Public procurement in Northern Ireland: Central Procurement Directorate (CPD)

1. Public procurement in Northern Ireland: Central Procurement Directorate (CPD) Supplies & Services Division http://www.dfpni.gov.uk/cpd

2. Public procurement in Northern Ireland: SEAN DORAN & KEITH TAYLOR http://www.dfpni.gov.uk/cpd

3. Public procurement in Northern Ireland: CPD – How we work, what we buy, hints and tips http://www.dfpni.gov.uk/cpd

4. What is CPD? CPD is a Directorate within the Department of Finance & Personnel Leads on the development of NI public procurement policy Provides quality advice and professional procurement services to Government Departments

5. Who are the buyers in the Northern Ireland public sector? • Departments, their Agencies, Non departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and public corporations carry out procurement by means of a service level agreement with CPD or a relevant CoPE (Centre of Procurement Excellence) • This means that all public sector construction, supplies and services procurement opportunities are available from the following organisations: Education & Library Boards

6. Health Estates • hospitals • primary and community care centres • local health centres • fire and ambulance facilities www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/hea • Water Service • construction relating to water supply, treatment and distribution • construction relating to the collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater www.niwater.com

7. Roads Service • new road developments • road improvement schemes • street lighting • gully emptying and grass cutting • winter snow clearance • public car parks www.roadsni.gov.uk • Housing Executive • maintenance of social housing stock • housing refurbishment schemes www.nihe.gov.uk

8. Translink - Translink is responsible for the maintenance, development and enhancement of the public transport network, both bus and rail, in Northern Ireland www.translink.co.uk • Procurement and Logistics Service (PaLS) • Products & Services • Medical Supplies • Hospital Furniture • Care Appliances http://www.hscbusiness.hscni.net/services/1878.htm

9. EDUCATION & LIBRARY BOARDS www.belb.org.uk www.neelb.org.uk www.seelb.org.uk www.selb.org.uk www.welbni.org.uk In addition to the five ELBs in the Controlled Sector the Department of Education also provides Grant-aid to Voluntary Maintained, Voluntary Grammar, Irish Medium and Grant Maintained Integrated sectors

10. Supplies and Services • transportation, vehicles and services • ICT (systems, hardware & software) • energy (electricity, oil, gas) • consultancy services • food/catering • facilities management

11. How do we find out when new opportunities are available?

12. 1. Web sites (CPD & CoPE sites) • 2. Local press • some opportunities are also placed in local press • 3. Official Journal of European Union (OJEU) • see www.ted.europa.eu for details • procurements estimated to exceed the EU directive thresholds: • £101k – (€ 116k)  –supplies & services • £3.9m – (€ 4.5m)  –works • useful source of information on contracts awarded

13. e-Procurement E-sourcing service Now used by CPD and all CoPEs in Northern Ireland Common entry point to access NI Public Sector tendering opportunities https://e-sourcingni.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.shtml

14. eSourcingNI • Can be accessed 24-7 • Suppliers can view opportunities and download documents • Access and Registration is free • Suppliers only required to register once • Suppliers can manage all interactions online • Transaction costs such as printing, copying and postage are reduced • Used bymultiple organisations across N.I (currently 25)

15. Registration on eSourcing NI

16. What we buy

17. Goods Stationery Vehicles Office furniture Mobile Plant IT & Software Building Materials Photocopiers Stone/Asphalt Concrete Office Equipment Timber Protective Clothing Energy Uniforms Printing

18. Services Banking Consultancy Insurance IT Support Legal Advertising/Graphic Security Maintenance Facilities Management Print/Publishing Catering

19. Tender Documents • Instructions to tender; • Terms & Conditions of Contract; • Specification/Terms of Reference; • Pricing Schedule; • In addition: • Online forms to be completed (Qualification Area)

20. How will a tender be evaluated? • Lowest Price or • Evaluated on the basis of Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) • Often consists of a two Stage Process: • Selection Stage – minimum standards of technical or professional ability • Award Stage – Scored based on Quality and Cost

21. How will a tender be evaluated? Supplies Most economically advantageous tender that meets specification (Consumables) Whole life costing model (high value items – vehicles) Services Most economically advantageous tender (Quality/Cost) Quality – Methodology, QA control systems, etc

22. Hints and tips

23. Hints and Tips • Regularly check local press/Websites • Read all the tender documentation carefully • Note the closing date for tender submissions and clarification questions • Allow plenty of time to put your response together • If in doubt seek clarification via eSourcingNI messaging system • Make sure you clearly demonstrate how your organisation and/or personnel meet the Selection Criteria. Provide detailed examples with supporting evidence.

24. Hints and Tips • Note the Award Criteria and associated weightings. In particular how weightings are allocated to quality and cost. • Check that all parts of the tender have been completed and that you have addressed all areas • Never make assumptions – Tenders will only be evaluated on the information provided • Recheck and proof read before submitting. • Leave sufficient time to complete online questions and submit tender documents

25. Useful Web Addresses • Central Procurement Directorate – www.cpdni.gov.uk • E-Sourcing NI - www.e-sourcingni.bravosolution.co.uk • Government Procurement Service - www.buying solutions.gov.uk • The Republic of Ireland Procurement Portal – www.procurement.ie • E-Procurement Europe – www.simap.eu.int • Tendering Services – www.tendermatch.co.uk • Contracts Finder - www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk

26. Q & A