Yes. But we need to be confident that suppliers can do what they promise to do.

To review Council Contract opportunities select the link below and follow the Current Opportunities link on your left to browse North West opportunities:

The Chest

Suppliers can register online via the Suppliers’ Area to receive email updates on opportunities that match their capabilities.

Suppliers can reduce tendering costs by registering their interest in opportunities online.

Yes. The Council aims to help the development of both profit and not for profit enterprises in the Borough. We want to encourage the employment of local labour, offering training wherever possible, and value work with local suppliers. We are working to demystify the tendering process and to increase accessibility to Council contracts. This document is one way of delivering on this commitment. We are particularly interested in encouraging small and medium enterprises to compete on a "level playing field" with larger companies.

The Corporate Procurement Service holds the Corporate Contract Register. The Contract Register contains a full list, and comprehensive details on all of the Council's current contracts. In addition, the Council commissions a number of construction projects (buildings, highways) each year. These contracts are sometimes supplemented by awards of consultancies to specialist suppliers who assist the Council in provision of technical advice.

No, but the large majority are. For "one off" purchases up to a value of £1000 (e.g. for an individual coffee making machine, or daily newspapers for a day centre), orders can be placed by telephone: even so, these may, in the case of dispute, be regarded as effective contracts. For purchases between £1,000 and £10,000, written competitive quotes are generally sought. Most other arrangements for supplies and services are secured by a competitive tendering process (see Q11 below), but the detail of these varies. Generally, higher value contracts, and longer contract periods involve more in depth exercises, requiring more detail.

There is no such thing as an "average" contract. Contracts vary from just a few pounds (see examples above in Q4) to those involving many £millions (for example, for waste management services across the borough for the next seven years).

No. The Council is also a member of a Purchasing Consortium - called the Local Authority Procurement Partnership (LAPP). Members of the Consortium (currently five Greater Manchester Councils, Warrington Council, Greater Manchester Police, and Greater Manchester Fire and Civil Defence Authority) work together, with individual organisations letting contracts on behalf of others in specific subject areas. This means that Trafford Council will be letting some contracts on behalf of LAPP member organisations including itself. It also means that some contracts involving supply of goods, works and services to Trafford residents will be let by other LAPP members on behalf of Trafford Council amongst others.

Schools and colleges are self-governing bodies and responsible for controlling their own budgets. However, the Council still contracts on their behalf in specific areas where they wish the Council to do so.

There are a number of ways:

Make sure your business is known to the most relevant contact officer(s) in the Council, names and contact details are listed on the Corporate Contract Register. Make contact, giving essential details about your business, and the goods or services you supply. You may be asked to supply further information (see Q13 below). This could result in your business details being entered on one or more of the Council's "approved lists", meaning you will be notified in advance of some forthcoming tenders to be advertised in your area of business.

The Council advertises contracts to be let in a number of publications. These advertisements state what is required from potential contractors. Normally, the Council advertises:

1. Contracts worth up to £100,000 in local publications (e.g. Manchester Evening News) and relevant trade journals
2. Contracts worth over £100,000 in these media and also in the national publication, "Contrax Weekly"
3. Services and supply contracts worth over £153,376 (200,000 euros) have - with some significant exceptions - also to be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). This publication is available in CD ROM format only and you can subscribe directly. The Stationery Office Customer Services (tel: 0870 242 2345) can give details or subscribe online via www.tso.co.uk
4. Works Contracts worth over £3,834,411 (5,000,000 euros) have also to be advertised in OJEU
5. Council contracts being let are available to view through the contract register

Familiarity with this general guidance is important. However, you can talk in more detail with the relevant contact officer listed on the Corporate Contract Register. These officers will have more detail to share about the Council's approach to more specific areas of related legislation (for example, the 'choice directive' under the NHS and Community Care Act 1990) or other relevant matters (such as how the Council 'spot purchases' child care or special educational needs placements).

Yes. As part of a Government initiative - the national e-Government Strategy - all councils have to be 100% capable of trading electronically with businesses by 31st December 2005. The Council has put a programme in place to ensure we are able to do this. We shall increasingly use online tendering processes, which many businesses also find convenient because it is quick, cheap and effective.

e-Procurement allows Councils to reduce costs and increase efficiency. Suppliers can share in the benefits by reducing paperwork, administration, and order errors whilst improving cash flow, efficiency and responsiveness. e-Procurement provides a "level playing field" for small and large suppliers - assuming they have electronic connections - benefiting the most competitive and responsive companies. For smaller businesses the capital investment needed to trade electronically can be very low - an Internet connection with a browser and e-mail is all that may be needed. Suppliers failing to grasp the benefits of e-Procurement may lose contracts to those which invest the time and money to ensure they are able to trade in this way.

