Frequently Asked Questions

Please follow the links to find out the most frequently asked questions and their answers.

Questions:

1. What is the Official Journal of the European Union?
2. What is TED?
3. What are Part A and Part B Services?
4. What is Supply2Gov?
5. What is Source Lincolnshire?
6. What do all the initials stand for?
7. What are the different types of contract notices?
8. What are the different contract procedures?
9. How can I help the tender process?
10. What are CPV (Common Procurement Vocabulary) codes and how do I use them?
11. Can you add my company to your prefered/approved suppliers list?
12. Can I ask for help when completing / submitting my tender?
13. Can I still submit my tender even it has just past the deadline time by 1 minute?
14. What is the minimum financial reserves you expect for a business / organisation?
15. Is the scoring and weighting information available?
16. How much insurance is required and is it flexible or fixed?

Answers:

What is the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU)?

The Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) is a journal where major contracts are advertised by public sector bodies. Contracts above a certain value must be advertised in OJEU, although contracts with a lower limit can also be advertised. The levels whereby contracts must be advertised are (at March 2007) please see attachments below.

What is TED?

TED, or Tenders Electronic Daily to give it its correct title, is the web site where contracts placed in OJEU can be read.

What are Part A and Part B Services?

Part A Services are contracts that must be advertised in OJEU when they reach the threshold level. Part B Services do not have to be advertised in OJEU unless the Contracting Authority wishes to do so on a voluntary basis.

What is Supply2Gov?

Supply2.gov.uk is a government-backed initiative that focuses on lower-value public sector contracts, typically worth under £100,000. Developed by the Small Business Service (SBS) and the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), Supply2.gov.uk will enable all organisations across the public sector to publicise their lower-value contract notices and, for the first time, all types of businesses will have access to these contract opportunities in a single location.

Supply2.gov.uk provides the business (particularly small business) community with all the contract information and support services they need to compete and be successful in the lucrative public sector contract arena. The site is the focus of the Government’s initiative to make available to the business community contracts under the value of £100,000. However, Supply2.gov.uk goes further and offers suppliers access not only to lower-value contracts but also to higher-value (OJEU) contract notices for their local area FREE of CHARGE. To see opportunities outside the local area suppliers may have to pay a fee

What is Source Lincolnshire?

Source Lincolnshire is a web portal where Lincolnshire ‘s local authorities advertise their contracts. Not only does it list current contracts, but it also lists recurring contracts and when they are likely to be advertised.
In addition to Lincolnshire contracts, it also provides links to other ‘Source’ sites in the East Midlands , giving firms easy access to contracts in the region

What do all the initials stand for?

Please see downloads.

What are the different types of contract notices?

There are three main types of contract notice. They are

• Prior Information Notice/Periodic Indicative Notice: A PIN is an advance warning of a contract likely to be advertised within the coming 12 months. The issuing of a PIN does not guarantee that a contract will be placed.
• Contract Notice: This is the formal call for competition (the advert) and is classified by Procedure type (see below for further explanation).
• Award Notice: This is published by the Contracting Authority after the award of a contract.

What are the different contract procedures?

• Open procedure: A procedure where suppliers can apply without prior selection. When an ‘Open’ Contract is advertised, any firm can apply for this contract. It is generally used where there is likely to be a limited interest in the contract. The EC Directives lay down the type of criteria which can be used to eliminate unqualified or unsuitable suppliers. This procedure is most appropriate when there are a small number of suppliers expected to request an ITT.
• Restricted procedure: This is a two stage process. After the contract is advertised interested firms will give an Expression of Interest. They will then generally be asked to complete a Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) which the Contracting Authority will use to determine who should qualify to go through to the second stage. The second stage starts with firms receiving an Invitation to Tender followed by their tender submission. This is most appropriate when many suppliers exist within a market and it is not feasible to issue an Invitation to Tender to each.
• Negotiated Procedure - This is a procedure where only chosen suppliers are invited to tender. It can only be used in very limited and prescribed circumstances.
• Competitive Dialogue . This procedure, (introduced in January 2006) is used for large and complex projects in circumstances where the Negotiated Procedure may previously have been considered.
• Accelerated Procedure: May only be used where exceptional circumstances outside the control of the Contracting Authority mean a speedy result is needed.

How can I help the tender process?

• Read the advertisement or tender document carefully to ensure you fully understand the requirements.
• Contact the Contracting Authority if you have any questions but ensure you only contact the people stated, and in the format requested, in the tender documents.
• Do not include publicity material/sales literature unless specifically asked to do so, focus on submitting and responding to what is required in the tender documents.
• All tenders must be returned within the timescale stated in order to be considered. If late they may be rejected.
• Respond promptly and by any deadline set by the Contracting Authority.
• Submit your completed tender in the format/layout requested by the Contracting Authority.
• Where applicable/relevant, cross reference your answers to the questions in the invitation to tender. This will help make the tender easier to evaluate.
• Be clear on your pricing model and state any factors taken into account in the price e.g. timetables of work to be carried out.
• Don’t make assumptions about any advance knowledge of your business so provide all the evidence requested to help the tender evaluation process.
• The contract will normally be awarded to the most economically advantageous bid to get best value, not just on the lowest price.
• Ask for a debrief if you are unsuccessful, this will help you in any future tenders you may wish to apply for.

What are CPV (Common Procurement Vocabulary) codes and how do I use them?

CPV codes have been specially developed by the EU for public sector procurement. Buyers use CPV codes to classify their contracts by applying a code and description for the items they wish to procure.

Can you add my company to your prefered/approved suppliers list?

Please be advised that Procurement Lincolnshire does not have an approved/prefered suppliers list, as we advertise as and when tenders are required. Please follow the Tender Opportunities link for potential contracts.

Can I ask for help when completing / submitting my tender?

Procurement Officers cannot assist with any wording towards your submission, however because most public procurement tenders are now done via electronic tendering, assistance can be given if you have technical difficulties and need advice on how to access the Delta portal and download documents etc. Alternately this could also be done through Delta’s helpdesk directly.

Can I still submit my tender even it has just past the deadline time by 1 minute?

No - Once the deadline has gone we must reject any submissions that comes in, no matter how close to the time they may be. This is done to ensure a fair process where no supplier receives any “special treatment”. So always remember the deadline date and time to ensure your tender can be submitted with sufficient time to spare.

What is the minimum financial reserves you expect for a business / organisation?

We would expect the organisation to be able to cover all liabilities and also to be able to deliver the contract.

Is the scoring and weighting information available?

Yes - these are usually shown at the bottom of the tendering documents.

How much insurance is required and is it flexible or fixed?

This is flexible, and depends on the value of the contract and the risks associated. Insurance requirements may vary depending upon the size and scope of the contract.