Guide - Selling to the Council

When making its purchasing decisions, the council must comply with its own internal Contract rules (Contract Procedure Rules) and with public procurement legislation contained in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

It is the council’s policy to ensure procurement is managed at the most appropriate level in the organisation. Authority to make buying decisions is devolved to the various business units. This is because managers in each business unit are best placed to understand the specific needs in these areas and buy accordingly.

The following thresholds are in place effective from 1st January 2024 (inclusive of VAT):

• up to £25,000 - minimum of one quote is required
• over £25,000 and up to £214,904- three quotes are required
• above £214,904 - advertised Tender (or the use of a legal framework)

There is a Central Procurement team which provides specialist advice and support to all business units within the council and supports tenders above £214,904. When appropriate, the council is also committed to working in partnership with other local authorities and public sector bodies to maximise the value we get from our contracts. The council uses two main routes to tender for contracts.