Evaluation of tenders
Once received, all tenders will be kept securely until the closing date. They will be opened together, in the presence of at least two officers. They can not be opened by the officers involved in the project. Details of the contractor and the value of the tender will be recorded in a register.
If fewer than 50% of those invited actually submit a valid tender, the Council may decide to reject all tenders and to start the process again.
To preserve the integrity of the competitive process, evaluation of tenders is carried out objectively and in a consistent way. We usually select suppliers on the basis of overall value for money. Price is important, but there are occasions when other criteria will be considered such as quality, reliability, delivery times, technical assistance, after sales service etc.
If necessary we will carry out post-tender discussions with tenderers to seek more clarification on non-financial aspects of the tender, prior to awarding the contract.
Awarding Contracts
The Council will not normally award contracts to companies, partnerships or other businesses in which any Councillor or employee of the Council is a director or partner, or holds 20% or more in shares or other interest.
The Council will inform all tenderers of the outcome of their tender as soon as is practical after they have been opened, and will discuss terms and conditions with the successful tenderer.
With regard to contract documentation, for contracts valued under £75,000 we will issue forms of agreement or correspondence supported by a purchase order.
If the value is more than £75,000 we will prepare Conditions of Contract documents. This will cover dayworks, collusion, corruption, insurance, liquidation damages, performance guarantees, sub-contracting and policy requirements.