How to Succeed in Public Sector Commissioning

1. How to Succeed in Public Sector Commissioning Jacqueline Gray - Procurement and Contracts Advisor Ashley John – Senior Procurement Manager

2. Understand the context: Why do we do things in the way we do? • Why do we have to use this process? – European & UK Law • Some of it is very bureaucratic and we will help where we can within the rules • Understand the jargon: PQQ / RFQ / ITT / Mini Competition • For many suppliers the tendering process can seem complicated - the terminology and jargon used can be difficult to understand • Terms and Conditions – Why do we use them? Who benefits?

3. The Contract and Procurement Procedure Rules & European Union Procurement Regulations Each Council has its own procedures which set out the minimum requirements its officers must follow. The CPPR’s promote good purchasing practice, public accountability and deter corruption. • Cover all procurement regardless of the source of funding. • All contracts must be subject to competition • Public bodies across the European Union (EU) are subject to EU procurement legislation. The legislation prescribes a series of procedures to be followed for contracts above a particular value. • All tenders which are above the EU threshold are subject to the full EU process – procedure, timescales, advertising etc. • Please note, all procurements follow the same best practice principles.

4. Local & SME Policy

5. Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012(Enforceable from 31 January 2013)'It’s not about the cheapest good or service, but what is going to do something for the community’ - Chris White MP Key Aims • To ensure a bigger slice of the estimated £236bn annual public sector procurement spend to go to charities and social enterprises. • To recognise the barriers that small, locally-based social enterprises face. • To "level the playing field" to enable social enterprises to compete with their bigger private and public sector rivals. • http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/3/contents/enacted

6. Contract Opportunities • What contract opportunities are available? • Are you being proactive? • Do you know where to look? • Have you registered for free tender alerts? • Do you understand Public Procurement Rules and do you understand the differences between OJEU and low-value contracts, framework agreements etc. and how they might represent different opportunities for you?

7. Where do I find opportunities? • www.sourcelincolnshire.com Source East Midlands Sites: • Source Derbyshire • Source Leicestershire • Source Lincolnshire • Source Northamptonshire • Source Nottinghamshire • Source Rutland • Source Cambridgeshire

8. Where do I find opportunities? • https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/ • www.ted.europa.eu • http://microsites.lincolnshire.gov.uk/procurement • Contracts registers • Central Purchasing Organisations - ESPO, NYPO, GPS etc. • www.espo.org • http://gps.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/

9. Standards & Risk Management – Basic requirements Question asked must be relevant and proportionate to the contract and they need to be phrased in such a way that the responses can be easily compared Insurance • If you do not currently have the required levels of insurance, we ask you to confirm that you would be willing to take out the appropriate level of insurance cover if you are successful in winning the contract Health & Safety Policy Statement • Any business employing five or more people is required by law, to have a written Health and Safety Policy Statement. Accreditation • Proportionate & relevant • Equivalent (e.g. ISO 9000)

10. Collaboration and Consortium Building • Commissioners are under pressure to allocate resources to achieve the best possible results for service users. On top of this they have reduced budgets and savings have to be made where possible. This can result in contracts being offered which are larger than many Voluntary and Community Sector organisations could deliver on their own.

11. Types of Collaboration Providers can respond to this by exploring ways of collaborating with each other. Effective collaboration can take a range of forms and is a growing trend. • Networking • Shared Staff or Resources • Sharing Accommodation • Joint Service Delivery • Merger • Consortium

12. Consortium Development for Commissioning in Lincolnshire Pro’s and Con’s – A Discussion 20 Minutes

13. Additional Resources • Procurement Lincolnshire - http://microsites.lincolnshire.gov.uk/procurement • Involvinglincs database - http://www.lincsvcsdatabase.org.uk/ • Contact lists (incl. pack) • Procurement Surgeries *category /sector specific • E-procurement workshops • TIPPs – Training in Public Sector Procurement • Networking – Meet the Buyer events, sector cluster groups, forums etc. • Glossary of terms • Supplier newsletter and e-bulletins • Federation of Small Businesses & The Chamber of Commerce

14. Additional Resources cont. • Procurement Lincolnshire – (Standard Docs templates) www.procurementlincolnshire.co.uk • E-Pack (supplier training resources / information pack) • Delta - https://www.delta-esourcing.com/ • Business Lincolnshire – www.businesslinconshire.com • Learn Direct - http://www.learndirect.com/

15. Thank you. Contact the Procurement Lincolnshire helpdesk 01522 553649 procurement.lincolnshire@lincolnshire.gov.uk