Department For Education
We recommend that you get legal advice before buying high value things.
Your schools procurement rules will set the high level. As a guide, we generally say anything over 40,000 is high value.
This guide is only for buying things under the Public Contracts Regulations (PCR) procurement thresholds. If what you are buying is over, or near to, the threshold, you need to use the PCR compliant bidding process.
If you cannot get what you need through our find a DfE-approved framework tool or another framework agreement, you must:
- assess the market
- prepare your contract and tender documents
- advertise in the right places
- consider using an expression of interest to cut the number of bids youll need to assess later
- send an invitation to tender to people who reply to your advert
- fairly assess all the bids you get, using the same process
- choose the bid that offers best value for money
- award the contract to the highest scoring bidder
If you need advice during your procurement, get free and impartial help and support from procurement specialists.
Do some research before you advertise to:
- see if you can get what you need using our find a DfE approved framework tool
- see how many possible suppliers there are
- find the best places to advertise
You could also:
- speak to potential suppliers
- ask other schools what they have done
- consider asking suppliers to submit an expression of interest
- publish a prior information notice in Contracts Finder, select Start and Register
If you do speak to suppliers, make sure that any information you give them at this stage is given to everyone else who bids later and that your specification does not unnecessarily favour the suppliers you have spoken to.
This is sometimes called soft market testing.
You could advertise, asking suppliers to submit an EOI if you:
- want to find out how many bids you are likely to get, so you know how much work will be involved in assessing them later
- are buying something unusual and need to know if there are people who can supply it
Consider carefully whether this is necessary or if it will save you time or money. Running an expression of interest will make the whole process take longer.
Send an invitation to the people who reply to your advert. Include:
- a covering letter
- a timeline
- how to ask questions
- how to submit a bid
- your specification
- a list of things you want prices for
- your award criteria
- your contract terms including the level of service you want and any contract management arrangements, such as regular meetings
- any mandatory requirements for suppliers and, if needed, an invitation for suppliers to give a demonstration
Set deadlines for:
- the clarification period when suppliers can ask you questions
- when suppliers must submit their bid
- the standstill period
- when you will award the contract
When setting deadlines, give enough time for suppliers to:
- understand your needs
- ask questions and use the information in your response
- write a detailed proposal with costs
- submit their bids
If you do not give everyone enough time it may cut the number of bids you get. Think about asking suppliers how long they need when you assess the market.
Before you send out your invitation to tender, decide your award criteria the system youll use to decide which bid:
- best meets your specification
- is the most economically advantageous the one the that best combines price and quality
Give each criteria a:
- range of scores such as 1 to 5, with 5 highest
- weighti
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