PURCHASING PROCEDURES - University of Central Lancashire

21: PURCHASING GUIDANCE NOTES WHEN BIDDING FOR FUNDS
Below are a number of „key‟ points that will have to be considered and acted upon when
University staff are bidding for funds to purchase equipment and services. It is important for
„bidders‟ to recognise any mandatory requirements as they could affect the timeframe and
procurement process if the bid were to be successful.
University Financial Regulations
All purchases for equipment and services are subject to the University‟s Financial
Regulations.
Headline Regulations are,
Purchases up to £5k – estimated price
Purchases £5k to £50k – a minimum of three written quotations
Purchases £50k to £100k – a minimum of four tenders – allow a minimum of four
months for this process
Purchases £100k to £156k – a minimum of six tenders
Purchases greater than £156k, subject to EU Procurement (tender) Regulations (see
below). – allow a minimum of six months for this process
Statutory Requirements
All purchases for equipment and services over the value of £156k that could be aggregated
or purchased from a single supplier will be subject to EU Procurement Regulations.
What does this mean?
Each procurement is subject to statutory regulations and timetables.
For an „open‟ tender all applicants must receive a tender pack. The tender timeframe
is a minimum of 52 days.
The specification must be generic and must not include any artificial „lock out‟
barriers to competition within the specification i.e. quoting any „brand names‟.
Every supplier must be treated equally and fairly.
If the EU Tender Regulations are NOT followed precisely then the University may be
challenged in a court of law and if found guilty could be fined up to the value of the potential
contract.
External Requirement and Good Practice Purchasing
Most external funding agencies now impose procedures on bidding institution. These will be
a combination of strict procedures or good practices. Organisations such as HEFCE, the
Research Councils and the Wellcome Trust all insist the proper tender regulations are
observed and „whole life costings‟ are included within the bid and procurement process.
Most agencies now insist the institution Purchasing Office is included within the process and
sign off the bid/procurement documentation. Failure to do so may result in the bid not being
accepted or funds being denied.
Purchasing procedures December 2011