Unless we are using the approved list (for works contracts only) a public notice will appear on our website and where appropriate in trade journals. This notice will set out brief details of the requirements of the contract to be fulfilled together with information on how to express an interest.

Also, see our Business Tendering 2006 leaflet.

In most cases we will use a restricted tendering procedure. This is a two-stage process whereby firms respond to a public notice expressing their interest in tendering for a particular contract.

Firms will be asked to provide information against which their suitability to fulfil the requirements of the contract will be assessed and a short list will be prepared for the purpose of inviting tender bids.

Firms invited to tender will be sent a package of documents to enable them to complete their tender submission. Information regarding return addresses, contact names and closing dates will be provided as part of this package.

Submitting tenders

Tenders must be returned to the correct address by the closing date and time specified. Invariably no extension of time is given and late tenders are not considered under any circumstances. In order to ensure a fair process, after the closing date and time all tenders are opened at the same time and subsequently are evaluated.

We are committed to ensuring that tender evaluation is carried out in an equitable and transparent manner. Award criteria will differ from one contract to another but should always be prepared and clearly defined in advance of tenders being returned.

Examples of award criteria include:

• Available resources to deliver the contract
• Skills and experience of staff employed to deliver the contract
• Quality of products offered
• Purchase price
• Running costs
• Disposal costs
• Delivery period
• After sales support
• Aesthetic and functional characteristics

Contracts will be awarded on the basis of value for money (often referred to as Most Economically Advantageous Tender or "MEAT"). This means that contracts will be awarded to companies best able to meet our contract specifications.