The Council is committed to developing its e-Procurement facilities. Ultimately, this will affect all parts of the procurement process, from finding out about forthcoming contracts, through electronic submission of company information, to online purchasing via supplier catalogues, possible use of purchasing cards, and payment via Bankers Automatic Clearing System (BACS).

This means it is worthwhile for prospective suppliers to get to know their way around the Council's website. The Council's Corporate Procurement Service Team (link here to website & contact details) can give further advice. Details of the national e-procurement project, relevant to all councils and their prospective suppliers, can be found at www.nepp.org.uk

These vary from contract to contract. Generally, however, three approaches are taken. Advertisements placed by the Council identify the application instructions you need to follow.

(a) For small "one off" purchases the effective "contract" may be via letter, or telephone order placed with the supplier. For items costing £1,000 - £10,000, we generally seek competitive quotes, usually from 3 suppliers. Contracts over £10,000 are usually subject to competitive tendering exercises;

(b) For some contracts, we invite tenders through what is called an "open tendering process". This means any prospective supplier can tender for the contract, without having to go through an application or pre-qualification process. Prospective suppliers will still be asked to express interest in the contract, but will also automatically be sent an invitation to tender pack. This will contain, as a minimum, the following documents:

• a supplier information data form asking for general company information;
• general notes on the contract and a form of contract and tendering information and specification;
• the general terms and conditions of the tender
• You will also be asked to supply references (see Q13 below). The information you supply will be considered at the same time as your tender bid

(c) For most contracts, we use what is called a restricted tendering process. This means a tender process in which the Council limits the number of prospective tenderers to a fixed number. Any prospective supplier can still seek registration and will be asked to complete pre-tender details. This is done via a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) which asks for information on a variety of general areas as well as more specific project related issues. (see 13 below). How well the PQQ is completed will determine whether prospective suppliers meet the standards required to be considered for the restricted tender process in relation to any particular contract. Not being selected to tender for a contract does not mean that prospective suppliers might not be selected for consideration for other restricted tendering exercises in other areas. For example, a generic office equipment and stationery supplier may not be deemed eligible for consideration for supply of stationery because the information it provides is not as good as than that supplied by competitors. However, the same supplier's information may compare favourably with competitors for supply of office equipment; accordingly, it may participate in the restricted tender process for office equipment.

National rules and - for bigger contracts - European Union Regulations - dictate how we must advertise contracts we wish to let, and what process we have to follow. The Council also has its own set of contracting rules, which govern the processes it follows. These are set out in the Council's Constitution.

This varies from contract to contract. If you apply, you will receive details of the key- timetabled - stages. Contracts with values below the European limits (see Q8 above) are usually concluded more quickly. For larger contracts governed by EU Regulations, some minimum timescales apply for advertising and "return by" dates for tenders. These are set out below.

• EU-Governed Open Tender Process Must be advertised in EU Journal (see Q8 above) at least 52 days before closing date for receipt of tenders. UK advertising cannot start until 11 days after notice has appeared in EU Journal
• EU-Governed Restricted Tender Process Must be advertised in EU Journal (see Q8 above) and has to allow at least 37 days for applicants to register interest. A further 40 days must be allowed from date of despatch of tenders to the closing date for receipt of tenders

Decisions about awards of contracts following receipt of tenders will be taken as speedily as can be arranged. Some matters may need to be referred to Committees of the Council, which can extend the process. We will ensure all tenderers are kept notified of progress.

Checks are made for formal contracts because we need to be confident about suppliers we contract with. We need to satisfy ourselves that they can deliver the services required, and are reputable businesses. All suppliers wishing to hold contracts with the Council must, accordingly, provide a range of information. This includes basic information, such as VAT registration number, a description of the business, and whether it is part of a holding company. More complex information is also required, such as financial reports, details of previous contracts including whether a contract worked on has ever been terminated, and information on the supplier's facilities such as value of stock, staff numbers. In tender processes, we ask prospective contractors to supply us with the names and addresses of 3 referees who can be contacted to provide information about the firm's performance. One of these, if possible, should be from a local authority.

