How we buy

We have well-established procedures for offering work or buying products and do not usually respond to unsolicited enquiries or applications.

These procedures can vary depending on the type of product we are buying as well as its value.

Goods and supplies

Although we do undertake some spot purchasing for low value items, the bulk of our general supplies are purchased through pre-tendered corporate contracts.

These are negotiated by us, or more commonly, as part of wider Public Service Consortia, e.g. the Office for Government Commerce (OGC), Central Buying Consortium (CBC), London Contracts and Supplies Group (LCSG).

The contracts are usually for four year term and are advertised via public advertisement in OJEU and relevant trade journals. This method offers us choice, high quality standards and best value.

Strategic Procurement Unit is responsible for arranging, negotiating and monitoring the core corporate contracts.

Specialist goods

More specialist goods are purchased by the specific departments.

Strategic Procurement Unit keeps a central database of suppliers.

If you want to submit product information, send it to:

Strategic Procurement Unit
Newham Dockside
3rd Floor, East Wing
1000 Dockside Road
London, E16 2QU

For other enquiries about supplying goods please email the Strategic Procurement Unit.

Services

Some of our main services are regularly exposed to competition.

For example:

• Grounds maintenance
• Leisure services
• Parking enforcement

These high value contracts typically last for between five and ten years. We use an evaluation model to measure the merit of each bid, and base our decision on a range of factors that offer us the best value in terms of capability, quality of service and not necessarily lowest price.

Our standard procedure for letting contracts follows a well-established tendering process. Usually, the contractors have undergone a rigorous examination of their financial stability, technical competence, operational methods, health and safety and employment practices.

Increasingly, we are seeking to enter into innovative partnership arrangements with external organisations, which provide inward investment and development of the services. We welcome enquiries and ideas about alternative solutions to traditional methods of service provision.

Social care

The provision of Social Services to vulnerable members of Newham's community is provided through the Adult Services and Children and Young People's Services.

Both service areas regularly offer contracts through the tendering process, for the provision of a selection of services, which can include:

• Residential Care
• Nursing Care
• Day Care
• Home Care
• As well as other services for vulnerable people with special needs.

These specialist services are typically let for longer contract periods and our tender processes are designed to enable specialist providers to bid for them in a competitive and equitable way.

Before contracts are awarded, an evaluation process takes place to ensure the bidder under consideration can provide the quality of specialist services being sought. This will take account of a range of factors that offers us the best value in terms of meeting the service specification and not necessarily simply the lowest price.

Providers of specialist services for adults must be registered with the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). Compliance with the CSCI Standards will be a requirement throughout the duration of any contract. Similarly, providers of services to Children & Young People will be subject to CSCI requirements and must be willing to undergo CRB checks on all staff.

We tend to follow a standard tendering process. Advertisements are placed in the local press, NECTR, Newham's website and specialist publications such as Community Care inviting expressions of interest.

Suppliers invited to tender can currently download and submit documents online via our e-tendering system NECTR (Newham's Electronic Contract and Tendering Resource) or alternatively the tender documents can be despatched on request from the tender manager.

Tenders are then evaluated against clear published criteria by a panel of experienced officers and, where possible and practicable, service users.

Contracts are then awarded based on a combination of financial and non-financial factors requested in the tender.

Works

Construction and maintenance type works relating to building and civil engineering that fall below the EU Public Works Contract threshold are normally carried out by contractors chosen from our Approved List. The list is maintained to ensure that those firms employed by us to undertake works within the borough are suitably qualified to do so in terms of technical ability (including registration with trade organisations such as CORGI and NICEIC, where appropriate), financial stability, including compliance with the Construction Industry Tax Scheme, Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities and environmental policies.

Newham Council does not maintain its own approved list. We source approved suppliers from Constructionline. In order to be considered for any works tenders with the council, suppliers must be registered with Constructionline. To find out more about the categories have a look at the full list on approved works categories.

For approved list enquiries please contact the Strategic Procurement Unit.


Does the council use a third party supplier accreditation?

Yes, we use Constructionline.