What does the tendering process involve?

Formal tendering will take one of two forms either an "open" tender process or a one-off "select" list process. With open tendering all suppliers who request invitations to tender will be entitled to participate. Invariably the one-off select list approach is adopted and this involves a two stage process:

Potential suppliers are vetted for their suitability and will be given a "pre-qualification questionnaire" (PQQ) to complete. We will assess your general suitability to become a Leicestershire County Council supplier.

Organisations short-listed from Stage 1 will be invited to tender against a specification and to complete and return the tender documents by a specific date. Tenders will be evaluated against pre-determined criteria, which will be notified to all tenderers either in the advertisement or in the invitation to tender itself. We will award the contract to the supplier we consider offers best value in terms of cost and quality considerations using the award criteria.

For additional information about tendering and the Council's contract procedure rules see the Leicestershire County Council Constitution.