It is recommended that a procurement policy provide direction to staff purchasing on behalf of their department about how the College wishes them to source suppliers and obtain quotations and tenders.
Below is some suggested wording that could form part of a procurement policy in relation to the education sectors purchasing Consortium:
"Colleges have access to a range of tendered collaborative procurement agreements and we would request each department, through their key procurement member of staff, to register as a user to Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC) which is owned by the further education sector and is for education sector use .
By using the framework agreements your department will be able to:-
- Source new suppliers
- Carry out mini tenders/obtain quotations to obtain best price/specifications/service levels
- Ensure EU procurement regulation compliance and so reduce the college’s exposure to risk
- Assist the college in meeting government recommendations to channel spend through collaborative tendered agreements
Please note: when requesting pricing etc via a framework agreement, it is a requirement that all suppliers listed on the framework are invited to submit quotations.
To start using the CPC frameworks follow the steps below:
- Create an account on the CPC website by clicking ‘Create Account’ on top right hand side of the CPC homepage
- Search for appropriate framework and view suppliers
- Send clear specifications and quantifiable evaluation to all suppliers on the framework via the CPC website Quote Tool
- Receive bids, compare and evaluate in an open, quantifiable and transparent way (seek advice from procurement)
- Notify all tenderers of the outcome at the same time via the CPC Website Quote Tool
- Apply a voluntary 10 day standstill period To allow tenderers to raise potential concerns, before issuing a final award letter"