Procurement Toolkit

This guide provides colleges with a list of actions to consider when faced with a disgruntled bidder following communication of the award decision.

The Introduction to Procurement in FE Colleges details the key processes of procurement, why they are important and how to carry them out.  The Introduction is supported by a series of guides designed to provide more in-depth information on specific procurement topics.

Typical Contracts Register

Download an example change request template, used as a written log for change requests and their pricing implications.

An example of a collaboration group of colleges in the North West of England who collaborated to purchase IT equipment using a CPC framework agreement.

Download an example agenda template for a contract performance management meeting to be used as a starting point in your organisation.

This guide contains practical tips for writing a procurement strategy, addressing what it is, it's importance and the benefits to your college.

This guide addresses how to develop a whole life cycle costing model and the benefits it will bring to your college.

What is a framework agreement?  How do I use them?  What are the benefits of framework agreements?  This guide aims to answer these questions along with advice on above threshold call offs and incumbent suppliers.

Four key areas to best practice evaluations, the impact of procurement regulations, award criteria and evaluation methodology and examples of scoring models are discussed in this guide.

OGC's guide on how to address environmental issues in public procurement.

A guide to supply positioning showing how to prioritise your procurement and focus efforts in the areas where most benefit can be gained.

This guide will help you to analyse your supplier spend, highlighting the benefits of spend analysis and provide high spend and low spend action points.

What makes your college attractive to suppliers? This guide addresses models of supplier preferencing and how you can increase your bargaining power.

What is involved, benefits to the college, financial appraisals and examples of pre qualification questionnaires are discussed in this guide.

A set of standard terms and conditions that can be adopted and tailored for colleges use in the purchase of goods and services.

A guide to why specifications are important and how to begin writing a specification. Technical verses performance verses conformance specifications.

This guide is the old OGC's PPN on the requirement to distinguish between selection and award stages of a public procurement.

Why is project management important and how do I do it?  This guide aims to answer these questions and provide tools and techniques for successful project management.

When to negotiate, planning and preparation and common mistakes are all explored in this guide.

This guide provides information on how and when to debrief suppliers on the outcome of a procurement exercise.  It covers areas such as written debriefs, face to face debriefs and the timing of notification of contract award information.

What is risk management? Why is it important? This guide aims to answer these questions and provide advice on developing a risk management process.

What you need to know when the value of a tender is below PCR thresholds, including information on the tendering cycle and a tender planning checklist.

What you need to know when the requirement is subject to the procurement regulations. Including; when the rules apply, valuing a contract, CPV codes, advertising, timescales, specifications, evaluation and standstill periods.

This guide provides information on sourcing, government procurement cards and obtaining quotations for low value purchases.

The purpose of a pricing schedule, how to create a pricing schedule for supplies and services and other considerations are discussed in this guide.

This guide to E-Tendering gives an overview of products, integration opportunities and effort and cost involved.

This guide will help you to find out more about the e-procurement tools available to colleges including e-auctions, e-tendering and e-market places.

Best practice tips on the contents of invitation to tenders, including a set of standard instructions to tenderers, award criteria, specification, terms and conditions, pricing schedules and tender response forms.

An overview of an approved supplier list, why have them, where to start and the tools to help you develop your approved supplier list.

This guide provides information on the importance of a contracts register, obtaining the information required and maintaining the register.

This guide explores what makes a good contract, contract management activities and contract management tools and techniques.

An introduction to market analysis, why its important and how to conduct market analysis.

What does it mean, what products and services are suitable for collaboration and what will enable collaborative procurement in my college? This guide discusses these issues and provides a decision making tool for procurement officers when considering collaboration.

What is benchmarking, why is it important and how do I do it? This guide aims to answer these questions and sets out the five steps to benchmarking procurement.