Procurement principles

Our procurement principles

• we aim to make it easy for suppliers to do business with the councils
• we aim to be fair to all those competing for business, and be seen to be fair

The council's constitution

The council is a body ruled by legislation.  It buys in works, supplies and services in order to provide the services to the public required of it by law.  These services are supported by public money from the government and council taxes.  As a public service provider, the council must act and be seen to act fairly when awarding contracts.  There are legal requirements the council must follow that ensure we are seen transparently to show no bias or favour when we appoint our suppliers.  EC Public Procurement Directives require the council to advertise all contracts over the EC Threshold in the Official Journal of the European Community This link will take you to an external website... (OJEC).

The rules by which we spend money on supplies and services are set out in the Contract Procedure Rules section of our Constitution.

Honesty and openness

The council's Constitution requires its staff to be open about any family, personal or financial relationship (an interest) they have with an existing or potential supplier.  They must tell their head of service about the interest.  A member of staff who has an interest cannot take part in the procurement process.

The council's Constitution sets out what staff should do if someone offers them a gift or hospitality.

Likewise, the councillors' code of conduct requires councillors to declare interests in any contract and also declare gifts or hospitality they receive.

Sustainability

The council encourages a diverse and competitive supply market, including small firms, social enterprise, ethnic minority businesses and voluntary and community sector suppliers.  Please see our sustainable procurement policy on the right.

The council will integrate environmental and social criteria into specifications for contracts and tenders.  In all invitations to tender, the council will encourage suppliers to offer alternative products or services that have improved environmental performance but still meet the specifications.