Low Value (normally under £5,000) - For anything other than incidental items of very low value we purchase on a best buy basis.

Medium Value (normally between £5,000 and £50,000) - we obtain written quotes and purchase on a best buy basis.

High Value - All contracts with a value of over £50,000 will generally be exposed to a formal competitive tendering process. Such contracts will often be advertised on this website under current contract opportunities and, if appropriate, a trade journal.

Tenders will be evaluated in terms of value for money and not simply lowest price.

Procurements that exceed the thresholds determined by the European Procurement Regulations, with the exception of some exempt services, must be advertised in the OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union).

When tendering and awarding contracts for goods, services or works we must observe the requirements of the EU Public Procurement Rules. These stipulate that contracts valued in excess of specified amounts (see below) must be publicly exposed to competition within the European Union.

We are obligated to advertise contracts in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) when contract values exceed these amounts:

• Works contracts - *£3,497,313
• Supplies contracts - *£139,893
• Services contracts - *£139,893 (in the case of services, advertisement is required for certain types of priority services)
  

* These figures are set by the European Union and are subject to change.

OJEU is available in electronic form via the internet on Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) or in CD-ROM format available from the Stationery Office on 020 7873 9090.