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The Social Economy Network strives to create a more supportive and enabling environment for social economy organisations to increase their knowledge, understanding and capability to compete successfully for government and other public/private sector contracts.

Is public sector business for you?

Common procurement areas include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Accountancy/Audit
  • Banking
  • Bottled Water
  • Catering Equipment
  • Catering Services
  • Cleaning Services
  • Clothing and Footwear
  • Construction/Maintenance Services
  • Facilities Management
  • Food Products and Beverages
  • Furniture and Fittings
  • ICT Equipment
  • Information and Computer Technology Services
  • Legal Services
  • Office Machinery
  • Training Services

 

Contract Value
Procurement Procedure

Where are tender
opportunities advertised?


< £1000


Written and Quotation


Not advertised

>£1000 < £30,000
Selected Tender

Not advertised
3-5 companies selected to tender

>£30,000 <EC threshold
Publicly advertised tender competition
Local Press
Tender Directories
Websites
>EC Threshold
Publicly advertised tender competition in compliance with the UK procurement regulations

OJEU
Local press
Tender Directories
Websites

 

Typical Procurement Process

 

Typical Procurement Process

 

Other Opportunities

There are other ways of accessing the contract:

Consortium bids

It is sometimes assumed that public policy has been unfavourable to smaller businesses and contractors due to the search for economies of scale and the trend towards aggregation of smaller contracts into larger ones. There are often good business reasons for the aggregation of a host of similar, smaller contracts into a larger, more economical one for a major organisation like a council
or Government department. The management of dozens of smaller contracts can be expensive and unnecessary and if you are seeking work from a local council or public body, this can be a barrier to gaining business. If a service is uniform then you may be deemed to be unable to deliver it across a whole area, or in a host of locations simultaneously, if you are small. However, if a bid is received from a group of contractors perfectly able to deliver the complete service to the required standard, quality and price, then there may be no obstacle and you should pass the ‘fitness test’ in the pre-tender assessment. Bear in mind that dialogue with the authority letting the contracts is essential at an early stage if you wish to clarify that such opportunities exist, and that the structure of the contract and basis on which it will be monitored does not exclude this option without good reason.

Sub-contracting opportunities

Many of the highest-value government contracts are let to large companies. However, small companies can still play a part in these contracts, perhaps as sub-contractors or by forming consortia. Becoming a sub-contractor can be helpful for gaining experience. This can include contracting with a larger private sector firm who may lack the expertise you have, for example, with specialist issues and requirements, or one, which seeks to demonstrate it can deliver social objectives though partnership with a dedicated organisation like yourself.

 

 

  • Useful Resources on Procurement

 

"Selling to Government : The Who, Why, What and Where of Public Procurement " : A Guide from NI Central Procurement Department.