and/or annual balance sheet total does not exceed EUR 2 million.

Award criterion taking account of other factors as well as price.
Widely used in public sector purchasing. Examples: Delivery/completion date, Security of supplies, after-sales service, running costs, quality.

Procedure where only chosen suppliers are invited to negotiate contracts.
May be used with or without a prior notice in limited circumstances - e.g. extreme urgency, failure of open/restricted procedures to yield valid tenders, repetition of similar work.

General term for advertisement placed in the Official Journal.
Typically an invitation to tender. 

Procedure where bidders can apply without prior selection 

Negotiations with prospective suppliers, held after tenders have been received
Usually aimed at clarification of what will be done.

PREFERRED SUPPLIER 

Designation procurement gives to a supplier(s) when special pricing or service provisions have been negotiated. The primary means of leveraging the full buying power of the organization.

A document raised by a colleague indicating a request to procure a good, service or works.  This document typically contains a general item description, quantity, estimated unit price, requested supplier and any other requirement.  Procurement Services will assist in sourcing suppliers to maximize savings opportunities.

 

A person within the Procurement Services team assisting in the preparation and administration of tender documents.  This individual acts as a liaison between colleagues and suppliers, and acts on behalf of the Purchasing Manager when delegated.

 

A legal document containing the conditions of the sale including terms and conditions of service and delivery, performance acceptance clauses, termination, payment terms, and a description of the goods/services/works.

 

Acronym stands for Pre-qualification questionnaire.  Used to determine a potential suppliers viability to bid on a specific tender.

 

Procedure where bidders are selected by an open first round invitation
All prospective bidders can apply to be included in the restricted list for the contract. 

SPECIFICATION/SCOPE OF WORK (SOW)
A detailed description of the product or service being requested. The document is written by the Colleague requesting the tender and may be done in consultation with Procurement Services. 

SELECTION CRITERIA
Based upon an evaluation of the vendors' capabilities, including their expertise, ability to meet schedule, size, organization, and past experience. The attributes that will be used to make a vendor selection or buying decision.

SELLER 
The individual or business providing the good/services/works.

SERVICES 
Shall mean design, engineering, installation, testing, evaluation, maintenance, repair, management, consulting and any other services necessary to fulfill Seller's obligations under an Agreement.

SINGLE SOURCE
Multiple vendors are available to provide a good or service but there is a business reason for making the purchase from a specific firm.

SOLE SOURCE
Only one firm has the particular expertise or is in a niche market and there is no other supplier that can provide the good or service.

SUBCONTRACTOR
A contractor working for a "prime" contractor.

 

TERMS & CONDITIONS 
Stand alone clauses that define the understanding between a buyer and seller.

TENDER CONFERENCE

A meeting with bidders who have passed the pre-qualification stage of the tender process to provide additional information on whg and enables the bidders to seek clarification related to the invitation to tender.