In the restricted tender process, we ask for more information in the pre-qualification questionnaire referred to in Q11 above. This includes:

• Basic information about the prospective supplier, identifying it as a legitimate trading organisation, with acceptable levels of economic and financial standing;
• Financial information such as audited accounts and annual reports for the previous 2 years. Group or Holding Company accounts are not acceptable. Where a prospective supplier has not been trading for this length of time, a bank reference will be sought. This helps us assess the financial position of the company in relation to the size of the prospective contract;
• Race Relations policies and practice - under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, local authorities are required to ensure that whilst carrying out their functions they take account of the need to eliminate racial discrimination and promote equality. Contractors working for local authorities are expected to act in the same way. Evidence of performance in this area is, accordingly, sought;
• Health and Safety - Prospective suppliers are asked questions relating to their Health and Safety arrangements, and to submit their own policy for consideration. We need to be satisfied that prospective suppliers understand and deliver their responsibilities around safe working practices, not only because that is important of itself but also because the Council has a legal duty to satisfy itself that this is so;
• Environmental Matters - If prospective suppliers have an environmental policy, they are asked to submit it with their application. If they do not have such a policy, it will not prevent them from being accepted on the "approved list". However, such firms may be asked for further environmental information if and when they are invited to tender for specific contracts;

We like to place business with suppliers based in Trafford or with a local workforce. This may not be possible, but information about the percentage of employees resident in Trafford is always worth including. We also invite firms involved in tenders to indicate support for the local 'Employment and Training Charter', which encourages recruitment to vacancies, and deployment of sub contractors, from the local workforce. These are not formal parts of the tender process, but emphasise our commitment - where we can - to base work locally, and we hope contractors can make a similar commitment.

Councils which are members of the LAPP Purchasing Consortium (see Q6) are in regular contact with each other and share key information, particularly where concerns about standards or business viability have proven well-founded.

Contact the Corporate Procurement Service Team and they should be able to advise you.

The Council's Corporate Contract Register maintains up to date details of contracts tendered for corporately, together with scheduled expiry dates.

No, but price is important. All procurement of goods, works and services is based on the principles of Best Value. This means work is awarded to suppliers offering the best balance of quality, cost and service. The Council also takes into account other issues such as environmental impact (see Q14 above). This, therefore, does not necessarily mean the contract will be awarded to the company offering the lowest price.

EU regulations will require the Council to set out in the published contract notice the criteria, which will determine the successful tender.

See details given in Qs 11 and 14 above.

The formal letter of notification to you will identify the Council officer with whom you should have an initial discussion. Subsequent arrangements will then be confirmed in exchanges with officers of the Council.

In a variety of ways, depending upon the nature of the contract;

• For simple contracts, by confirmation the service or good(s) have been received (e.g. supply of bedding or play equipment to an individual site);
• For works, involvement of the Council's technical staff (e.g. building surveyor, highway engineer) in examining works in progress, and compliance with project brief timescales etc;
• For other goods and services, through varied means reflecting examination of performance against criteria set down in the contract;
• In all instances, we also investigate any complaints received

Monitoring arrangements are intended to ensure contractors are capable of delivering the requirements of the contract and are doing so. You should be aware these are strictly applied, especially with regard to quality and general performance. The Council continually strives to improve its own performance and it expects firms working for it to do the same. The position of any contractor failing to perform to agreed levels will be investigated and appropriate action taken, after discussion. This will vary from case to case. Contractors will be asked to comment on any adverse performance that is reported. Serious instances of poor performance will lead to suspension of the contract, and of the firm from doing business with the Council for a further 3 years. The Council is not responsible for the consequences this may have on a firm's business.

Adverse performance, in a works contract, could include:

• poor quality of workmanship
• poor site supervision
• poor adherence to the agreed work programme
• poor control of sub-contractors
• poor health and safety practices

This all makes it important that consideration is given to all such matters when submitting bids for contracts, and ensuring appropriate oversight of performance is delivered throughout the contract period. Any contractor aware of significant difficulties arising within the contract should raise such matters and concerns with the relevant Council officers.

The Council recognises there may be exceptional circumstances which make it difficult, if not impossible, to abide by the terms of the contract. By definition, we expect these to be rare occurrences. Sometimes, in the light of more information coming to hand, the Council may itself need to require variation to the contract. These instances will be kept to a minimum.

In all these circumstances we will make clear any altered requirements or altered basis to the contract in writing. Where emergencies arise, instructions may first be made verbally, but these will be confirmed in writing.

In the majority of cases, this will be 30 days. The Council will, however, be happy to pay more speedily if a discount for prompt payment is offered.

Contract the Corporate Procurement Service Team who should be able to go through matters in more detail and answer any further questions you may have.