The procurement processes that North Devon Council runs are intended to ensure the council obtains best value through an open, transparent, non-discriminatory and fair procurement and are determined as appropriate depending on the estimated value of the contract the council is procuring (see Doing Business with North Devon for more information).

Please remember that to take part in any procurement the council is running you must be a supplier registered on Supplying the South West (see Doing Business with North Devon for more information).

Completing quotations

Where the council has requested a quotation from you or you are responding to an advertised request for quotations the council will normally only need you to provide your best price for the goods, works or services to which the quote relates, although some additional information or evidence to show that you are appropriately qualified and/or experienced to carry out the contract may be required.  The lowest priced quotation will win unless there are extenuating circumstances.

All quotations must be submitted through Supplying the South West and should not include or make reference to any terms and conditions as the council's standard terms and conditions will apply (see Doing Business with North Devon for more information).

Completing tenders

Where you are interested in a tendering process which the council has advertised you can submit an expression of interest through Supplying the South West in response to which the council will supply you with the appropriate procurement documentation.  In the majority of cases this will be an Invitation to Tender (ITT). However, if there is a short listing procedure which you need to pass before you can be invited to tender, you may initially be provided with a Suitability Questionnaire (SQ).

A SQ will assess you as a supplier and your background, which will normally include questions to determine your eligibility to carry out the contract which is the subject of the procurement as well as questions as to your economic and financial standing and your technical or professional ability.  From this information the council will be able to short list those suppliers that it is interested in inviting to tender.

An ITT, which will be issued to all interested parties in an open procurement or otherwise only to those that are short listed, includes details about the contract that is the subject of the procurement and provides a comprehensive explanation of what the council requires and what it is looking for from its suppliers, including an appropriate award criteria.  Within the ITT will be questions relating to how you will be able to meet the council's requirements and needs pursuant to the contract which you will need to respond to and then submit your tender on Supplying the South West.  You will have a set time frame in which to do this.  The council will, after the deadline set out in the ITT, open all tenders it receives at the same time and will then evaluate these against the award criteria provided in the ITT and will, depending on the award criteria set out in the ITT, award the contract to the supplier with the most economically advantageous tender or the lowest priced tender which it receives.  You should not include your terms and conditions with your tender response, as this may delay matters, the applicable terms and conditions for the contract will be advertised with the ITT.

Where you have any questions in relation to a contract opportunity Supplying the South West has a question and answer tool to allow you to ask clarification questions of the council.

In addition Supplying the South West also has a help tool and guidance notes to assist you in using that website.

Top tips

• Read the advertisement carefully in order to assess if the opportunity is right for your organisation
• Read the procurement documentation carefully to ensure that you fully understand our requirements
• Make sure that your organisation is able to meet our requirements in full
• Work in partnership, where allowed to do so,  with others when you are unable to meet all of our requirements on your own
• Provide all of the requested information at the time that it is required
• Make sure that your answer accurately reflects your organisation
• Take account of how your answers will be evaluated by looking at the evaluation criteria, weightings, marking guidelines and our minimum requirements where these are detailed
• If in doubt ask clarification questions
• Do not exceed the stated deadline

Contact information

Procurement Team
Legal Services
North Devon Council
Brynsworthy Environment Centre
PO Box 379
Barnstaple
EX32 2GR

Telephone: 01271 388285 
For Typetalk: precede with 18001
Email: supplyingndc@northdevon.gov.uk
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Our office hours are 9.00 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday.