Commissioning and Procurement

As with all local authorities and other Public Sector Bodies, Mid Suffolk District Council's spend is governed by rules and regulations.

We have our own internal Contract Standing Orders and are also governed by the Public Contract regulations (2015 ). These control how we do business, most notably the requirements to act in a transparent, open and fair way.

We operate a centralised Commissioning & Procurement team who undertake corporate and strategic procurement for the Council as well as being a hub of expertise for service areas. If you need to get in touch, please e-mail us. 

Our Commissioning and Procurement Team lead on the process of engaging with providers to select, award and contract manage agreements for all contracts with a value greater than £25,000. If you need information on our payments or contracts register, please find information below. 

The role of the Commissioning & Procurement Team is to ensure that we maximise our spending power in a way that meets the needs of the organisation which optimises quality, efficiency and outcomes for our citizens, using the benefits of a mixed economy of supply. 

In Mid Suffolk, we spend approximately £29M per year on Supplies, Works and Services, across a wide variety of categories ranging from, Housing & Construction to Office Supplies and a range of Services and Support contracts.

The Government have created a guidance document Selling to government which you can read here.

This covers basic tendering requirements which provides a good insight into answering tender questions, value for money, social value and some top tips amongst other things.

Whilst this document covers doing business with Central Government, the general principals are equally relevant to doing business with any public sector body.

We have created a short list of top tips to help you, below and further information on where tenders are published, can be found on the links below. 

Top Tips when tendering

• Ensure you read and understand all the tender documents prior to attempting to complete the Tender Return Documentation. This is essential as these documents will explain and support how you should complete your return. 
• Allow plenty of time to submit your return. All returns must be submitted via our E-Tendering system by the deadline as late/incomplete returns will not be accepted.
• Respond to the specification but detail any added value/additional benefits you can offer.  For example, around the delivery of Social Value.
• Respond to the questions being asked.  Any information provided which is not relevant will not be considered or scored.  Do not include generic company brochures or information which is not directly relevant.
• Ensure you adhere to any Word Limits indicated.  Information above and beyond these limits will not be considered.
• If anything is unclear, let us know.
• Use the link provided on the e-tendering portal to ask any questions.  All correspondence must be through the portal.